How much bedding do you need?

[CrystalAnon]

Sorry about that last reply. I was writing a response, then it got all jumbled up with other quotes, attributing what I was writing to other people somehow. What the heck? I deleted it, because it was confusing.
Anyway…

Very interesting! I’d be curious to know how much they were using with the rats. Due to it being a powerful oxidant, it would be expected if the rats were ingesting, or inhaling it in large quantities, that would have negative effects.
The cleaner I’m referring to is not the same as Chlorine Dioxide gas. It’s stabilized. It doesn’t off-gas. You can barely smell it at all.
Anyway, my goal, as everyone here, is to care for my chickens the best I can. Clearly I didn’t ask if anyone had used it in this context because I’m looking to cause harm.
I know people will do their own research. I would just caution people about media-linked information & medical industrial complex citation of harm/death. They tend to use extreme examples. There is a lot of fear-porn out there, as I’m sure everyone knows, given all we’ve been through in the last few years. Use your discernment & know that you are much smarter than the media & medical industry give you credit for!!
Much love & appreciation to everyone here! Thank you so much for all your useful hints, ideas & experience.
This forum is a lovely resource & I am incredibly grateful.

 

[Kanekoded]

Sorry about that last reply. I was writing a response, then it got all jumbled up with other quotes, attributing what I was writing to other people somehow. What the heck? I deleted it, because it was confusing.
Anyway…

Very interesting! I’d be curious to know how much they were using with the rats. Due to it being a powerful oxidant, it would be expected if the rats were ingesting, or inhaling it in large quantities, that would have negative effects.
The cleaner I’m referring to is not the same as Chlorine Dioxide gas. It’s stabilized. It doesn’t off-gas. You can barely smell it at all.
Anyway, my goal, as everyone here, is to care for my chickens the best I can. Clearly I didn’t ask if anyone had used it in this context because I’m looking to cause harm.
I know people will do their own research. I would just caution people about media-linked information & medical industrial complex citation of harm/death. They tend to use extreme examples. There is a lot of fear-porn out there, as I’m sure everyone knows, given all we’ve been through in the last few years. Use your discernment & know that you are much smarter than the media & medical industry give you credit for!!
Much love & appreciation to everyone here! Thank you so much for all your useful hints, ideas & experience.
This forum is a lovely resource & I am incredibly grateful.

The rats were given an oral dose of 14 mg, I'm going to assume it was in liquid form. And I agree with you about the media & medical industrial complex as these days, neither can be trusted. It's also pretty obvious that you meant no harm, the product you're using sounds great, many people have used it with no issue.

With all of that said, I stick with what I know. I have done things the natural way for decades - in fact, pretty much all of my adult life. I never go to the doctor because I don't get sick. For more than 30 years, I've applied a lot of the same methods I use to keep myself healthy to my chicken keeping and it's literally been YEARS since I've had issues with a sick chicken. Being leery of a product I've never used is completely a "me thing" as I really never introduce or change my method of madness - I keep it VERY simple. So, I do apologize if anything I said implied that you were doing anything wrong or harmful because you're not. The product you're using is FAR safer for chickens than many of the other chemicals most people use in, on and around their chickens.

In this community there's always going to be someone who disagrees with you to the point of attack, I've been where you're sitting more than once and it's really no fun trying to defend those things you've found to be working for you.

Anyway, have a great day & hope to see you around.

 

[CrystalAnon]

The rats were given an oral dose of 14 mg, I'm going to assume it was in liquid form. And I agree with you about the media & medical industrial complex as these days, neither can be trusted. It's also pretty obvious that you meant no harm, the product you're using sounds great, many people have used it with no issue.

