Recent content by ChickEngineer

I have been using play sand in my coop, more expensive but less dust. I still have to add grit. With sand you have no odder and few flies. Change it about twice a year, my neighbor puts the old sand on his lawn. Use shavings in the hutch area with boot trays under the perches, once a day...

Could well be an "old wife tail", I mix a small amount in the nest boxes and the coop sand.

I built mine, saved all the receipts, someday I will get brave enough to add them up.

I have boot trays under the perches, scrape them off into a bucket each morning. There are actually two trays. Change the shavings in the coop twice a year.

I use boot trays under the perches, scrap them off into a bucket every morning, take them out and wash about once a week, easiest, quickest method I have found.

I did this with my Belgian Sheep dog, put the chicks in the box after checking for pasty butts each morning, of course he had to check them out, now they consider him "their dog".

Regarding the article on Chicken Toys, I tried the jar with the scratch inside. Took a plastic peanut butter jar and drilled four 3/8" holes, took them a couple of days to figure it out, now they chase it all over the coup. I also have a wire hanging basket that holds a head of cabbage, last...

I have used play sand in the coop and wood shavings in the hutch. The base is paver stones. Change the sand once or twice a year, my neighbor puts the used sand on his Bermuda grass lawn. Sand is easy to keep clean, no smell, no flies and the girls like to take their dust bath in the sand...

I have used the dog grate method and it worked in about 3 days. I did give her a roost she sat on almost the whole time. My first flock were Americana's (5) and they never did get broody, have (6) Australopes and have had two go broody?

I think letting them live to their natural end is the payment for years of great eggs, a fair trade off.

We use a dog nail trimmer also. We have had Ameraucanas and Australorps, only one Ameraucana has had to have her nails trimmed, I hold her and the wife does the trimming.

I have used the plastic dish bins for a while now, work great, the girls seem to be OK with them.

As an aside, not part of your problem, but that is the ugliest water dish I have ever seen. Would suggest you replace with something like a Harris Farms Plastic Poultry Drinker, 5 Quart and add a tablespoon of ACV to it. You can not put the ACV in a metal container.

I was wondering about the DE dusting as well. I do not have a rooster, but could have some mites.