Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures* - Page 52

I added scenery to our roosting bar / poop board area today it is a leftover piece of "plastic" aquarium/terrarium background. Sold in pet stores by the foot, to be taped to the back of a fishtank. Our broody below is expecting a hatch in a couple of days!

I haven't read this whole thing, just about half of it, but great stuff!

Haven't seen an answer to my question so here goes:

I live in Australia and we can't get sweet PDZ here.  Any thoughts on alternatives?  I'm setting up my new coop as we speak, and already have the materials for the board.  Just need something to put in it!

HELP ME PLEASE! 

I absolutely am going to be borrowing this idea! Genius! I just have to ask how high are the boxes off the floor? I'm asking in hopes to avoid having to sift through 52 pages of this thread. I'm new to chicken husbandry, but already building my second coop thanks to my lovely wife and the inevitability of chicken math!  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Missa Chickabee 

Sweety 13, very nice.  I love the space economy with the brooder box below. 

 

Can you tell me the name of the company that makes "Horse Fresh'.  I was looking for the product on the internet and was unable to finds it.  It is half the price of Sweet PDZ.

(wondering if it is also zeolite)

 

Thanks!  

I bought it at D&B Supply in Ontario, OR.  Here is the link to the manufacturing company : Horse Fresh  I guess it is only 40 pounds though, not 50, for $8.99.

Quote:

Originally Posted by debir1966 

I bought it at D&B Supply in Ontario, OR.  Here is the link to the manufacturing company : Horse Fresh  I guess it is only 40 pounds though, not 50, for $8.99.

Thank-you. I did end up finding it.  I will have to talk with the feed store, coop or Fleet Farm about ordering this or PDZ in as we don't have any zeolite locally that I have been able to find.

Quote:

Originally Posted by eddieperth 

I haven't read this whole thing, just about half of it, but great stuff!

 

Haven't seen an answer to my question so here goes:

 

I live in Australia and we can't get sweet PDZ here.  Any thoughts on alternatives?  I'm setting up my new coop as we speak, and already have the materials for the board.  Just need something to put in it!

 

HELP ME PLEASE! 

Welcome to BYC. I haven't been here really long but just love this forum.

Could you do a search on 'zeolite' to see if the product is there under another brand name? (you would need granules or powder)

Barring that, I guess I would use sand mixed with some diatomaceous earth.  This will not kill the smell the same way zeolite will but you can use it like clumping kitty litter. 

I haven't looked into the possibility of clumping kitty litter as an alternative.  But I would really want to research that first....especially in terms of safety for the birds.  Usually those are pretty heavy, but for my cat I have been using a corn-cob kitty litter (Arm & Hammer makes it here) It is light.....but again....it doesn't disarm the ammonia and the smell from it.

Also, I wanted to find out which is the best sand to use for runs and such, because apparently not all sand is OK for chickens. Maybe someone else has a suggestion, too??

Quote:

Originally Posted by jtdodd17 

I absolutely am going to be borrowing this idea! Genius! I just have to ask how high are the boxes off the floor? I'm asking in hopes to avoid having to sift through 52 pages of this thread. I'm new to chicken husbandry, but already building my second coop thanks to my lovely wife and the inevitability of chicken math!  

So glad you joined BYC!

My husband thinks I'm nuts, but this has been my favorite thread.  Imagine. poop-boards!!

To answer your question:

We put the bottom of our box about 39 or 40 inches.  (But I have Buff Orpingtons so I rigged a light plank to help them get up to that height without a lot of stress.  Some of them just fly up but most use the diagonal plank. (you can also use a branch)

Others say waist height for the box. (different for different folks)  It depends how much height space you want to create underneath and what is comfortable for you for cleaning the box.

We made our box 28 inches wide with one roost.   Nothing falls to the floor.....unless they decide to roost on the edge of the box, which is what some like to do during the day.

Post # 146 on page 15 or this thread shows how you can utilize the space below for a brooder box or isolation pen.

Hi , stumbled upon this thread just now. Read the first 5 pages and thought what  a cool idea. The problem I am having is that one of my chickens seems to be laying her egg from the roost. What happens is that it hits the floor and cracks and the chickens eat it. This all happens before I get out there in the morning. Yesterday I put some foam on the ground below the roost which prevented the egg from breaking. Seemed to work but I realize this is a temp solution as the smell will be bad. Maybe I will try a poop board with Sweet PDZ

Quote:

Originally Posted by Peekies 

Hi , stumbled upon this thread just now. Read the first 5 pages and thought what  a cool idea. The problem I am having is that one of my chickens seems to be laying her egg from the roost. What happens is that it hits the floor and cracks and the chickens eat it. This all happens before I get out there in the morning. Yesterday I put some foam on the ground below the roost which prevented the egg from breaking. Seemed to work but I realize this is a temp solution as the smell will be bad. Maybe I will try a poop board with Sweet PDZ

Hi Peekies!   So glad you joined BYC!

The eggs are breaking because of the fall distance. I would get a poop board with it's surface 8 or 9 inches above the PDZ  (use pine shavings temporarily if use don't have PDZ on hand...for a soft landing.

You would have to get input from someone more experienced in terms of the birds cracking the eggs with their beeks after they lay them. I don't know if it's the same principle working in them as "...once they've tasted blood......"  but chickens (at least my experience has shown) are trainable.....eventually.

Hi all. I wanted to give an update to my sliding poop drawer. We got a chance to paint it and put the trim/handles on and it looks pretty nice!

View of the drawer closed from the outside.

View of the drawer open. Pretty low profile.