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

That is a good idea. It may be that they are standing on the PDZ and not on the roost when they "overshoot" the poop board too. I made it a little taller so that I could easily scoop underneath it since I reach the board from the side of the coop and can't get at it from both sides.
 
My poop board is about 4" above the PDZ.... Keeps eggs from breaking too, in the event of an "accident".... like "laying an egg" in the taxi on the way to the birthing clinic...
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Is there any good reason to not just cover the entire coop floor with aglime instead of just under the roosts? During winter days they will congregate on the side of the coop opposite the roosts and poo on the floor. I was thinking this would make the entire coop easier to clean.

Thanks to this thread we love the poop board under the roost!!
No reason not to, the PDZ underneath the litter would probable work better to break the ammonia bond. I use the PDZ under the shavings in the donkey's stall. In the chicken coop I do DLM, and by keeping it stirred,twice a week, I have no problems.
 
If I had to rebuild I would still have a poop board but would put a drop down door on the outside of the coop so I could scrape it clean without going in the coop. That would be less dusty. also I would make the wall above it solid windows. My flock like to congregate nearest to the windows I have now. Above the window would be a strip , about 2inches wide at the tallest part that was only covered with hardware cloth(wire) for good ventilation without wind blowing on the hens. The hot moist air rises to the top area and can cause frost bite in winter without the proper ventilation. After 6 yrs my house is still good but finding someone to help cut out spots for windows is either really expensive or they don't have time for a small job like that. Getting older is for the pits. 4 yrs ago I would have done it myself.
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Ok, so my first coop was done without poop boards-I simply loaded up the floor with sand figuring that would be easy enough to sift the poop out of. Well, the plan sounded good in theory but I found it didn't work so good in reality. Don't get me wrong, the poop scoops out of the sand BUT- the sand SMELLS even after the poop is gone. Also, it is a dusty mess while scooping and I need to take frequent breaks just to breath fresh air. Still better though than changing out shavings weekly (I don't like DLM).

So when we built our 2nd coop we decided to try poop boards
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WOW, what a difference. We built a waist high shelf and then added a lip all around and filled it with Sweet PDZ, LOVE IT!!!! I simply sift the poop up every day or two but you certainly can leave it longer if you had to. The Sweet PDZ keeps it from smelling at all. And the best part- NO DUST when scooping. It's almost like sifting flour. It is very zen like to clean and I tend to get carried away and make designs for my girls ( I know, I have issues
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Anyway, thought I would share my experience and of course some pics
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DO you find that the poop stays out of the drinkers and roosting areas?

Why sand? You cannot use the poop as compost... or is that OK w/ yoU?
 
No one has ever accused me of having cleaning OCD. But like everyone enjoy a clean coop. I clean my coop once a month or so (this is the thread for confessions isn't it?) and am planning a coop redesign. My question is to use poop boards or not in the remodel? Being in simi-mild winters Central California, I am planning an open veranda coop on one end that opens into the run seamlessly with a large door on the end for wheel barrow access. Seeing that I've already admitted to only cleaning once a month, I'm not sure poop boards are going to save me any work. Your thoughts will be read and pondered.

After finding this thread, I bought some PDZ this morning for my next cleaning.
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Farmhand, you may find that since the poopboards collect most of the poop, and it is so easy to scoop, every couple of days is worth while. The floor of your coop will stay much cleaner, and I do use the mix of sand, poop, and PDZ from the poopboards in my compost. All that said, here in Central NY we have had such brutal cold that I have not scooped in quite a while...it freezes and would need equipment I don't have to loosen it. Need some weather above 32 degrees. But air quality is good. It is amazing stuff.
 
Farmhand, you may find that since the poopboards collect most of the poop, and it is so easy to scoop, every couple of days is worth while. The floor of your coop will stay much cleaner, and I do use the mix of sand, poop, and PDZ from the poopboards in my compost. All that said, here in Central NY we have had such brutal cold that I have not scooped in quite a while...it freezes and would need equipment I don't have to loosen it. Need some weather above 32 degrees. But air quality is good. It is amazing stuff.
If you line your poop board with some thick foam backed vinyl sheet flooring, you'll find the poops don't stick as bad
........some are still take a little elbow grease but will pop off the vinyl....
I use a regular garden hoe with the handle cut down to scrape and push the mix into the sifter.
 
I loved your idea so much that I went out and bought some of the Sweet PDZ granular....added a board under the roosts to hold in the layer of PDZ on the floor which is directly under the roosts. I will have to bend over to scoop it out but should still be easier than having to clean the whole coop out every couple of weeks...
This is a very old post on this thread that made sense since my coop is only 6' wide. 2' on each only leave 2' walk way. Any current thoughts about doing it this way?
 

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