Almost there

[Crow-ded house]

ok we have 3 hens and 1 rooster and 2 guineas in an 8x16 run with the coop 4x5. I am using sand in the run with only straw and pine shavings in the coop. We have 5 bantam hens and 5 bantam roos in another 8x16 run with the coop also 4x5. We have another run that is 4x10 that right now houses 4 hens and 2 roos. Now that those are older, the two sebrite hens will be put in with the bantams, four bantam roos(the 2 mth olds) will be put in the 4x10 with the other two roos (4 mth old) and the last two hens will be put in with the other chooks and guineas. The “man cave” will be extended by an additional 6 ft. This one I have started dlm. The bantams still have grass so when it is gone their run will have whichever method is best for us. Oh man cave coop is 3x4. All coops have removeable trays with floor tile. Only straw and pine shavings in the coops. Dlm experiement still working on more covering for run as I need to keep gathering more clippings, etc. Old coop/run did not work out as too hard to maintain. I made a list of pros and cons and hubby built this set up for me.

 

[Crow-ded house]

This coming weekend will be the time all the flock rearrangements will take place. All the runs share a fence now so everybody already knows each other. The guineas have to stay with Mr Spot and his crew as he is the only roo they respect.

 

[Crow-ded house]

Ok well 80 mph winds took tarp off so now tons of rain got in anyhoos will reattach tarp but instead of realying on the tarp’s eyelets, we will secure it with strips of wood and nail/screw it down.

 

[jthornton]

I think they use anchor chain in OK for wind socks...

JT

 

[Crow-ded house]

The eyelets got torn off so will need to tack the ends down. Chains would be good idea for side that is still attached.

 

[Crow-ded house]

The morning after... with that horrible flooding monsoon yesterday and with the coop cover being blown off, all three runs were flooded as was all of our road. This a.m. went out for my chicken tendin’ and here are the results: dlm with sand then layer of straw/pine shavings and any yard stuff we could scrape up. Not that deep yet only a layer of yard stuff but I turned and mixed it up. Fluffy, no smell or flies. Run with only sand: not quiet dried out but as nice to walk on as the dlm run. Raked and turned it over no smell or flies. Only flies in that run is under the coop where we did not have time to put sand. That little area does have sime smell but it is the original ground. Third run that has nothing done to it yet well it is mucky yucky and my shoe got bogged in the mire!! So that one will be sanded this weekend. I will continue building on the dlm run for better comparisons. Only conclusion drawn so far is plain ground s@cks

 

[Crow-ded house]

Forgot to say that although dlm run was wet on top, the underneath was dry even after all that rain and no cover. Sand run was more damp underneath than top.

 

[Crow-ded house]

Ok updat: coops 1 and 3 had 3-4 inches sand. Coop 1 I put a layer of straw/pine shavings on top of sand then a thin layer of limbs, clippings, leaves. I fluff it up a bit in the am and leave it in piles and Mr Ringo’s crew scatter it back in place. Coop 3 has 3-4 in layer sand only the tomorrow will have a straw/pine shaving mix put on top then whatever clippings and such we can gather. Coop 2 is still ground and that will get rest of the sand until we get more yardwork leavings to put in. We do not have access to lots of leavings so every mowing day is gathering day. It will take a while to build it up to dlm but I think with the sand, straw and shavings layers underneath that should be ok.

 

[Crow-ded house]

Update: Like I mentioned, all 3 coops will have 4-6 in of sand, 1-3 in of straw/pine shavings mix layer next, then any yard findings for top dlm layer. It will take awhile, but I think I am off to a good start. Here are some current photos from last weekend and today.

 

[Crow-ded house]

Update: Our wonderful neighbor mowed a small portion of his property and let us have the mower leavings. It was 9 loads of a 36 gallon trash can and voula!! I have all coops filled with grass, weeds whatever was in his pasture. It is about 2-3 in deep in them and the chooks love it. Still need a bit more but this saved me months of hunting/gathering.PS- the little brown bantam hen actually joined the boys in their morning crowing contest lol!! She is a little over a year old and hatched out babies already. Our other neighbor lost 16 chickens while she was on vacation and we gave her the eggs Precious was brooding on. She placed them under her own broody hen and all nine bantams hatched. I told her sha could keep them as we have enough for now.