# Floor Dressing Questions?



## cbx1013 (Aug 12, 2009)

Hello All:

I've read some of the past threads on floor dressing ideas, and am looking for input on what I'm thinking about trying...

The loft has a painted plywood floor. Most of my droppings are under and around the perches. I'm thinking about boxing an area for floor dressing in the big section (6 x 8') just under the perches, but putting dressing down over the entire breeder section (4' x 6'). 

I'd like a material that can be raked easily, or scooped, with low dust. I'm thinking about a couple inches of wood pellets- or a similar material, with some type of a dressing/powder mixed in to keep it acidic. Foy's offers a couple of products... Sani-Loft, Belgian White, Loft Dressing... Any thoughts or experiences with these?

I've also heard about ground corn cob, a product called "sweet pdz" and diat. earth. Any benefits there?

Thanks for any thoughts!

Don


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## re lee (Jan 4, 2003)

With flying birds a light weight floor covering would not work well. And it is easyer to just scrape the loft floor. Some people do theres 2 times a day. Now for under the perch area If you really want to put something there. How about cardboard layed under that area. you can change it out daily And card borad boxes are easy to get Or you can get felt paper like roofing felt Cut it to fit say 2 ft wide and however long and do the same. A roll would last a good while that way. Just some thoughts. But rest of floor i think scraping wqould be best.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

I have seen the wood pellets used around and under the perches and think it made sense and looked good too, but I have not tried it.. I just scrape, and sprinkle stall dry down...it drys up the poops to make scraping easier..


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## Kastle Loft (May 7, 2008)

Do NOT use ground corn cob! At the suggestion of a popular pigeon supply catalog, I tried it twice (shame on me for not learning the first time). Both times my birds ate crop-fulls of the bits of cob. Most of them threw it up but it was evident they had a terrible time digesting it if they didn't throw it up.

After trying no floor dressing, ground corn cob, and pelletized wood shavings, I've landed on sand. It dries pretty quickly and is easy to scoop with a common cat litter scooper. I buy the general purpose sand at Lowe's and not the play sand which is much finer.


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## jeff houghton (Jul 17, 2010)

I used to use a product called easy bed and it was basicly wood shavings mixed in with saw dust.Alot of the fanciers i know use it.It absorbs the poops superbly but being a studier of their poops this obviously ruled that out.The other reason i stopped using it was it would of hidden any signs of rodent activity in the loft .Not that ive ever seen a rodent in my lofts but im sure they are about and if one was to wander in i had no way of telling as droppings would of been hard to see amongst the wooden shavings. I generally just scrape these days or use straw in extreme weather circumstances and sweep out once a week.


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## The_Dirteeone (Apr 18, 2010)

I have 12 inch wide wire closet shelving,suspendedoff the floor by a 2x6,under perches with cat litter in the bottom.The wire shelving keeps the birds out of it,and I only clean the litter once a week with a kitty litter shovel.I still scrape the loft floor,but the litter catches 75 % of the poop!


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## cbx1013 (Aug 12, 2009)

Good ideas, all.

I might have to try a couple of these in combination to see what works best for my situation. Any other ideas, please chime in!

Thx,

Don


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## Big T (Mar 25, 2008)

I use 1 inch wire that allows the poop to drop to the ground under the loft. there I have a bed of pinestraw that I rake up and replace once a month. I then put the rakings around my flowers.


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## dogging_99 (Apr 21, 2009)

I have a painted concrete floor with polyurethane paint not epoxy, a plastic coat. doesn't hold moisture cleans easy and I use sand mixture of 75% sand 25% PDZ and 2% DE, on the bench, window sill and under perches in a 1x2 frame caulked to the floor w/1.5" thick sand mixture . I sift the sand daily with a cat litter scoop lined with 1/8" x 1/8" screen, works great takes 10 minuets to clean the loft. Pic's in my album. The sand holds down the lighter PDZ and DE. PDZ absorbs 35 times its weight and 100 times more than sand, but it is to light by itself as is DE powder.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

PDZ is good stuff it is alot like the stall dry I use, but the stall dry comes in granular form which Is not as powery..or dusty.. DE is also good stuff..


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## cbx1013 (Aug 12, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> PDZ is good stuff it is alot like the stall dry I use, but the stall dry comes in granular form which Is not as powery..or dusty.. DE is also good stuff..


Spirit Wings:

What is the stall dry product you use, and where is it available? Thanks,

Don


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

cbx1013 said:


> Spirit Wings:
> 
> What is the stall dry product you use, and where is it available? Thanks,
> 
> Don


anyone who sells horse feed should have it..usually a feed store.. have to ask for the granular..sweet PDZ I think comes granular also.. just have to ask the store what they have...


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## cbx1013 (Aug 12, 2009)

spirit wings said:


> anyone who sells horse feed should have it..usually a feed store.. have to ask for the granular..sweet PDZ I think comes granular also.. just have to ask the store what they have...


