Recent content by Ted Brown

  1. Ted Brown

    Digging out a run

    Do you use horizontal aprons outside the run edges?
  2. Ted Brown

    Walk me through deep litter in covered run

    Very few folks attempt "deep litter" in a coop, those who do typically have a dirt floor in their coop. Deep litter method (DLM) is most often used in runs. Deep bedding is meant to be used in coops; most use pine shavings as the bedding. The use of PDZ is most often used on drop boards...
  3. Ted Brown

    Deep bedding vs Deep Litter?

    Ditto on the use of PDZ, cleaned frequently out to a compost heap. Along with the drop boards & PDZ I use pine shavings for deep bedding in the coop. I change it once per year whether it needs it or not. No mess, no smell, no flies. Lots of dust.
  4. Ted Brown

    Of hardware cloth & weld wire & short cuts...

    I use sulphur in my dust baths & in a mesh bag hung over the pop door, no issues thus far. "Chickens are generally resistant to sulphur toxicity, with reported tolerance levels up to 14,000 ppm for broilers and 8,100 ppm for laying hens" "Regular, moderate use in dust baths or as feed...
  5. Ted Brown

    Has anyone used "milk board" inside the coop?

    BlackJack 57
  6. Ted Brown

    Moving….

    Square footage number above (4 in, 10 out) are the normal recommendations. Use of aprons, a roof, fully enclosed w/HC will give predator protection (Note HC that is buried will deteriorate in 5-6 years, I am currently replacing 1/2 x 1/2 19 gauge with 1/2 x 1 16 gauge for aprons). As to coop...
  7. Ted Brown

    Tell Me All Your Hardware Cloth Secrets

    About those sharp ends that are left when one cuts HC. At the beginning I would trim all those ends as close to the strand running at 90 degree angle. Leaves the trimmed bits lost on the ground or... I bought a wire seamer, I use these to bend the cut ends back over the remaining HC. Greatly...
  8. Ted Brown

    Deep Litter Method - Michigan

    For DLM not only texture but size as well. aart used to recommend "ramial mulch" (not certain of spelling) that was a mix of wood chip sizes. Rational was that this allowed oxygen to more easily penetrate and encourage decomposition.
  9. Ted Brown

    Deep Litter Method - Michigan

    Part & parcel, breaks down much the same as leaves.
  10. Ted Brown

    Of hardware cloth & weld wire & short cuts...

    Which is the real reason to have chickens!
  11. Ted Brown

    Of hardware cloth & weld wire & short cuts...

    Ditto landscape staples. Originally i used 16" apron strips hog tied to the HC walls; no issues until the 6th (this) year. New 1/2" x 1" 16 gauge is 18" wide but the "L" is 3" up so close. It works and is 25% less expensive than 24"!! My recent bout with ground hogs was the opposite. They got...
  12. Ted Brown

    Is this raccoon proof?

    You get a gold star! 🥇
  13. Ted Brown

    Of hardware cloth & weld wire & short cuts...

    I have read of people painting HC black to render it less visible, one can buy PVC coated HC, not sure about applying it DIY. If the HC is buried in moist ground it will deteriorate. This time around I will use pressure treated wood on the inside and will attempt to keep the lower wall & apron...
  14. Ted Brown

    Of hardware cloth & weld wire & short cuts...

    @Bawkbok the open air coops in Woods book are intended for cool to cold climates not Florida. You are on the right track, open four sides with a sheltered area for roosts & nests. There are a number of folks on BYC that live the hot/humid; some always willing to share experiences. Good luck!
  15. Ted Brown

    Coop bedding (again)

    I use deep bedding in 160 sf coop & dlm in 350 sf run. I have 25—30 chickens, will increase shortly. I also use drop boards. ~80% of waste is overnight. Waste that drys out turns to dust, one of the reasons coop's are so dusty. I replace the pine shavings in coop once a year, mostly to get...
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