Squabby*32
85 posts
Sep 22, 2009
10:01 PM
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I am planning to make a new breeding pen next season and need to get a idea of what material would be easy for me to maintain in the interior of my open bay breeder section. Can anyone shed light on this for me?
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DJJeffman Spinners
ATAPWGIYAHTLY
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Oldfart
GOLD MEMBER
1449 posts
Sep 23, 2009
3:36 AM
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I use sterilized play sand from Lowe's. It's about $4 for a 50 lb. bag. I have a solid surface wood floor under the sand. To clean, I use a small plastic dust pan to scrape all the sand into the center. Then I scoop it up and pass sand and all the crap,food,feathers...... Through a fine mesh kitchen sieve, dumping the unwanted debris as I go. If there is any spilt water it clumps and is easily removed also. After cleaning I simply spread it back out.
The reasons for using the sand are many, it is easy to clean, (I clean daily) it does not blow around, it's cheap, and it does not hold any odor.
Thom
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Ty Coleman
750 posts
Sep 23, 2009
4:05 AM
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I use pine needles. 3 bucks a bail and 2 bails cover my 10 by 16 loft. Fresh pine sent, nesting material, and all you need is a rake to clean it out and it only takes a few minutes. We take the old straw with the pigeon litter and use it for compost.
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Ty
Vapor Trail Lofts
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rolleronnie
52 posts
Sep 23, 2009
2:20 PM
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don't use anything on your floor! Use a hardy Tongue and Groove floor board that is water repellent and keep it as dry and dust free as possible. Use a sharp scraper to clean up the dropping daily, and make sure you set it off the ground to allow air ventilation. Cleanliness is the key, adding materials like sand and pine needles will encourage bacteria to flourish and cause you much heartache with disease.
Ronnie.
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fhtfire
2105 posts
Sep 23, 2009
3:07 PM
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Wood Pellets!!!! They are cheap about 3.50 per bag and my breeder loft is 5X9 and I use 2 bags to cover the floor....and the bags last about a year before I have to add another one...you never really have to clean it down to the bare wood.....I just use a rack and rack up the poop on the top layer an scoop it out..then I use a broom and broom the top layer of what I missed with the rake...I clean the loft floor in about 15 minutes max....then when the pellets get low...I just add another bag and spread it around.
It is by far the easiest thing I have used.....the loft smells like wood....and it looks good and is easy to clean.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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donnie james
757 posts
Sep 23, 2009
4:18 PM
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nothing but i been going to back to my old ways and use news paper for the floor its easy to clean.......donny james
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Longroller
GOLD MEMBER
206 posts
Sep 23, 2009
8:52 PM
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DRY DRY DRY..deep litter...I use a few pine shavings to start with, but soon the dry sets in...All of my lofts are 12"+ off the ground....old school..but it works.
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De Oppresso Liber
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Southplainsroller
18 posts
Sep 23, 2009
9:58 PM
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I like the idea of those wood pellets, but the ones ive seen look just like pellets i feed my breeders, any chance they will eat the wood pellets??
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TheGame
634 posts
Sep 23, 2009
10:10 PM
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Paul where can wood pellets be purchased??
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nicksiders
GOLD MEMBER
3706 posts
Sep 23, 2009
10:16 PM
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Concrete. Easy to scrape with a flat nose shovel. There are sheets of concrete for those who have a wooden floor. You can cut it with a power hand saw with a concrete type blade.
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Just My Take On Things
Nick Siders
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fhtfire
2108 posts
Sep 23, 2009
11:33 PM
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Usually the places that sell the wood pellets...are True Value, OSH, Home Depot (somtimes)and Ace hardware....or you can call your local pellet stove dealer and ask them too.
You can get them at Pet smart as "wood pellet bedding"...but the price is about 3.00 per bag higher....but they do last a long time..so it is ok.
rock and ROLL
Paul
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Ballrollers
GOLD MEMBER
2072 posts
Sep 24, 2009
8:09 AM
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I'm like Longroller...I use the deep litter philosophy with 8 inches of cedar shavings. It helps keep the youngsters warm while they are weaning in winter months....innoculates them with good gut bacteria as they pick around in the litter....and it stays dry. I clean it out and replace it before each new breeding season.
Cliff
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Velo99
2161 posts
Sep 24, 2009
10:51 AM
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Southplains
Stove pellets are what I use. You`ve seen em in action.
Are you going to Midland-Odessa with us next Friday?
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V99
blue sky single beat
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earth beckons the winged
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orchestral movement follows
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Last Edited by on Sep 24, 2009 10:53 AM
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pisto
159 posts
Sep 24, 2009
5:21 PM
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stick to sand its easy. n the birds love it. r u going to have individuals or open loft?
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TheGame
636 posts
Sep 24, 2009
7:00 PM
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Paul how many lb bags are these now? I looked at Lowes website and they have this.
Pennington
40 lbs. Nature's Heat Wood Pellets
Will this work? Its only about $6.49 for the bag.
