Pine pellets for coop bedding??? Does it work?? I'm curious....

[Bawkbok]

We have a living fence along with a privacy fence but their house sits about 10 feet higher than ours and they have cameras everywhere which sees right through the greenery and are taller than the fence. Yet another side neighbor has his camera and super bright light on a twenty foot pole pointing right in our yard behind the coop. I have to block the light at night by hanging a dark tarp. I get blinded every time I step outside but at least the light is diffused on the coop. Talk about needing to get a life. Another reason why NOT to live in suburbia. CALGON - TAKE ME AWAY!

 

[WingItRanch]

Which part? The impending three days of rain or me on my hands and knees crawling around digging in the dirt? I feel like I am tasting saw dust in the back of my scratchy throat. Ugh.
I also think I am entertainment fodder for the people behind us who sit on their porch essentially 24x7 and do nothing but watch my every move. Geezopete.

All of it!

 

[WingItRanch]

I started using the pellets horse stall bedding I put water in the bag to get it to break up but not enough to soak. BEST THING EVER!

So you water your pellets on purpose to create the sawdust-type material?

 

[avjudge]

So you water your pellets on purpose to create the sawdust-type material?

Yes, this is a very common way to use them in horse stalls. And I do this in my pigeon aviary as I mentioned in my post a few pages ago on this thread. Rather than add water to the bag I spread out the pellets and then give a few spritzes with the hose sprayer on shower setting — spray just a bit, wait to see how broken down it is, spray again until I like the texture (mostly but not entirely sawdust). The pigeons don’t add a lot of moisture via their droppings, and intact pellets are not the most comfortable thing for me to walk on.

 

[misskestrel78]

I'm confused on something here: do you use the pellets in the coop only, or in the run as well?

 

[PimsGarden]

I switched to pellets and absolutely love it, not going back to shavings!

 

[WingItRanch]

I'm confused on something here: do you use the pellets in the coop only, or in the run as well?

I think everyone is different but I only use the pellets in the run. Not in the coop.

 

[misskestrel78]

I think everyone is different but I only use the pellets in the run. Not in the coop.

Thank you. That's what I was planning on doing, and using pine shavings for the coop/laying boxes.

 

[Debbie292d]

Thank you. That's what I was planning on doing, and using pine shavings for the coop/laying boxes.

I use the pellets in the coop and the brooders. They free range so no run to speak of.

They keep the coop dry and odor free. We change them only once a year, in the spring. No, we do not spray them with water. They lose that much absorbability then but to each their own.

In the brooders, I use a stick to stir them every few days as their little feet can't scratch them around like in the coop they do. No smell and they stay dry. Less chances of getting coccidiosis.

 

[PimsGarden]

Thank you. That's what I was planning on doing, and using pine shavings for the coop/laying boxes.

I alternatively only use it in the coop and not my run, I like how any poop that falls into it gets the moisture absorbed from it and it makes it easy to collect and doesn't clump/get all over the birds feet as much.