deep litter

[phillips]

wanting to use a deep litter this yr what would you says the best ive been told to use washed sand (sharp sand) as anyone ever used this if so how is it ?

[Guest TAMMY_1]

wanting to use a deep litter this yr what would you says the best ive been told to use washed sand (sharp sand) as anyone ever used this if so how is it ?

 

Have tried just about everything under the sun for deep litter, always went back to scraping them out, only problem with sand is that it has to be kept bone dry because if it gets wet or damp it is murder to dry out again and the dampness associated with it breeds trouble, know some have used a combination of sand and shavings with hydrated lime added but it is not for me, if you are going to try deep litter try easi bed that is used for horses, it is quite common now among pigeon fanciers , particularily among those that show pigeons

[phillips]

thankyou for that tammy

jason

[Guest]

Sand that most 'sand users' recommend is playpit or silver sand. Its a bit more expensive, but I think the selling point is that it is kiln dried, so you can take it that it is sterile and you are not bringing in anything with it when you bring it into the loft.

 

Used sharp sand in past, but found that no matter what I mixed thro it, it didn't dry out the droppings completely. I'd rake off a mat of droppings and there was always a damp patch underneath it. The one thing microbes need to survive and multiply is moisture, so reckoned this was a nice wee breeding ground for them.

 

I liked Jimmy White's deep litter, it was based on shavings but he had jeyes fluid thro it [don't know how he managed it cos the shavings were dry enough] and it gave a nice fresh smell. He turns it over and he changes it every so often.

 

My own deep litter was founded on sharp sand and agricultural lime, then later alternated lime with stalosan, week about. Basically got rid of that by stopping buying in fresh sand and its a combo mixture now of lime, harkers loft treatment and stalosan. The floor and perches are sprinkled week about with stalosan and harkers, the perches are cleaned daily - dropped to the floor - and the floor is raked weekly, the big stuff riddled out, bagged and binned and floor & perches sprinkled again. If there is a build up of droppings under the perches mid-week, I'll sprinkle to top-up. Since doing this, it has always been dry under the droppings. It is a reddish-brown colour, dry, gritty feel to it and odourless.

 

 

[EAGLEOWL]

wanting to use a deep litter this yr what would you says the best ive been told to use washed sand (sharp sand) as anyone ever used this if so how is it ?

 

 

did you use deep litter last season

 

[phillips]

shaving and straw but it blows evrywhere and fightens the birds

[EAGLEOWL]

personally i like to clean my birds daily ,think its a lazy way of keeping pigeons using deep litter ,but each to there own ,how long do you keep the deep litter down  

[harky]

i used to put down cat litter and seemed to do the job ok but found after a while it got very dusty .

[Guest TAMMY_1]

i used to put down cat litter and seemed to do the job ok but found after a while it got very dusty .

 

Tried that as well, was absolutely great as you say till it starting breaking down and turning to dust, was great at breaking the droppings down rapidly

[phillips]

i only want to use deep litter for the period ov breeding as i dont want to keep going in the loft unnsettling them by scaping out every day

[Guest]

personally i like to clean my birds daily ,think its a lazy way of keeping pigeons using deep litter ,but each to there own ,how long do you keep the deep litter down  

 

i use deep litter and clean out once a week,but i also perch clean 2 times as well as the weekly big clean.

i dont think personally having deep litter is a lazy way ,wot if flyers have to work shifts and dont get home till after dark?and have their wives feed /water the birds in the daytime?

i get my deep litter from a small sawmill in town, for free and have done so for a few years.

u have to watch ,some woods give off a toxic eroma when wet,so watch the harder type woods.

i use straw at nesting times and through the winter..once bred all i want then the straw stops...paul

 

ps i never clean all the shavings out for a few months.

