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

[romea]

I’m afraid I really can’t say, since it is surrounded by hardware cloth and packed down pretty well by human feet as I tend to them. They do not scratch as chickens do.

I will say that people using it in horse stalls are all over the place, reporting it to be anything from dust free to very dusty. To some degree that seems to depend on the source, as apparently some pellets create more fine dust than others. I don’t know how much that variation is in the handling, reflecting variations in relative humidity, whether it is put in dry (pellets) or fluffed (sawdust), or if it is just people‘s tolerance of dust.

Used straight from the bag in cat litter boxes, as it breaks down to sawdust from the cat pee, I do get significant tracking in the immediate vicinity of the box, but I don’t notice much dust. Of course there, even if it has been able to air dry, it is at least a little moist from the urine, which should not be the case when used for chickens.

Wow... Thank you for this comprehensive review! Very useful.

Just today, I came across a straw-pellet product ("Straw Boss") which is marketed as "dust extracted". It sounds interesting and comes in various iterations/cuts (from cat litter to different "cut" beddings for various animals, and also as a mulch).

The part I have liked about the sand it that it doesn't hold moisture and therefore smell was never a problem. With that said, I have read that some people have a problem with just that and, like you, I wonder what accounts for that (the handling, overall humidity, type of sand etc...).

 

[romea]

What kind of sand do you use? I used to use sand in my run and always found that it would clump and harden over time, found it extremely frustrating to deal with as I like the concept in theory. How do you manage the dust?

I've always used pine pellets in the coop. They're my all time favorite bedding, Horse Pine Pellets from Tractor Supply. $8 per bag, only takes about 2-3 bags to have a nice plush layer. As it gets used, it turns into sawdust over time, and then I scoop the old coop litter out and reuse it for the run.

I will say, definitely wear a KN95 when cleaning. Histoplasmosis is no joke, and as the pellets disintegrate into sawdust they do become dusty. Not so much that I've ever had any respiratory issues from my girls, but still be careful.

When they were chicks, I kept them on wood shavings (underneath a layer of paper towels for the first couple days) because the color was much different than their crumbles and because I didn't want a pellet to dissolve in their water and cause issues that way.

I am 1 of those people who used sand in various coops for years and loved the fact that I could keep it very clean. However, that requires daily pickup with a cat litter scoop (or similar). It was easy to do and took maybe 10 minutes tops for my 2 coops with around max. 30 chickens. (Just to provide some scale. )
I also didn't have a foot of sand in the coops but maybe about an inch? So maybe it got shifted around with no chance to clump or harden.

The only time I ever experienced clumping was when the poop would freeze to the floor during the coldest days before I got a chance to go out to the chickens... Some thawing a few days later - or a swift kick with my boots - would eventually take care of that.

With that said, the kind of sand I used accumulated dust over time (which is why I am now searching for an alternative).

 

[sean_wonder]

Understandable! I'm a huge fan of pine pellets if my previous post didn't already show that. Plus I love the smell

 

[romea]

Understandable! I'm a huge fan of pine pellets if my previous post didn't already show that. Plus I love the smell

Oh yes, oh yes... If only cedar were an option.... Yumm....

 

[MapleLaurelFarms]

We use a verticle nipple in the beginning. Here the horizontal one is there, but they are too young to use it yet.

I've never used nipple waterers with chicks this young, but I can't believe I haven't tried it yet. (Hand hits forehead.)

What age do they start to use the horizontal ones? And is it because they don't have enough strength to tap it effectively until then?

 

[MapleLaurelFarms]

I tried shavings, sand and straw, pellets have been a game changer for me!! No smell, WAY fewer flies in summer,so EASY to clean, cheap (less than $6.50 bag here) and lasts a long time. I have a roughly 8x10' coop and started w/3-4 bags on the floor and 2 on my poop tray. I usually have to add maybe 1 a month as I clean it. (curious to see how that changes once I move the pr of geese out) I keep it roughly 3-4" deep. I highly recommend it!e

Where are you located? I'm just curious about your climate. That tends to make a difference with bedding preferences.

 

[Debbie292d]

I've never used nipple waterers with chicks this young, but I can't believe I haven't tried it yet. (Hand hits forehead.)

What age do they start to use the horizontal ones? And is it because they don't have enough strength to tap it effectively until then?

These are silkies, and it's around 3-4 weeks or so when they are accomplished at it. Other breeds of chickens would naturally be a little stronger.

I use the vertical bottles for when adults have to be put in a cage or brooder, like broodie jail. Takes up less room and can't be tipped over. They remember and use them!

 

[MapleLaurelFarms]

These are silkies, and it's around 3-4 weeks or so when they are accomplished at it. Other breeds of chickens would naturally be a little stronger.

I use the vertical bottles for when adults have to be put in a cage or brooder, like broodie jail. Takes up less room and can't be tipped over. They remember and use them!

Thank you! I raise medium sized breeds and they've always learned to use them pretty quickly from my older girls when I put them into the coop at about 5 weeks. I'm going to try them in the brooder now. We'll see what age they can start, because I absolutely hate the mess of traditional waterers!