Thank you. I found the sweet PDZ at the local Tractor Supply. I was hoping it would be even more granular than it is- We'll see how it works out.

Thanks again,

Don


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

cbx1013 said:


> Thank you. I found the sweet PDZ at the local Tractor Supply. I was hoping it would be even more granular than it is- We'll see how it works out.
> 
> Thanks again,
> 
> Don


oh good, I think that is why I switched to the stall dry granular..the sweet PDZ was a bit finer and dustier.


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## chayi (May 1, 2010)

i use sand and just rake it up and it looks nice all the time after a few months or so i add a new bag of sand just to keep it about an inch high so i can rake it with no problem. but i have this under the loft with wire floor.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> oh good, I think that is why I switched to the stall dry granular..the sweet PDZ was a bit finer and dustier.


I'm going to see if I can get some of that stall dry. I currently have wood shavings, but even a pigeon flapping its wings to get up to a perch is enough to send it flying everywhere. I'm sick of having to refill the water five times a day because it is full of wood shavings.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

ptras said:


> I'm going to see if I can get some of that stall dry. I currently have wood shavings, but even a pigeon flapping its wings to get up to a perch is enough to send it flying everywhere. I'm sick of having to refill the water five times a day because it is full of wood shavings.


That is exactly why i use a slated floor. When i first got my birds i filled it with shavings. That last about one day what a mess. Now I slide a piece of carpenters paper under there and when it gets dirty enough i just slide it out and role it up as i slide it and I'm done. Most of the time i don't scrape the slates the poop dries and the birds knock it off. Why make things harder than they have to be.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ptras said:


> I'm going to see if I can get some of that stall dry. I currently have wood shavings, but even a pigeon flapping its wings to get up to a perch is enough to send it flying everywhere. I'm sick of having to refill the water five times a day because it is full of wood shavings.


yeah, I hear ya, I still use wood shavings in winter sometimes as they like to lay in them to sun after a bath..but I put my drinkers out in the aviary so I don't have to worry too much about loft debris getting in it.. I use empty gallon milk jugs..just cut a hole in the side of it and leave the cap on top.. make another in a few weeks..and throw away..it works real good and is cheap as we drink alot of milk..lol.. the stalll dry may move some..but it starts its drying right when you sprinkle it down and some is left even after scraping..it keeps things dryer in the loft.. sometimes If I skipped a day of scraping because I was sick or something..I go sprinkle it on top of the droppings already on the floor, wait a bit and then scrape it up..it is all dry and does not smear any new wet poop that was just pooped out.. makes it easier, and cocci love moist wet droppings and this stuff keeps that from happening, so that any cocci in the droppings can not multiply..


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

spirit wings said:


> yeah, I hear ya, I still use wood shavings in winter sometimes as they like to lay in them to sun after a bath..but I put my drinkers out in the aviary so I don't have to worry too much about loft debris getting in it.. I use empty gallon milk jugs..just cut a hole in the side of it and leave the cap on top.. make another in a few weeks..and throw away..it works real good and is cheap as we drink alot of milk..lol.. the stalll dry may move some..but it starts its drying right when you sprinkle it down and some is left even after scraping..it keeps things dryer in the loft.. sometimes If I skipped a day of scraping because I was sick or something..I go sprinkle it on top of the droppings already on the floor, wait a bit and then scrape it up..it is all dry and does not smear any new wet poop that was just pooped out.. makes it easier, and cocci love moist wet droppings and this stuff keeps that from happening, so that any cocci in the droppings can not multiply..


I use milk jugs too...cheap and work great!  I'm going to switch to proper fountains for the winter, because I can have two on heaters for the four sections of my loft.


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## spirit wings (Mar 29, 2008)

ptras said:


> I use milk jugs too...cheap and work great!  I'm going to switch to proper fountains for the winter, because I can have two on heaters for the four sections of my loft.


ah smart man... I keep on using the milk jugs..here in va...it does not freeze hard too much..but when /if it does, I empty them the night before and refill in the AM..not much fun when it is cold out and you just woke up...lol.. I have the chickens on a heater.. only have the one extension cord...lol..


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

I love the Belgium white or loft dry. Sprinkle very little down, sweep it around, and it dries things up nicely and makes everything smell fresh. They poops will scrape up easier too, so if you sweep it in under the perches, it cleans up easier when it's time to scrape. I think Global sells it half as much as most other places. Think I saw it there the other day. I also use the acidic dressing now and then, but hadn't thought of mixing them.


