Angled droppings board?

[sovia]

I am considering staircasing the perches in the coop my husband is renovating. I would like to put an angled droppings board covered in linoleum beneath it instead of a droppings pit. I would like to be able to remove it from the coop and thoroughly scrub it once in a while, if possible. Has anyone done this? Would I be better off just leaving the dropping board stationary and scrubbing it in-situ? I don't know if this makes a difference, but all of the hens will be heavy-breeds. Thanks!

 

[TechEdFireman]

I am setting up my coop right now and I was debating the same thing. I was thinking that they would be easier to clean off if angled.

 

[CarlaRiggs]

A linoleum board under the roosting area would be great. If you can take it out on a beautiful summer day, the chickens will be able to help scrub it down.

You know, get under foot, peck at your feet, get wet from the hose....

Sounds like fun to me!

 

[sovia]

The 100-year old ranch where my dad grew up had an angled droppings board in the very large henhouse. It was very well-designed given how old it was. Lots of happy memories from that coop!

I usually tend to think that those old ranchers knew what they were doing, but I like to get second opinions!

Sovia

 

[patandchickens]

I would think it might be useful to have the bottom of it end in a horizontal or trough-shaped part that stays above the level of the coop floor bedding, so as to permit easy scraping off of the poo. (Some would just fall down the angled board into that catchment area, the rest could be scraped down into it, then you scrape the stuff from the lower catchment board into a bucket or tub or whatever). I think you'd want to design that lower catchment board with an eye to whatever you're going to be using to clean it out -- old hoe, long-handled dustpan, whatever, but the dimensions should be compatible.

Sounds like it should be a good idea,

Pat