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Problem I have with some dowels at time of purchase is they are too smooth. They can be roughed up easily with a rasp so they are more similar to a tree branch. When my birds are roosting in trees they tend to use branches with diameters of about 1" in diameter with younger birds using...

My dowel use centers on birds roosting outside in wind. Being in a building at -30 F will be similar to what my birds endure without frost bite to toes. Feathers on abdomen cover toes completely when birds roosting with all types of roosts. Birds on round roosts less likely to be dislodged...

I have a strong preference for dowels as they conform better to natural working of feet. Dimensional lumber advantage easier only because cheaper and less trouble to affix.

I think 2 x 6 as want to make heavy and so bolt can have leverage needed to keep dowel from rotating.

The sawhorses will be replaced by wooden dowel supported directly by pen walls. Something will be applied to keep end birds from roosting in contact with walls making for more complete sample collection. Challenge will be keeping a dowel supporting 40+ lbs of rooster from rotating.

Collections pretty good. Contamination from molt very evident. Control birds appear to have engaged in coprophagy so collection before dawn will need to be more rigorous.

I am looking at new method for charging biochar that is potentially more economical. To be science based. This is simply to try a couple of methods for making useable collections upon which analysis can be made. Effort is not restricted to chickens and needs to be scalable to larger...

A couple observations. First foil needs extend about 9" from center of roost to ensure all feces falls on it. Secondly there will be a seasonal contamination issue while birds growing new feathers. The waxy cuticle being shed falls down on the sheet. It is cool to stand there in the dark...

Starting the quantitative collection of feces. Aluminum foil sheets were laid flat below roosts. Proper control now with all birds used being cockerel American Dominiques. All birds have crops packed full with food. Cold likely a factor in that where birds must consume more to fuel heat...

Biochar treatment droppings drier to touch. Dry matter content will be addressed next.

Doing a sniff test I can not distinguish the treatments. Sequence for sniffing makes no difference.

Images of feces produced by American Dominiques fed control (left) and biochar treated (right) diet. Differences size possibly gender related as treated birds are cockerel only while control are from females and one cockerel. Also worthy of note is recognizable chunks of fibrous plant...

You are correct although findings can be waited no more than mine as most personal observations especially when it comes to crap. I can also pull the Dr. part but so far science is not rigorous.

Your link has conversion of feces into biochar. Another approach is mixing biochar in with feces. The feeding approach may have advantages.

I am assuming the biochar is about 98% dry matter. Base feed formulation is about 92% dry matter.

I will try to keep them on current diet for 14 days. At some point feces produced during night will be collected for a closer look. Ultimately the amount to be used will be less than the 5% I think.

Mine consume charcoal left from burning tree stumps as well. Sometimes enough to change appearance of feces. Particulate size of charcoals generally larger that the biochar dust I am playing with. Also shape of particulates notably different. The biochar from Switch Grass is more...

Trying see if they can eat it without troubles in amounts high enough to improve value of feces. Also looing for problems not thought through and one dealing with powder from feces getting everywhere is one of those problems.

It is now 36 hours after start of biochar in diet. The more fibrous feces that goes strait through appears to be consistently darkened. Areas where birds have tracked feces are turning grey. Cecal feces has not changes markedly although I can see some flakes of biochar in that. Materials...

It appears less than 24 hours required for new diet totally replaces ingesta from previous diet. Possible exception will be in cecum which I have not seen yet or at least found it noteworthy of difference from the previous diet. I normally do not watch birds confined to feeding from...