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## Alamo (Nov 22, 2008)

Since 1985,been using "Oil Dry"....I get it at Walmart....It`s used for drying up oil spils in automotive shops etc....What I did was I put a 2 by 4 accross my YB section,about 18 inches out from the back wall...I put the oil dry in that area ONLY....I rake it once a week,and scrape the rest of the floor twice a day....Do not use kitty liter !! It has chemicals in it !!...There are no chemicals in oil dry..It is clay dirt....Do not use bio dirt...In can clog the lungs of you and the pigeons....I used it in 2009,and did not like it...Too much flies around in the air.....Alamo


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## cbx1013 (Aug 12, 2009)

All:

What I'm trying is the following- subject to modification!!!

I've got the smaller breeder section (4' x 6') mostly covered in 1.5" of wood pellet horse stall bedding (1 bag, about $6.00). I've mixed in a about 8 cups of the PDZ stall dry, and about 1-2 cups of DE, sprinkled mostly around the edges- near the windows and access door. Hopefully to kill/deter and insects that try to gain access.

My goal is to have something that is completely compostable, that can be easily cleaned, low dust, and firstly, healthy for the birds. All of it can be periodically shoveled out if need be- so far, it's been easy to work with and the birds seem to like it. 

If I like the results, I'll put a border (under perches) of the same in the YB/flyer section (6' x 8'). I like the ideas of a base of paper under this, and a screen/shelf over it to keep the birds out, and keep them from scattering it all over. The rest of the floor will be scraped daily. 

The YB's tend to poop under the perches mostly, while the breeders poop everywhere- since they're in a smaller space to begin with.

I may still invest in some Sani-Coop, or Belgium White to mix in... I want the floor not only dry, but acidic. Still researching that option. I have avoided sand, as I fear it will hold too much moisture in our damper, colder, more humid environment. Thanks for all the ideas.

Don


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Foy's sells the acidic loft dressing, but it isn't cheap. You can probably get it cheaper somewhere else.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Man you guys are hard core there's no way i would scrape a loft floor twice a day.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> Man you guys are hard core there's no way i would scrape a loft floor twice a day.


Twice a week sounds good to me! 

That's why I like the wood shavings. Someone said no cat litter...why is that? If you purchase the Wal-mart basic clay cat litter (not the scoopable!), it has no additives, and it is real cheap. Much cheaper than Speedi-Dri.


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

I clean mine about every 20 days every other weekend I'm off. I think i cleaned it once a month in the winter but i only have 12 birds. I'm going to clean it this weekend and that will be 30 day since i cleaned it and there isn't any poop on the perches or the slates to speak of it dries and they knock it off.


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

Twice? I often scrape three times, if I'm around and spending time in there. LOL. I don't mind. It doesn't take long to do, and I feel better knowing it's clean. I have shelves they hang out on too, and I would have to scrape those anyways, so a few more minutes really doesn't matter.


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## ptras (Jun 29, 2010)

Shadybug Lofts said:


> I clean mine about every 20 days every other weekend I'm off. I think i cleaned it once a month in the winter but i only have 12 birds. I'm going to clean it this weekend and that will be 30 day since i cleaned it and there isn't any poop on the perches or the slates to speak of it dries and they knock it off.


What do you mean "the slates"? Do you have a slate floor in your loft?


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## Jay3 (May 4, 2008)

He means slats. Check out his floor on this link. Really a great job!
http://www.pigeons.biz/forums/f38/t...oden-slate-floor-by-shadybug-lofts-45695.html


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## Shadybug Lofts (Mar 13, 2010)

Thanks jay. yes i mean slat sorry for the confusion. Spell check doesn't distinguish between those two words. I'm a bad speller.


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## cubanlofts (Sep 3, 2010)

i use rubber mats all the way around the perches and scrape those daily, and powerwash them once a month outside the loft, i use thick sand in the middle, and it works like cat litter, be sure u put mineral grit, or they will eat the sand


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## Freebird loft (Jul 17, 2009)

Alamo said:


> Since 1985,been using "Oil Dry"....I get it at Walmart....It`s used for drying up oil spils in automotive shops etc....What I did was I put a 2 by 4 accross my YB section,about 18 inches out from the back wall...I put the oil dry in that area ONLY....I rake it once a week,and scrape the rest of the floor twice a day....Do not use kitty liter !! It has chemicals in it !!...There are no chemicals in oil dry..It is clay dirt....Do not use bio dirt...In can clog the lungs of you and the pigeons....I used it in 2009,and did not like it...Too much flies around in the air.....Alamo


The kitty liter that me and the dirteone use is all natural clay from a dollar store 20lbs for $2.00 plus tax. I agree 100% about the chemicals in other liter types. So if anyone tries the Kitty liter make sure to get all natural with no CHEMICALS.


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## cubanlofts (Sep 3, 2010)

The_Dirteeone said:


> I have 12 inch wide wire closet shelving,suspendedoff the floor by a 2x6,under perches with cat litter in the bottom.The wire shelving keeps the birds out of it,and I only clean the litter once a week with a kitty litter shovel.I still scrape the loft floor,but the litter catches 75 % of the poop!


cat litter is bad, containd all kind of stuff


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