Thoughts on hay

[FireGal]

@FireGal What does the bolded part above mean?

Would be good if you started a new thread here with pics of your coop inside and out so we can help you prepare your coop for winter.
Ventilation is much more important than 'insulation' on the floor.

It means nothing. I didn’t realize it was bolded

 

[aart]

It means nothing. I didn’t realize it was bolded

I bolded it to make it stand out because I wanted to know what it meant.

"sealed wood floor that currently I just clean every day -no bedding of any kind because they roost. "

 

[FireGal]

It means they roost on wooden bars, therefore they do not lay on any bedding and there is nothing on the floor. The floor is wood, and instead of any deep litter method, I just clean out the girls deposits completely every day.
Every night they return to a coop with a floor as clean as I can get it that is just a plain floor with nothing on it but the floor itself.
Does that make it more clear?

 

[aart]

It means they roost on wooden bars, therefore they do not lay on any bedding and there is nothing on the floor. The floor is wood, and instead of any deep litter method, I just clean out the girls deposits completely every day.
Every night they return to a coop with a floor as clean as I can get it that is just a plain floor with nothing on it but the floor itself.
Does that make it more clear?

Yep, thanks.
I use poop board under the roosts, and clean in them every day, but still have bedding on the floor. Wonders how big your coop is.

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[harmonyp]

I really like grass hay. I have horses, and have tried oat hay, forage hay, straw, and grass hay (alfalfa doesn't make sense as they do choose to eat it).

I like the grass hay as it's less dense, thus easier to compost and work with. Plus my horses stopped eating it, so I have some bales that needed a purpose.

I still prefer shavings over the hay, but they end up more expensive in the long run than the grass hay (all depends on where you are).