[westburylofts]

Have used kiln dried sand for a few years now

i would recomend it,

all i do is sieve it once a week to remove all droppings,

 

ray

[EAGLEOWL]

i only want to use deep litter for the period ov breeding as i dont want to keep going in the loft unnsettling them by scaping out every day

 

i dont think it unsettles the birds by cleaning them everyday ,they get used to it its a regime they know whats coming ,find it makes them more calmer banging about there boxes etc ,the cocks always wanting to fight you ,espeacily everyday before i go to work ,makes your morning when your tired knowing the birds trust you and look forward to seeing you when you come home banging about again cleaning them out.i cannot think of anything worse then standing in crap i love to sit in my loft with me birds but i wouldnt like to sit in there with rotting straw and not cleaning them out  :-/

 

[EAGLEOWL]

 

i use deep litter and clean out once a week,but i also perch clean 2 times as well as the weekly big clean.

i dont think personally having deep litter is a lazy way ,wot if flyers have to work shifts and dont get home till after dark?and have their wives feed /water the birds in the daytime?

i get my deep litter from a small sawmill in town, for free and have done so for a few years.

u have to watch ,some woods give off a toxic eroma when wet,so watch the harder type woods.

i use straw at nesting times and through the winter..once bred all i want then the straw stops...paul

 

ps i never clean all the shavings out for a few months.

 

 

paul has i said each to there own ,yes i work shifts ,i also work seven days a week and its no problem cleaning and feeding them before work or after work thats where the lights come into play , i know for reasons some people do not have lights but i just like to see a clean loft . :-/

 

[phillips]

totally agree i do clean my birds morning and night everyday but just want to try something different by using a deep litter all ill be doing is cleaning the boxes

[Guest]

 

 

paul has i said each to there own ,yes i work shifts ,i also work seven days a week and its no problem cleaning and feeding them before work or after work thats where the lights come into play , i know for reasons some people do not have lights but i just like to see a clean loft . :-/

 

yes i know wot ur saying and i respect ur opinion,i have lights but i dont like to disturb the birds once the daylight has gone.(but sometimes im forced too)

i forgot to add.that i lightly spray the litter now and again with a weak mix of loft treatment.

 

 

[homer]

personally i like to clean my birds daily ,think its a lazy way of keeping pigeons using deep litter ,but each to there own ,how long do you keep the deep litter down  

 

 

 

I AGREE !

ive said on another thread that deep litter is for turkey and chicken farmers that keep hundreds of birds, not your average guy with sheds /lofts in the garden ?

if you havnt got time to scrape out something is wrong !

      iv been in fanciers sheds where the pigeons are standing in 6 inches of sh*t and im being told its the "deep litter system"  ???????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[phillips]

this is the condition ov my loft

i like to keep them clean and happy just want to put down deep litter while they are breeding

[Guest]

 

 

 

I AGREE !

ive said on another thread that deep litter is for turkey and chicken farmers that keep hundreds of birds, not your average guy with sheds /lofts in the garden ?

if you havnt got time to scrape out something is wrong !

      iv been in fanciers sheds where the pigeons are standing in 6 inches of sh*t and im being told its the "deep litter system"  ???????

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

try telling that to the boscheind flyers who have litter on their floors.

and NOT all flyers have deep litter full of sh!t as u so put it!..dont tar us all with the same brush as uve experienced.

there is deep litter and deep sh!t ..there is a difference!

deep litter lofts are cleaned weekly and dry,i dont know wot cots uve seen using deep litter but they aint like that in the cots ive seen...locally.

 

 

[homer]

 

 

try telling that to the boscheind flyers who have litter on their floors.

and NOT all flyers have deep litter full of sh!t as u so put it!..dont tar us all with the same brush as uve experienced.

there is deep litter and deep sh!t ..there is a difference!

deep litter lofts are cleaned weekly and dry,i dont know wot cots uve seen using deep litter but they aint like that in the cots ive seen...locally.

 

 

easy tiger !

 

all im saying is , think deep litter is used as an excuse for not scraping out !

 

imo its not healthy to have a weeks worth of sh*t in the shed.

scrape em out !

 

 

 

[Guest]

I don't think deep litter is a short-term thing as it takes about 6 months to get it going in the first place.

 

I also don't think it is anything to do with being lazy, it's certainly a choice thing with me anyway.

