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

[amenfarm]

when I had poop boards instead of a poop hammock we used a plywood framed poop board. but I hear using the plastic lunch room type trays are easier to scrape clean. If you read thruogh these messages or do a seach on BYC you'll get the measurements you want.

 

[sueiris]

when I had poop boards instead of a poop hammock we used a plywood framed poop board. but I hear using the plastic lunch room type trays are easier to scrape clean. If you read thruogh these messages or do a seach on BYC you'll get the measurements you want.

what's a poop hammock?

 

[amenfarm]

material hung under the roost to catch droppings.Mine is made to go under the highest roost of a 4 level roosting ladder to the other side of the lowest rung. Making a hammock shape, like a long sided U, we empty it once a week. Works great, haven't had it long enough to know how it will be in freezing temperatures.

 

[Kusanar]

when I had poop boards instead of a poop hammock we used a plywood framed poop board. but I hear using the plastic lunch room type trays are easier to scrape clean. If you read thruogh these messages or do a seach on BYC you'll get the measurements you want.

I think that you are thinking about something different than the others are when you think poop boards. The people on this thread are using them more like kitty litter boxes, the poop falls onto sand and they just scoop the poop, no scraping.

 

[aart]

Quote: Some are using scoopable, some are using scrapable.
They key point is to contain the night poops and getting them out of the coop.

 

[amenfarm]

When winter comes you'll scrape. But , yes, you are quite correct and I used quite a deep poop deck to hold the pdz, between 3 and 4 inches. That way when you scoop and shake out the poop free PDZ it is still contained, and when the chickens decide to dust bath in the poop deck it stays where you want it to. Which I have used since this thread started, humm 3 years ago, when I took it out of the stable side of the barn.

 

[aart]

When winter comes you'll scrape. But , yes, you are quite correct and I used quite a deep poop deck to hold the pdz, between 3 and 4 inches. That way when you scoop and shake out the poop free PDZ it is still contained, and when the chickens decide to dust bath in the poop deck it stays where you want it to. Which I have used since this thread started, humm 3 years ago, when I took it out of the stable side of the barn.

It does?!?!
Not with my birds it didn't went all over the place at even an inch deep...lol!!
I now keep the sand/PDZ only 1/2" deep so they won't dust bathe in it.

 

[amenfarm]

The pdz is 1 inch deep, the surrounding poop deck is almost 4 inches deep. Lowering the roost helped with how often they dusted there, but they still bathe in the pdz. It worked fine when we had 8 hens, but with 21 the space had to be reworked to allow that many to roost, and if that many dusted in it, that would have not be great either.

 

[aart]

The pdz is 1 inch deep, the surrounding poop deck is almost 4 inches deep. Lowering the roost helped with how often they dusted there, but they still bathe in the pdz. It worked fine when we had 8 hens, but with 21 the space had to be reworked to allow that many to roost, and if that many dusted in it, that would have not be great either.

Ah, that makes a diff....mines only 1 1/2" deep, 24" wide, roost 8" above board.

 

[Don P]

I use a large piece of Linoleum on the floor of my coops. The edges roll up and I slide it and all the straw out the door and dump it when I need to do a full cleaning annually or semi-annually. The glossy linoleum cleans up real easy. In one coop floor I use a 2 pieces of paneling or glossy coated beaver board. I can slide each half floor size out the door to dump and the glossy surface cleans off easy but usually never has anything on it because droppings are all kept in the straw.

I also use linoleum on their upper level walkways too. So with a little straw on them droppings push off to the floor easy with no scraping. You could use either of these as removable coverings on the floor of your poop boards, then there would be no scraping.

But I would not bother with poop boards, too much cleaning work and cost.
I have 6' high 7' x 13' chain link dog kennels I pick up for free or cheap when people move. I covered them with tarps and now PVC corrugated roofing and enclosed the raised edges with chicken wire so no predators can get in. And that is their runs.

Most of my hens roost out in the runs on natural tree branches stuck through the fencing in the corners. Their droppings go onto the ground and into a few inches of straw on top which stirs up and decomposes real well.
I add a little DE or rarely PDZ to keep flies down in the hot summer months and I just toss a little more straw on top as needed and it all decomposes into the dirt and I don't need to take anything out. It just turns into dirt with the straw and hardens into layers.

Semi annually I pitchfork out the hardened few inch buildup of hardened material into my compost, worm bin or garden.

I have to take the roosts out of the run when it is freezing weather so they will go roost inside the insulated coops where it is warmer because they love to roost out in the run even when freezing temps but I don't like them to. Their roosting out there is less clean up for me. Only a few hens prefer to sleep in the coops. So I have very little droppings in the straw on the removable linoleum or paneling to pitchfork out every month or so as I keep it it churned up.

I usually get the straw free from weddings, haloween, and other occasions, I keep my eyes out so I seldom have to buy any.

I keep about 30 - 40 hens most of the time with very little work this way.