Another little/bedding question...

[GoldenSlumbers]

I'll be finishing up my coop here soon, and I can't make up my mind on what type of litter to put in it...
It's basically a 4x8 shed. Ground level with raised floor. The summers here in central VA can get pretty humid, and the area is pretty shaded, so it doesn't dry as quickly after a rainstorm either.
I've factored in plenty of ventilation options because of this, but I'm a bit worried about the litter staying too damp for deep litter method.
I'm going to put a poop board under the roosts with sand for allegedly easier cleaning/sifting. I also considered sand for the coop floor, but it seems like it's not a very popular material on this forum.

Any suggestions or input is greatly appreciated!

 

[Sic]

I started with sand in coop/poop shelf and completely changed to 100% zeolite for the poop shelf. Zeolites molecular ability to remove ammonia, moisture and odor is just far superior. My floor is now rubber stall mat, no litter as my flock are not floor birds - they're on the roosts at night and don't come off the roosts until I open their door in the AM. I would not recommend sand as flooring in your coop, especially if you have high humidity as it will stay wet and it will smell eventually. If your birds spend floor time in your coop, consider hemp or pine shavings as a better option than sand.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I agree with Sic. I use zeolite (branded as PDZ in my area) in the poop area, and would use pine shavings on the floor of a coop. They're cheap and you can just throw the bale in for the chickens to rake through and spread for hentertainment. A lot of people rave about hemp, but if you have to walk on it, hemp is INSANELY SLIPPERY! Seriously, it's like tiny banana peels.

 

[Sic]

I agree with Sic. I use zeolite (branded as PDZ in my area) in the poop area, and would use pine shavings on the floor of a coop. They're cheap and you can just throw the bale in for the chickens to rake through and spread for hentertainment. A lot of people rave about hemp, but if you have to walk on it, hemp is INSANELY SLIPPERY! Seriously, it's like tiny banana peels.

Just FYI, buying zeolite is cheaper than PDZ. I order from Home Depot, pic related

 

[thecatumbrella]

Just FYI, buying zeolite is cheaper than PDZ. I order from Home Depot

Oh my goodness, thank you! I thought I was saving by getting the "horse version". This is awesome!

 

[TOMTE]

Wood pellets are cheaper than shavings (ime, a lot more for a lower price) and last a lot longer. It takes a while for them to smell. I use a deep(ish) bedding method where once a week I remove the very soiled bedding on top, then turn/mix the remaining (because my girls dont do a good enough job of it themselves), add a bit more fresh pellets on top along with some dry leaf litter to encourage them to scratch. Soiled bedding goes directly into the run where there is also leaf litter and the chooks are scratching around constantly so it composts easily. Wood pellets hold moisture VERY well and turn into a sort of crumbly sawdust as they break down. Light weight and easy to clean up with a broom.

 

[Sic]

If you're really concerned about humidity, we're up over 80% RH all the time since we're in a rainforest, I do recommend a ventilation exhaust fan, I use Infinity Airtitan T8. It has a very low power draw and can be programmed to turn on at specific temp or humidity.

 

[GoldenSlumbers]

Thanks for the suggestions, everyone!
I'll definitely be looking into the zeolite for the poop pit.
I was hoping to keep things relatively 'low maintenance' as far as cleaning out the whole coop floor.
And I do have a duct "booster" fan I was going to rig up at the top of one gable end.