 

And as to standing in 6" of sh** that is sticking to your feet - well doesn't sound too much like a deep litter system to me either, more like a deep sh** system as in 'you will be in deep sh**' if its not dry. Nobody walks on my deep litter bar me, and I 've a pair of sandals kept in the loft for that purpose and I certainly don't walk anything back into my home..

 

Deep litter is also there for the express purpose of making sure everything that comes out of the bird isn't infective if it ever finds its way back in. Scrape all you like, its not clean - far from it - and its also far from hygienic,

 

 

[Guest j.bamling]

We had the same deep litter down for 9 seasons and for 9 seasons we were top inc  6 x 1st Combine wins and 1st feds every season i know a lot of very good deep litter flyers both here and in belguim & Holland -- I also know a lot of lofts what are cleaned twice a day but they cant time in on a saturday !!!

[homer]

I don't think deep litter is a short-term thing as it takes about 6 months to get it going in the first place.

 

I also don't think it is anything to do with being lazy, it's certainly a choice thing with me anyway.

 

And as to standing in 6" of sh** that is sticking to your feet - well doesn't sound too much like a deep litter system to me either, more like a deep sh** system as in 'you will be in deep sh**' if its not dry. Nobody walks on my deep litter bar me, and I 've a pair of sandals kept in the loft for that purpose and I certainly don't walk anything back into my home..

 

Deep litter is also there for the express purpose of making sure everything that comes out of the bird isn't infective if it ever finds its way back in. Scrape all you like, its not clean - far from it - and its also far from hygienic,

 

 

i have also not heard of 'deep litter ' that is changed once a week ??

 

 

 

 

[Guest]

 

easy tiger !

 

all im saying is , think deep litter is used as an excuse for not scraping out !

 

imo its not healthy to have a weeks worth of sh*t in the shed.

scrape em out !

 

 

 

sorry homer but u offend fanciers who use deep litter  with the remark u made(although its ur opinion)it did disrespect fanciers who use this way .

if u have watched the boschiend flyers video,ur see that they mention the dark stuff on their cot floors,this was explained that deep litter(actually was dried sh!t)  it has an effect that it builds up the imune system in their birds.

now im not talking about wet sh!t but when deep litter is used right then it is dry and not wet as some fanciers believe.

i respect its ur opinion but please dont base ur belief that all deep litter cots are the way uve seen...there is hardly any sh!t build up in my cot,as it gets raked over twice through the week and cleaned right through weekly(weekend)...thats 3 times a week cleaning.

i know of several national winning lofts whio use this type of way of covering their floors.

DEEP LITTER USED CORRECTLY IS NOT WET!

 

 

ive no intention of being argumentive with anyone ,im just stating wot is fact in my loft  and my last post was not meant to make anyone think other then wot my cot is like.

 

 

 

 

[homer]

 

sorry homer but u offend fanciers who use deep litter  with the remark u made(although its ur opinion)it did disrespect fanciers who use this way .

if u have watched the boschiend flyers video,ur see that they mention the dark stuff on their cot floors,this was explained that deep litter(actually was dried sh!t)  it has an effect that it builds up the imune system in their birds.

now im not talking about wet sh!t but when deep litter is used right then it is dry and not wet as some fanciers believe.

i respect its ur opinion but please dont base ur belief that all deep litter cots are the way uve seen...there is hardly any sh!t build up in my cot,as it gets raked over twice through the week and cleaned right through weekly(weekend)...thats 3 times a week cleaning.

i know of several national winning lofts whio use this type of way of covering their floors.

DEEP LITTER USED CORRECTLY IS NOT WET!

 

 

ive no intention of being argumentive with anyone ,im just stating wot is fact in my loft  and my last post was not meant to make anyone think other then wot my cot is like.

 

 

 

 

 

i havnt mentioned the word   "WET"   in any of my posts ?

 

 

but any way, u like deep litter and i dont !    thats ok with me .

 

each to there own .

didnt mean to insinuate  u were lazy.