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

[rapunzel162]

Wow nice coop and such a good idea. Im still in the process of converting a greenhouse, into a coop. And that would be a great place to copy your idea as it has shelves on both sides. Thank you for putting this up. BTW. I didnt know you couldnt talk about feeding chickens on this site. Sorry about that. Wonderful job you did!

 

[Sultan2610]

Just picked up two bags of play sand from Home Depot will this be ok to use? Thanks!

 

[dranna]

[/IMG]

I found this thread just a few days after bringing home my first ever chickens. We had just finished the coop and run that I designed and me and DH built with left over maple flooring from our home built 15 years ago. It's been stored inside. We had put linoleum over the wood and in anticipation of using DLM I had designed all doors and opening that would be used regularly to have a 6 inch lip. We were going to use the same pine pellets that we use for the horses as we like it better than shavings. After seeing this thread and reading only the first few pages, I went down to the coop, moved the pellets over with a 2 x 4 board and added two bags of PDZ. We also use that for our horses. The 2 x 4 board is not nailed and a few days ago I added a second one just because they were kicking too many pellets into the PDZ side. I'm used to cleaning the horse stalls and paddocks twice daily and compost their poop so I don't find the little I have to do with the chickens as any work at all! The PDZ is easier to scoop the poo without wasting so much of the pellets. Hopes the pictures of the inside show up as I'm new to this posting stuff. The coop is 5x5 raised coop with an attached covered and 100% enclosed run with 1/2 inch hardware cloth (yes, I even sewed the whole bottom of the coop with hardware cloth and the wire that it came with). So overall dimensions are 5x11. I brought home 4 one year old laying hens of various breeds who were all together in a flock of about 20 hens and one rooster. They've settled in nicely. I've had them for three weeks now and the photos taken were after two weeks of occupancy.

Thanks for all the input. BTW, I read the whole thread, which took forever, so much good info!
Anna

 

[MoonShadows]

Well, after 5 days in the coop, my 9 week old chicks have found their roosts and pooped in the Sweet PDZ Galvanized Pans!

Of course leaving a trail of wild baby strawberries and dandelion leaves up the gang plank and onto the two roosts probably helped.

I feel like a proud parent of a child who did his first BM on his own!

Have to go out and buy a kitty litter scooper.

 

[nab58]

I found the slots of a kitty litter scoop too big. When I tried adding a layer of hardware cloth to reduce the size, the poop got caught between the layers.

I'm now using a kitchen slotted spoon and scooping into a metal basket used for deep fat frying....like this

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002U7GQXQ/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

It works wonderfully!

 

[MoonShadows]

I found the slots of a kitty litter scoop too big. When I tried adding a layer of hardware cloth to reduce the size, the poop got caught between the layers.

I'm now using a kitchen slotted spoon and scooping into a metal basket used for deep fat frying....like this

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002U7GQXQ/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

It works wonderfully!

Were you using it to pick up chick poop or older chicken poop? My chicks are 8+ weeks old, and their poop is the size of tootsie rolls.

 

[NewbeeDoo]

Were you using it to pick up chick poop or older chicken poop? My chicks are 8+ weeks old, and their poop is the size of tootsie rolls.

rhoffart suggested using a mesh drawer organizer from an office supply store...I use an old wire mesh colander...we both still have little ones!

 

[MoonShadows]

Quote:
That explains it!

Although, it's funny. I went to the coop to check on the girls after I wrote that and started cleaning the PDZ in the poop board pans. One of them had "small poops" last night, and it kept falling through the kitty litter scooper. It made me think about this thread. Maybe I should have a "back up". LOL

 

[LittleBits]

I found the slots of a kitty litter scoop too big. When I tried adding a layer of hardware cloth to reduce the size, the poop got caught between the layers.

I'm now using a kitchen slotted spoon and scooping into a metal basket used for deep fat frying....like this

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002U7GQXQ/ref=pe_175190_21431760_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

It works wonderfully!

I do this, too, but just once every 1-2 weeks to "fine-clean" the poo-board. Otherwise, the kitty litter scoop is fine. The strainer gets all the little pieces and the PDZ looks like it just came out of the bag when you're done straining.

 

[nab58]

The kitty litter scoop will get the big poops but there's other particles in there that I like to get rid of. I find the slotted spoon / deep fat fryer basket works really well. I also use an old flat bottomed metal colander to dump everything into. The flat bottom prevents it getting dumped over while I'm cleaning. I take the colander to the compost pile to empty and keep it outside the coop until the next cleaning. I like that it doesn't accumulate rain water when left outside too.