What we've put together has lasted longer than we expected it to on one hand and is starting to need replacing/repair sooner than we were expecting. The hooped coops were put together on our previous property partially with supplies we had, but two were literally "thrown together" at the last...
#1 - you don't have to, but you can.
#2 - AART will answer on his specific set up, but I can answer too. I sift/move the top layer around to dig under to get the compost. I've only removed a wagon load or so at a time (see the above pics in my response) to use so not even going very deep. I...
Our coops are "open air coops" - built from hooped cattle panels, chicken wire and currently all tarped (3 so far). We also have 1 temp pen about 10x10 covered w/ a tin roof about 3 1/2' high, a temp pen same size that only has wire on the top and a much larger run with a trk topper used as an...
BeeKissed -
Got my answer to the question I had asked about chicken remains when watching the "Humanure" videos and going out to the Loveable Loo website. If you follow that composting plan, everything goes into the compost pile for roughly a year, then composts for about 18 months w/o being...
I haven't started it yet, but plan on doing so in small amounts. Shredded paper has a tendency to pack down/become a rock, so I don't plan on using it by itself but will mix it. I have tried using it for bedding ponies and litter boxes for the cats. Also, brooded chix on it (YUCK!) but again...
BeeKissed -
ROFLMAO!!!
TRUST ME, I've learned to be VERY careful what I say around whom... Yep, even in the country, folk completely flip out. I still get a great laugh out of the folks who say - "ooooo, that's gross. Your eggs are dirty (don't get them all collected every day right...
Hmm, thank you for the link! I will be checking that out.
I had decided years ago that I didn't want to till (back breaking doing it w/ shovels/hoes & didn't have a rototiller or tractor/plow/disk etc). So I've started, here in this new place, putting together raised beds and containers for...
OK, between the rain (which FLATTENED the loads I put in each pen Sat and Sunday) & BeeKissed photos - my first foray into the DLM is quite pitiful and I paid for it too - the cold is back w/ drainage & sore throat/cough in full swing today. My job revolves around a phone for 10 hours/day -...
After two weeks of being sick w/ cold/flu (still having drainage and coughing), I finally managed to get each of our chicken areas at least 2 "wagon" or 2 32 gallon trashcan loads of mixed pine straw, hay & leaves. The largest coop/run actually has 3 wagon loads in the run so far and 1- 32...
And to think we've been putting all the compostable stuff from the kitchen in a compost pile a long, long ways away from the chicken areas!
Thanks all! I am looking forward to giving all this a try. Will save this and report back in the future... LOL.
Soo... I too have questions. Almost had a heart attack when someone mentioned you needed to remove sand from the run.
We moved into this property in December 2014. Our chickens had been in temporary qtrs at a friends' farm for 3 months when we moved them here at the end of January. I moved...