Strawmax Bedding

[Buster121]

There's not many fliers I know who I'd say were "great" but in his hey-day John certainly was

He was a bloody nightmare. Went hammer and tongue with him week in week out

Unfortunately he's gone "yampy" I hear now

You hear correct, sadly

[NeilA]

I have some birds from his loft

did you race any Buster I have been told by Mike before how good he was

No sadly I stopped racing the year after I got them, still some in loft and birds down from them

That’s a shame would have been very promising

[Buster121]

did you race any Buster I have been told by Mike before how good he was

No sadly I stopped racing the year after I got them, still some in loft and birds down from them

That’s a shame would have been very promising

Very possible Neil

[Murray]

Gotta be honest with you Dave, I'm not a fan of any form of deep litter

Either I cleaned every day - or when time was more precious I used grills on the floor

Yes i am in the same camp, Mike.
In my opinion the best weapon a fancier has is a scraper.

Trouble is the mess staying damp is the problem for myself as I can’t do it daily . I go out the door at 615 return 630pm times 7 pm currently . no lights only a torch only lantern and head / hat torch so you can only do what you can after work never sorted solar out I guess I should
I was once with a avian vet who told me unless you can clean out 3/4/5 times a day and dry any damp areas then it’s best to use metal grids or a cork dry deep litter as that the best options of the 3 cleaning out ways as once a day is no good in the uk climate particularly this time of year
I remember when I had my heart issue I had 11 days in hospital and put a deep littler down as I couldn’t do any physical things and I had a cracking season topping the fed 6 times in old birds I think I spent less time cleaning or really doing anything than I had ever done as just walking had me breathing heavy
But nothing looks better than a scraped loft for me I must admit

And you must work around your circumstances of course.
Where I live it is a lot warmer and dryer than the UK, so the damp is not an issue most of the time. Especially in the summer I can scrape out and the damp spots where the droppings were dry out in a few minutes.

[NeilA]

Agree Murray
Wet shit here after you just cleaned out stays wet in this period of the year

[Murray]

I am very fortunate in that respect. Today it's not very warm, mid 20's, but the humidty is low and it's sunny.
There is a warm breeze going into the loft from under the back wall.

[Murray]

It goes out the front and everything is dry.

[NeilA]

I have a homemade wire trap each section with a 2 foot square opening to
It a chimney in the cocks every 5 foot do 2 of them plus a inch at the back wall there is gap at the hens rear wall say 10 cm just normal type of loft so never smell pigeons but for example the shit in the hens under the perch’s would stay damp most of the floor is grids all but 40 cm board on a slope under them perch’s and this time of year that stays damp so needs cleaning each day under the grids is lime and granules I clear Saturdays but that’s bone dry then again it doesn’t really get messed on as no perch’s above it

[NeilA]

I am very fortunate in that respect. Today it's not very warm, mid 20's, but the humidty is low and it's sunny.
There is a warm breeze going into the loft from under the back wall.

Where is that Murray I can’t get my head around the photo
Obviously I’m missing the obvious is that low down the wall

[Murray]

I have had to contend with damp in the loft in the past. I know what a headache it is.
This is my young star breeder, Roadrunner, on his nest right over the back wall vent. This is another benefit of a dry loft with plenty of fresh air. Healthy babies. I don't own any medications these days.


I have a mate who has heaters in his loft, big radiant ones. He switches them on when it is wet and the humidity is up. Of course if you are like me and don't have electric to your shed, that's harder.