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

[littlecritters]

Sent you a pm. So happy this design works well for your daughter- that is AWESOME!

I have 1 Silkie that has some serious Jedi moves- she can be found roosting right up on the big girl perch with the rest of them  I have also seen her drop kick my Wyandotte so I'm guessing she is not your average Silkie. My other Silkies roost on a lower perch and some nights sleep on the floor. They seem fine with it and never get pooped on so I'm good with it.

Totally put them all together- they will be 1 big happy family!!! All of my girls get along great and I have at least 10 different breeds in there- both Bantam and Large Fowl. In fact, I think my Sebright may be top bird in the coop! She is a peanut but is well respected.




Good Luck!

Trish

Trish,
Thanks for your PM and this note. I'm so glad to hear that we can try putting them together into one big happy family. I will let you know how everything works out.
Tina

 

[jrsckn]

3/4s of the right side roost and the entire left side roost is empty ... lol ... will they spread out?

Mine did the same thing at first. Now they're 15 weeks and starting to spread out a bit, not a lot, but baby steps lol. I'm sure as they get older they might start to appreciate personal space a little more

It does make scooping the board quicker though!

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

It's COOP DAY!!

My shed/coop arrived today, and is being assembled as I type. I hired a company to build it per my design, and then the family and I will put the finishing touches on it.

Couple of quick questions....

1. what are the best ways to keep the coop 'clean looking'? From reading this thread I have planned to paint it off white inside....with some type of exterior paint I am guessing. I want my kids each to paint a small mural on one section. Their choice.

2. For the floor....linoleum....tiles or sheet?? I was fine with tile, but DH thinks that poop will get caught in the seams and never come out. I did take this opportunity to remind him it was a coop and will ALWAYS have poop in it.

3. Poop boards....should I paint them or linoleum the bottoms??

One observation I did have as soon as they got the floor finished......I should have gone bigger. DANG IT!!

It's 8x8 and right now I only have 2 bantams, 1 turkey and one hen....but 8 growing chicks in my bathroom.

Thanks!!

The best way to keep the coop looking clean is to never let the chickens in it

Seriously, they are messy! You will find poop in places you never imagined (like the ceiling). I just used a high gloss enamel paint so I can scrub when need be- so far I have not been that motivated, lol. The murals sound AWESOME!

For the floor I would DEFINITELY recommend sheet linoleum- trust me on this one. I had tile linoleum in another coop and after a while the fine sawdust from the shavings get under the corners of the tile. Eventually they work themselves under far enough and the tile comes up. No amount of adhesive helps either- I tried it all. Plus the chickens think it's a fun little game to help pop up the tiles- game over...sheet linoleum!

My poop boards are bare (not painted). A decent layer of PDZ will keep the board clean so it is not necessary. If you anticipate going a long time between scoops than I probably would put something down to protect the wood just in case.

Good luck- your coop sounds great! Please post pics when you are done

OK Trish .... I was hoping these birds would hop up and spread out ... but 12 of them roost in the front right corner of the roost and poop board ...

3/4s of the right side roost and the entire left side roost is empty ... lol ... will they spread out?

Also, my Marans sleep in the corner of the floor with the little ones ... will they EVER roost?

LOL, Don't they know the 1' per chicken rule!
They will spread out a bit more in time but mine also like to hang out in clicks like that. I noticed that they move around at times and different spots are favored at different times. Funny to watch their little social clubs

My babies will almost always sleep on the floor (except the baby roos- they think they are to good for the floor). A few of my older girls will sleep on the floor also but not always. Can't quite figure out why they do on some nights but not others- maybe it's cooler down there? Not sure but I never mind as long as it's only a few. When the babies eventually make their way up chances are your Marans will too.

Coop and boards look great!

Trish

 

[goodbull92]

My birds have been in the new coop for a week now & WE absolutely love that I found this post!!!!!!!!.....THANKS FOR SHARING THIS IDEA!

 

[chitown chicks]

I haven't been able to read through all the responses in this thread but wanted to say that the sand dust I think folks tend to get is from the sand you might find at your local hardware/home improvement store. This "sand" tends to be made of finely crushed rocks and not sand at all. It can contain silica and quartz, not only is it dusty because of this but it's also carcinogenic.

back to reading the other 36 pages of replies to the op.

 

[Thespoiledchicken]

My birds have been in the new coop for a week now & WE absolutely love that I found this post!!!!!!!!.....THANKS FOR SHARING THIS IDEA!

Nice job on the boards- they look AWESOME!

 

[andycowboy]

Completely agree with thespoiledchicken - those are great! I just subscribed so that I can use your photo to copy from - in the middle of an additional pallet coop - might be able to incorporate pallets as trays by cutting them in half and putting scrap plywood in as "floors"! Thanks for sharing!

Have a great day, and God bless!

 

[Lynn0284]

Thanks for answering my previous questions
Picked up two 40 lb granular bags to use in my brooder and coop.

When using the sheet linoleum to cover the floor... Do you need to glue it down or can you leave it loose? (I plan on using sweet pdz on the bottom of my 3x4coop) I want to be able to remove it if I ever need to replace it.

I also was wondering what size hardware wire do you guys use to cover your scooper with? I am using pdz in my brooder right now (chicks are 1week old) and can't seem to pick up the the really small poops. So there is still a smell in the brooder after I scoop...

 

[Fraunie]

We installed linoleum last week and glued it down. I figure it is already extra insurance for keeping the floor in good condition, so it probably won't need replacing any time soon. If so, there are scrapers to remove it. I would htink leaving it loose would lead to too much movement and mess with the pdz getting underneath.

Word of warning....that adhesive is NASTY crazy sticky!!!! lava soap did work wonders to get it out...even from my sons hair

 

[Lynn0284]

We installed linoleum last week and glued it down.  I figure it is already extra insurance for keeping the floor in good condition, so it probably won't need replacing any time soon.  If so, there are scrapers to remove it.  I would htink leaving it loose would lead to too much movement and mess with the pdz getting underneath.

Word of warning....that adhesive is NASTY crazy sticky!!!!  lava soap did work wonders to get it out...even from my sons hair

Thanks for the heads up on the stickiness, gotta remember to buy glue when I pick up the flooring. I think my husband has lava soap somewhere in the house. Thanks again!