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Squabby*32
86 posts
Sep 24, 2009
9:03 PM
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Thanks for all of the good feedback fellas and all of these replies are worth trying. I am using individuals right now but my job is making it harder for me to spend the right time with my birds. I plan to make a open loft inside my tuff shed for the next breeding season. Thanks again,
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DJJeffman Spinners
ATAPWGIYAHTLY
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fhtfire
2115 posts
Sep 25, 2009
6:01 PM
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Game,
That is fine...but there are cheaper bags of pellets out there with a little research.....the more expensive bags are low sulfer and that is just so that the Pellet stoves stay clean and burn clean....but for the birds it does not matter about how clean they burn...LOL...so just get the cheapest bags you can find....but yes those will be fine....I used three bags to cover 5X8 loft floor and it is about 2 inches thick or so across the floor...as time goes by the pellets will break down and turn into a saw dust...and that makes it even easier for cleaning.....about every year I will add one bag...as I clean I take a little bit of pellets with poop....so as soon as the pellets thin out...I just add a bag and mix them in....I have been doing it for about three years and never taken it down to the floor...just keep adding a new bag....I have taken it down to the floor to see if the absorbtion of moisture had done any damage to the floor and it looks like brand new under the floor...so the pellet absorb the moisture and then it dries easy.
Yes they are 40 or 50lb sacks...but they are smaller then a feed sack because they are dense..
rock and ROLL
Paul
Last Edited by on Sep 25, 2009 6:06 PM
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fhtfire
2116 posts
Sep 25, 2009
6:05 PM
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One more thing....I have a compost bin that I have and the wood pellets are natural and break down in the compost bin....when I clean during the OFF MOULT...I take the poop and pellets that are caught in the poop and mix a 5 gallon bucket into my regular compose...man....when it is ready..you put the regular compost mixed with the pigeon poop and your plants take off like a rocket!!!....the sand, corn cob, kitty litter....NO GOOD for the compost bin....just another plus to the pellets....and you feel all warm and fuzzy going green!!
I used kitty litter before....but they pick at it and eat it like grit....even with droppings.....same with the sand....and I also had the problem with the sqeekers getting there poop mixed with the sand and it accumilates around there arse...I had to cut it out of there feathers....
Corn cobs (ground) worked good too..but the corn cobs have been know to grow molds very easy when wet...
The wood pellets were just so easy.
rock and ROLL
Paul
Last Edited by on Sep 25, 2009 6:09 PM
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PAUL R.
102 posts
Sep 25, 2009
9:26 PM
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Theres alot to choose from, but which one works to were the pigeons feet dont get all of the shit accumalated on there feet? I,ve tried the corn cobb. But soon enough I get to see the build up on there toes.
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fhtfire
2118 posts
Sep 25, 2009
9:48 PM
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Paul....My birds have nothing on there toes....but I dont know if that is because of the pellets...there nails are clean!!
rock and ROLL
Paul
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jammerlofts
135 posts
Sep 25, 2009
9:49 PM
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I 2nd the wood pellets,
I have used them for about 3 or 4 years now and its the best. Not much dust around and keeps the birds clean. Cannot beat it. The main thing is to make sure you keep a dry loft. If there is any moisture your doomed for sure.
JC
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BA Rollers
287 posts
Sep 26, 2009
8:34 AM
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Bare wood in all of my lofts. No bedding other than the dried crap that gets cleaned out ever 4-6 months.
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nicksiders
GOLD MEMBER
3719 posts
Sep 27, 2009
3:18 AM
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There you go, Brian. If you put the bedding down it just makes it harder, bigger, and heavier to clean and hual.
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Just My Take On Things
Nick Siders
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BA Rollers
288 posts
Sep 27, 2009
9:06 AM
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Having show birds I have tried many different things to keep the birds in the best condition. Through laziness mostly I found that in my climate the crap chips stay dry and creates a nice bedding that keeps the muffs and feathers on the show birds nice and clean. I've used the corn cob, shavings, all that stuff. shavings blow into the corners. corn cob looks pretty but traps the dust underneath it which actually makes conditions more dusty when distrubed.
For rollers the number one best flooring is expanded metal. There is nothing better.
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rolleronnie
56 posts
Sep 27, 2009
5:26 PM
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Yes I agree with BA.. suspended 1 inch wire mesh or expanded metal sheeting is the best option. Keep your birds off the floor and right away from any droppings or other materials mixed with droppings. You don't want your birds foraging through that stuff.. it encourages bacterial infestations.
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Squabby*32
94 posts
Sep 27, 2009
8:35 PM
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Thanks again everyonefor the great ideas. I went to Lowes today and bought 2 bags of wood pellets to try out. I hve the raised wire mesh floor of the kit boxes, the break up pens, and the individual breeding pens {I will try open area breeding next season}. Once again, thanks everybody for the input.
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DJJeffman Spinners
ATAPWGIYAHTLY
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