With all of that said, I stick with what I know. I have done things the natural way for decades - in fact, pretty much all of my adult life. I never go to the doctor because I don't get sick. For more than 30 years, I've applied a lot of the same methods I use to keep myself healthy to my chicken keeping and it's literally been YEARS since I've had issues with a sick chicken. Being leery of a product I've never used is completely a "me thing" as I really never introduce or change my method of madness - I keep it VERY simple. So, I do apologize if anything I said implied that you were doing anything wrong or harmful because you're not. The product you're using is FAR safer for chickens than many of the other chemicals most people use in, on and around their chickens.

In this community there's always going to be someone who disagrees with you to the point of attack, I've been where you're sitting more than once and it's really no fun trying to defend those things you've found to be working for you.

Anyway, have a great day & hope to see you around.

I did not experience anything you said as an attack. I appreciate your words & your “keep it simple” approach. Very wise in my opinion. This being new to me, I’m exploring & integrating all kinds of things into this endeavor. I thank everyone for their patience through this process. I’m learning a lot & I’ll go forward knowing that I don’t know what I don’t know.
This is an incredible journey for me, having not been in a space where I could keep & care for chickens for 30 years, while hoping & praying to be able one day! That day is in less than a month now, and it’s blowing my mind!!!
Honestly, I do enjoy being challenged. Ultimately I know none of it is personal, even if it might sound like an insult. It helps me to determine what I’ve learned, and areas I still have work to do. No hard feelings. I do appreciate the passion. Thank you for the conversation @Ascholten
Have a wonderful day & I look forward to all interactions here!

 

[Ascholten]

Regardless of the fact that it's deemed safe in small amounts and is used in poultry (and livestock) farming as a disinfectant, I still wouldn't use it on or around my own flock simply because it didn't pass the "rat" test.

In rats, chlorine dioxide gas altered the structure of blood cells and prevented DNA formation in several organs. The changes in blood cells caused mild hemolytic anemia, a condition in which blood cells are destroyed and removed before their normal lifespan is over. Additionally, an oral dose of 14 mg in rats damaged proteins in their brain cells, demonstrating a potential for neurotoxicity. Makes me wonder if it could wreck similar havoc on chickens over time with continued use...? In MY OWN MIND, I'd think it's possible, which is why I'd personally choose not to use it on or around my chickens.

So to an extent, I actually agree with you but that doesn't mean I think @CrystalAnon is doing anything wrong.

With that said, we need to accept that other people are going to choose to do things differently and "differently" doesn't always equal "wrong."

Take a deep breath.

which is exactly why i said that people need to do their own research and make their own decisions. You can pick any topic in the world, and go on the internet and find half the people saying great choice and the other half saying BAD BOY !!!!

Just remember though, people selling a product, doctors pushing for some sort of attention, or accolades etc, companies that make something etc, generally are NOT good sources for ALL the needed info. They have agenda's.

Unfortunately as we have found with the covid garbage, governments and the so called 'experts' will willingly lie to you as well... to push an agenda. So who can you trust anymore? THAT is the million dollar question.

Aaron

 

[CrystalAnon]

Unfortunately as we have found with the covid garbage, governments and the so called 'experts' will willingly lie to you as well... to push an agenda. So who can you trust anymore? THAT is the million dollar question.

Aaron

100% agree with you. I think we should all have a healthy skepticism about everything we read from those sources.
Amen!

 

[Tcline4]

I’ll be a first time chicken owner in a month. I’m getting everything I need together now.
I thought for sure there would be a thread on how much bedding you need to have on hand to last a while, especially with the difficulty it’s been to get certain things sometimes. I could not find a thread on this, so I apologize if this has been talked about before.
About how long, in your experience, will 88lbs of hemp bedding last?
I know everyone has a different situation, but we have a coop that’s slightly smaller than 8ft by 6ft 7in (outside measurements) about 50 sq feet inside. We’re only planning on spreading bedding in the coop, as needed & the laying boxes. Not in the run. And of course, as bedding for the chicks in the brooder for 5-6 weeks. We’ll have 10 chicks (god willing) when they arrive & likely a couple less once we figure out which of the 4 straight run chicks are female or male.
About how long do you folks think 88lbs could last, with daily (and probably obsessive) cleaning?
I’m probably overthinking & overbuying… but this is so important to me to have everything they need & more.
Thank you!!!

