Deep Litter

[Peckedhen]

I've used Easi-bed for two years with no problems. The droppings turn to powder but, any piles under perches, I remove weekly. However, with the recent weather, my loft has developed two damp corners and guess where the birds have decided to make their nests? (Does anyone have a totally dry loft in this weather? :-/)

[Guest TAMMY_1]

I've used Easi-bed for two years with no problems. The droppings turn to powder but, any piles under perches, I remove weekly. However, with the recent weather, my loft has developed two damp corners and guess where the birds have decided to make their nests? (Does anyone have a totally dry loft in this weather? :-/)

 

That is one of the main problems when you have something on the floor, when the weather is bad and the dressings get wet it is extremely difficult to dry it out again with the dampness in the air just now .

[Guest TAMMY_1]

Well since we've built the new loft, have had nothing on floor, (it was easier to scrape I must say) then just been putting a sprinkling of stalosan down once scraped.

 

where do you get your stalosan from and how much does it cost ? tried it before and it leaves a lovely fresh dry smell in the lofts, but when the pet shop i bought it from closed down i was not able to get it any more locally.

[jimmy white]

Jimmy, does sand not promote worms etc. ;D

 

oocysts will not survive long if the loft is dry [damp sand is the worst for cocci worms and poor health]

[me]

Make no mistake whatsoever, if you can keep your loft warm and dry 24/7/ a loft with straw deep litter will beat a loft scraped out every day every time .

 

The birds love it nothing scientific about it.

[carlsberg]

i change my easibed after the first 28 days of weaning cos by then most of young bird team are on the perches after that the perches get scraped everyday and the easi bed is down for the next few months

[Guest TAMMY_1]

Make no mistake whatsoever, if you can keep your loft warm and dry 24/7/ a loft with straw deep litter will beat a loft scraped out every day every time .

 

The birds love it nothing scientific about it.[/quote ]

 

Beat it in what way ?

[me]

Make no mistake whatsoever, if you can keep your loft warm and dry 24/7/ a loft with straw deep litter will beat a loft scraped out every day every time .

 

The birds love it nothing scientific about it.[/quote ]

 

Beat it in what way ?

 

The birds will be happier and come into great condition. The trick is too make sure the straw causes no health problems.

 

 

[andrew]

My Reccomendations are:

 

Straw for young birds

 

Easi Bed for stock birds / Young Birds very good

 

[Castleview]

When I have completed my loft I will put down an 1" of sand mixed with garden lime as Deep Litter. The benefit of sand is that it has minerals and the birds will peck at the sand. As soon as the droppings hit the deep litter the sand will suck the moisture out of the droppings. All you gotta do is rake the droppings and clean them up. Add extra sand for what you have taken away and the loft floor stays clean. Put a pair of slip-on shoes in the loft though. My loft will have a small area where I will change my clothes for added protection.

 

As for the nest boxes and perches I will scrape those daily. This way I can see whether the pigeons droppings are healthy or not. When winter comes (and it's too cold to be in the loft long) I will adopt the deep litter in the nest boxes. But the way the weather is this year I estimate we'll have Med weather in a few years.  ;D

[Back garden fancier]

I use sand, but run it through a fine riddle once a week.

[rednyellow]

 

The birds will be happier and come into great condition. The trick is too make sure the straw causes no health problems.

 

got to agree have used straw for over 30 years the birds love it. :)

 

[883girl]

Would using tobacco stalks on my loft floor as a form of deep litter be any good?

I know it would cost more than straw or woodchips but wondered if it would be suitable or what the negatives would be.

 

We use chippings that you buy for horses from our local farm.  It is like shreded bark but not. It isnt like saw dust so it doesn't get in their eyes, but it makes it so much easier cleaning the loft floor out.  Very cheap to, cost me £4.00 for a huge bag the size of a large coal sack and lasts for a while.  Makes cleaning the loft so much easier.

[Castleview]

I use sand, but run it through a fine riddle once a week.

 

I did that today. Could find a riddle fine enough so I made one out of wood an spare 1cm x 1cm netting. Used two pieces of netting and reduced the holes to 1/4cm. I've got all the big chunks of corn out, only the small stuff like wheat, linseed and that sort of stuff passes through. The sand is great now it's all dried out, like play sand  ;D The droppings hit the sand and dry out and break down when I rake it. I'll see how long it will last before I have to do a complete change of sand. (This is where a metal bin and sun come in handy. Pour your sand in and turn it daily until it's dry like play sand)