Those who have known me for a long time know that I am not only engaged in gardening and gardening, but also raise poultry. I have experience raising chickens and turkeys. Each bird has its own characteristics of care. I want to share a simple way to use the litter in the chicken coop for a long time and maintain optimal humidity in this room.
As a litter, the poultry farmer can use sawdust, if it is possible to extract them in the right amount. But more often (and I am no exception) it is easier to buy straw. Of course, I would like to use it rationally and not spend too much money. In my farm, we clean the old one and put a new litter for the bird every 2-3 years. From experience, it turns out that if it is more often stirred and changed, it does not become cleaner, and work and expenses are added.
Do not forget that the important role of the litter is to warm the chicken coop: the straw decomposes (“burns”) and releases heat. In order for this process to be stable, it is necessary to add bacteria. Now the stores offer special preparations for this purpose, but any composting agent is also suitable. Bacteria are introduced after replacing the underlying straw-once. This should be done no later than August, so that live microorganisms multiply and “work” while it is warm.
In addition to bacteria, I use a dehumidifier for bedding in the chicken coop. I was asked a lot of questions: what it is, what it is used for, how to use it. To be honest, I came to use it purely by accident. Once, when buying poultry feed, the seller advised me to buy a desiccant at the same time. I took a sample and was very happy with the result. Also, a similar tool can be found in veterinary pharmacies. The desiccant comes from different manufacturers, in different packaging.
It is especially useful to use it when you have small chickens. Sometimes, a poultry farmer has to spend a lot of money buying disposable diapers to maintain cleanliness and dryness in young animals. After switching to straw, excess moisture often appears and then you have to somehow fight it.
The dehumidifier copes well with the problem. There are many manufacturers of such a product, so choose to your taste. The composition of desiccants, as a rule, includes only biologically pure products: bentonite clay, plant extracts, calcium carbonate. Therefore, even if the chicken bites it, nothing bad will happen to it.
When using a dehumidifier, ammonia vapors are destroyed, and therefore it is easier for the bird to breathe, and for the owner too. And most importantly: the dehumidifier perfectly absorbs moisture (up to 200% of its own weight). It is necessary to change the litter less often.
It is easy to use: pour the powder into a sieve and dust the floor and roosts in the chicken coop. Then you need to sprinkle the floor a little with fresh straw or sawdust — not thickly, in a thin layer.
I hope that I was able to help you solve the problem of excessive humidity. Visit my channel, there is a lot of interesting and useful.
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