All that stuff will decompose too, add the chicken manure they will add for you, you can take a few inches off the top to clean it and throw it the garden. That'll be the best fertilizer/organic matter with micro nutrients a garden could ask for. Chicken manure is one the best fertilizers...
I'm sure someone somewhere will find some reason why this might not be good, but let's be realistic. If a chicken was wild would it only find sand or or deforested areas that happen to have a lot of shavings? What do chickens enjoy most? Pecking around finding bugs weeds plant life ect...
Should be lots of bugs and goodies in there. Outdoor runs don't have to be shavings or sand or anything specific. Raised and dry is best. Moist conditions is very good for coccidiosis.
These birds are typically only inside at night. They have a massive run! I realize you can't eliminate coccida. However after the outbreak I had, there is way too much in the coop to put a fresh batch in. I also realize that birds need mild exposure to it in order for the medication to work and...
I recently had a disaster with coccidiosis, and secondary respiratory infections. I lost a lot of birds. Anyway I'm looking for ideas or tricks to manage the coccida in my coop. My thoughts were; since it's a dirt floor I'd like to remove a few inches of the clay, spray a strong bleach solution...
What ever you are comfortable with. The more birds crammed in a tight area the higher risk for disease and behaviour problems(which I wouldn't worry too much about since they wont be in there long) A lot of people are going to give to the long list of why 4 square feet per bird is needed, but I...
I get -40 with and 50mph winds, yes its cold but water doesn't evaporate at those temperatures.... it freezes. so how exactly is it going to bring the relative humidity up in the coop? one waterer in the coop is not a concern in my opinion, even at those temps. If you were running a humidifier...
Sounds good! I wouldn't be too worried about feed and water in the coop as far as moisture is concerned. If it is a concern then making a closed water system with water nipples is always an option!
I would think anything small enough to get into the shed itself wont be much of a match for the chickens. I've seen some pretty big mice, small rats, and snakes get annihilated by my birds. So ya interior wall will be just fine. Nights should be ok as typically they are cooler, not sure about...
decorations can be done anytime, I would go with this order; roosts, nesting boxes, bedding, chickens. Downspouts can be rigged into a watering system with water nipples. Oh and a run! I would go for it!
Awesome thanks! At what age can you start feeding sprouted grains? I have a bunch of 1-2 month old birds that are going to be able to go outside fairly soon. Is it ok to feed to them?
After giving this long debate and lots of research, and since spring just doesn't seem like its coming this year, I'm going to try this out. After your seeds are soaked and ready to set, how think of a layer of seed do you put on your trays?
And for the record a vast majority of wheat producing areas don't spray glyphosate for burn down and the germ isn't killed. It's not the commercial farming that kills the nutrients in wheat specifically it's the flour manufacturing process.
Thank you, that's all I was asking. Fodder is not the entire diet. Supplimentary diet is required. I was under the impression that all that was being fed was fodder. As for flour, the bleaching process, and process done to extend shelf life is what kill nutritional value. Enriched flour is...