TSC Pelletized Bedding - Anyone?

[Toothpick]

Sure makes the coop look good! But is it OK? Worth it? I had 2 bags in the shed that I’ve had for at least 3 years. Finally decided to use them after i cleaned the coop today. We’ll see how they work. I’m thinking I’ll still add some pine shavings.

 

[HenriettaPizzaNolan]

I love this stuff. But I do think it's better and more cost-efficient to wet and expand the pellets with water first. I believe that is their intended use, or at least that's how I've always used them. Then they turn into pine shavings and you can scoop the poop like cat litter. I imagine the poop would kind of stick to the pellets like the way you have them now and you'll end up throwing out a lot more pellets than you need to when you clean the coop.

Here's an example of someone using it the way I'm talking about:

Edit: This is probably a better video:

 

[Toothpick]

Well shoot. That’s a lot better idea. Guess I’ll try it next time

 

[Kiki]

I use this exact stuff for my rabbit's littler box.

 

[Toothpick]

Maybe I can take the hose and give it a light spray while it’s in the coop. See what that does.

 

[SourRoses]

We use it in the shed coop with a metal roof that isn't watertight. It does a great job soaking up the drips.
We put down a lot more than you have there though, and it lasts a very long time. (3-6 months). Once the layer is thick enough, it's easy to walk on, but a shallow layer is hazardous as the pellets roll underfoot.

When I worked at a horse farm that used it, they insisted on a shallow layer that was misted... but I think that kinda wastes its chief benefit which is absorption capability. Pulling the moisture out of the poo keeps the smell down.

Do be careful to keep it away from plants you want to live. I've used it to make paths no weeds will come up through. Either the pine oil or the absorption of nitrogen...

 

[Iluveggers]

If you wet the pellets, won’t that make too much moisture in the coop? I have a bag of those in my garage that we never used.

 

[Bhubbard]

If you wet the pellets, won’t that make too much moisture in the coop? I have a bag of those in my garage that we never used.

If you lightly spray them it turns more to an expanded sawdust. Or you can do nothing the pellets will get wet over time from the chickens and expand on their own.

 

[avjudge]

Maybe I can take the hose and give it a light spray while it’s in the coop. See what that does.

That’s what I have done when I put them down in my pigeon aviary.

If you mist lightly the resulting sawdust will feel quite dry. The pellets will not break down completely after a single light misting, but if you mist every so often, letting it dry out in between times, you should be able to break it down without raising the humidity in the coop noticeably.

I did use it one time in my pigeon aviary without moistening it. I did not really like it that way — I liked it much better as sawdust.

 

[Toothpick]

Well it seems I’ll have to experiment with this stuff. Find out what works best. I usually only completely clean the floor of the coop once a year. Maybe with this stuff I can more easily target clean it. Scoop out the poop without removing all the shavings.