Go to Carolina Coop and watch their videos. I use their deep litter method and just removed the top layer and put in new hemp at 20 months.

 

[Goldenlace]

I’ll be a first time chicken owner in a month. I’m getting everything I need together now.
I thought for sure there would be a thread on how much bedding you need to have on hand to last a while, especially with the difficulty it’s been to get certain things sometimes. I could not find a thread on this, so I apologize if this has been talked about before.
About how long, in your experience, will 88lbs of hemp bedding last?
I know everyone has a different situation, but we have a coop that’s slightly smaller than 8ft by 6ft 7in (outside measurements) about 50 sq feet inside. We’re only planning on spreading bedding in the coop, as needed & the laying boxes. Not in the run. And of course, as bedding for the chicks in the brooder for 5-6 weeks. We’ll have 10 chicks (god willing) when they arrive & likely a couple less once we figure out which of the 4 straight run chicks are female or male.
About how long do you folks think 88lbs could last, with daily (and probably obsessive) cleaning?
I’m probably overthinking & overbuying… but this is so important to me to have everything they need & more.
Thank you!!!

 

[Goldenlace]

I started with my first 4 chicks in June 2022. I started with Pine flakes even though they seemed a bit large, I used them several weeks and I noticed a bad smell. Meanwhile I had read about hemp and decided to change. I havent used anything since. I do not mix paper with it. I have a small coop which is located inside my “fort Knox” run so I can leave their small chicken door open all the time. My hemp is about 4 + inches thick. Because my hens only sleep there now they do not keep it stirred much. So everyday or at least every 3 days max, I go in coop with a cat litter scooper and scoop poop off the top layer so that I can shift the hemp through the scoop and back into coop. I’m just left with poop which I put in a bucket. I then compost it. next I stir the hemp. Some chickens may do that part for you, mine don’t. Small pieces remain but it decays which is the purpose of deep litter. By scooping it, it keeps it clean and fresher. I’ve added a little hemp once first of Nov. and will prob add a little again in Feb ( depends on how much I scoop with the poo). You can add a stick handle to the kitty litter scooper if needed.
I have no smell.

I used leaves in my run until we ran out and then I cleaned that out and put some hemp in my run and they love it. They like to scatter it in run for me and they also lay in the deepest area when they rest in the afternoon. I will clean the run out in Spring and add new hemp with maybe some sand. Good luck! Have fun. I’m still waiting for my first eggs!

 

[Jerry Dog Man]

That is a great idea… mixing in the newspaper. In fact, in my line of work, I need to shred a lot of paper, for the financial protection of our clients. I’m sure they would not mind our chickens pooping on the shreds, for extra, extra protection!
Great idea! Thanks!

paper will hold in moisture

 

[dirkandlorie]

Yes! Exactly what I was thinking. It hurt my fingers pretty good… almost like bruising on my finger pads… just when I was working with it to get it tight over the cattle panels for the hoop run! I couldn’t wear gloves because I had to get a good grip on it & I couldn’t with 1/2”x1/2” holes in the hardware cloth.
I can’t imagine wanting to try & scratch on a surface like that. Or walk all day on it.
Thank you!

When you use hardware cloth underneath you use thick thick thick layers of bedding on top. Chickens don't walk on it or scratch down to it. Mine has hardware cloth 3 feet down, then cinder blocks on top of that, then bedding. Nothing ever digging up through the bottom to get my babies, and when it rains torrentially the water just runs through those cinder blocks and my coop and run are as dry as can be. We added the cinder blocks a couple of years ago when climate changed around here. Cheaper than moving whole coop to higher but hotter ground, and I feel like they're even safer than they were before. A skirt is a lot cheaper and easier but no guarantee that something can't get in.