Jun six, 2024 I need that pitchfork/rake! I use seasonal litter for my coop - building sand in warm months and pine shavings for chilly months. That pitchfork/rake would make 'littler scooping' the sand a dream!
In regards to picking out wood shavings to your chicken coop, Among the most essential choices is whether or not to choose hardwood or softwood shavings. The most crucial difference between both of these forms lies inside their durability and absorbency.
However, hardwoods like oak and maple are generally regarded safer to your flock, but They could not supply exactly the same degree of pest Regulate.
In terms of furnishing a secure and wholesome environment on your yard chickens, just one usually missed element would be the bedding materials. Wood shavings are a popular choice between chicken keepers, but with numerous selections obtainable, it might be tricky to choose which a person is most effective in your flock. Softwood vs hardwood, aspen, cedar – each has its advantages and disadvantages In terms of wellbeing, cleanliness, and sustainability.
The only far better litter resource is sand, which receives a 100% on its ‘litter scorecard.’ For additional on sand while in the coop, look at my post, Applying sand for chicken coop bedding.
In case you discover any strange behavior, swap to another kind of bedding or contemplate including a dust-lowering additive into the shavings. Routinely cleansing and sustaining your coop may also support cut down the potential risk of health concerns associated with wood shavings.
I thought of deleting the submit below as I now not condone applying pine shavings in the chicken coop, but I do know a good deal of men and women are likely to make use of them anyway.
Whenever your chickens have endured sufficient damage to present apparent indicators, you might not ever suspect the pine bedding. Afterall, you’ve applied it endlessly and never ever had a challenge.
Mulch or wood chips can also be rough on chickens toes, producing cuts which can get contaminated. We don’t use mulch in the chicken coop, but we do utilize it from the chicken run, in combination with straw.
Keep watch over the dampness ranges in their coop, making sure that the shavings are not way too soaked or soggy. Routinely modify out the shavings each and every 2-three months, and think about including a little fan or ventilation technique to boost air circulation.
Even when you don’t utilize Read More the deep litter strategy, you are able to throw your applied pine shavings on to your compost pile. Pine shavings compost superbly. Numerous chicken keepers use the concluded product or service on their gardens.
“The current examine displays that components with large cytotoxic potency are still unexpectedly typically employed as rodent Make contact with bedding in laboratories all over the world… Numerous respectable institutes feel however to generally be unaware with the pitfalls of making use of softwood bedding, Even though non-harmful alternate options exist.” — Kai Pelkonen & Osmo Hänninen, 1997, p. 76
Several of the initial research to expose the unsafe effects of pine bedding about the liver were being carried out by Vesell (1967, 1968). Vesell located that drug-metabolizing enzymes ended up amplified in rats and mice held on bedding of cedar or pine shavings.
Feb twenty, 2024 I do know this submit is a little bit outdated. But my problem for OP or any individual else with knowledge Using the pellets. When employing pellets for any poop board less than roosts. What do you do when it turns to sawdust?