Anyone have luck catching a feral chicken?? UPDATE: Rooster caught, no hen

[theuglychick]

I use pine shavings on my poop boards and just clean them out weekly. I'll definitely check this.

Google Sweet PDZ, it is a horse stall refresher. I use it on my poop board and scoop like kitty litter and it absorbs the amonia (from what I understand).

I have MUCH to learn about broody bantams!!

 

[Suzi18]

I have an elevated coop to and i worried about the wind last year, but worries more about it in the run. I won’t block the wind this winter because the run the stinky without air flow. I will underpin the coop this year.

I'm worried about the smell too. I'm putting up the acrylic sheets with screw in tabs that should make it easy to remove 1 or 2 here and there on nice days.

 

[apryl29]

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sweet-pdz-stall-refresher-25-lb
I've never used it, but I've seen where people use it in their coop to help w/ smell & dry up the poop.

 

[apryl29]

I made my poop board too slanty (had no idea what I was doing), I'm going to make it more horizontal & put an edge so I can use trays on it that I can fill w/ the PDZ. It does help keep the poop off the floor and out of the nesting boxes, but I've been using a tiny hard plastic dust pan to scrap the poop off it everyday & toss it in the now empty garden to be tilled in. Holy hell, does their poop stink.

 

[theuglychick]

Thanks for sharing this. This must be similar to a Muck Buster type of product?

I was thinking that I could cover my sand or gravel with this because I am ridiculous when it comes to chicken hygiene.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sweet-pdz-stall-refresher-25-lb
I've never used it, but I've seen where people use it in their coop to help w/ smell & dry up the poop.

 

[Suzi18]

Thanks for sharing this. This must be similar to a Muck Buster type of product?

I was thinking that I could cover my sand or gravel with this because I am ridiculous when it comes to chicken hygiene.

DITTO! I am totally OCD about chicken hygiene and smells.

 

[apryl29]

My coop is also elevated-ish.. tall enough for my sebright bantam to get under there, but not any of my regular size chickens, but I hadn't considered air blowing under it. I'm concerned about the one run door on the right of the coop. I used an xpen to make a 2x4 space for my cockerel inside the coop, but I worry that when the snow flies he'll be too cold since he can't get up higher or farther in the coop. I have a heat lamp (secured with screws so it won't fall if the clamp fails) with a thermocube so their water won't freeze, but that won't do much to help w/ blowing wind/ snow/ sleet/ rain. I think I'm going to build something to deflect the wind from that doorway. I didn't consider covering the run.. I'm not sure it would do any good anyway. I'm in NE Ohio and we have strange winter weather lately, but putting plastic over the front side of the run would probably help a lot. It would at least keep the snow from blowing across the field and piling up in there. This being our first winter, I don't want to assume everything will be ok if I do nothing & that chickens adapt and end up out there in 2 feet of snow trying to rig something b/c I was lazy & didn't properly prepare.

 

[Suzi18]

My coop is also elevated-ish.. tall enough for my sebright bantam to get under there, but not any of my regular size chickens, but I hadn't considered air blowing under it. I'm concerned about the one run door on the right of the coop. I used an xpen to make a 2x4 space for my cockerel inside the coop, but I worry that when the snow flies he'll be too cold since he can't get up higher or farther in the coop. I have a heat lamp (secured with screws so it won't fall if the clamp fails) with a thermocube so their water won't freeze, but that won't do much to help w/ blowing wind/ snow/ sleet/ rain. I think I'm going to build something to deflect the wind from that doorway. I didn't consider covering the run.. I'm not sure it would do any good anyway. I'm in NE Ohio and we have strange winter weather lately, but putting plastic over the front side of the run would probably help a lot. It would at least keep the snow from blowing across the field and piling up in there. This being our first winter, I don't want to assume everything will be ok if I do nothing & that chickens adapt and end up out there in 2 feet of snow trying to rig something b/c I was lazy & didn't properly prepare.

I'm also in Northern Ohio.....kinda between E and W right on the lake. My main goal with putting up the clear acrylic sheets is to kind of turn the entire run into a coop but with a view (lol spoiled chickens) and keep out the driving snow, wind, rain and ice. I know the initial expense will be sort of high but I will be able to re-use the sheets year after year.

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

That's a great idea! This is what I love about this sight. So many great ideas from great people. I will try that

Much cheaper then buying a whole wire crate. You could probably find one at a dollar store. LOL

What is PDZ?

I'm trying to figure out flooring options for my breeding pens and runs. They're covered, but open.

Keep in mind it gets NASTY here with sometimes weeks of rain. Fungus is just as bad of a problem as mud. I have shell and pea gravel in my original run but apparently shell is no longer available. It drains beautifully and stays clean. My birds eat the little pieces.

Im considering sand but I'm afraid the sand will be contaminated with bacteria as it is local river sand/silt. A friend of mine uses sand and her birds are constantly sick. Idk if it's because of the sand but I don't want to risk it. (She keeps offering me her birds and I'm running out of excuses as to why I can't take them )

Pea gravel Seems like the best option so far. The rain pretty much washes it clean. Looks like it will be easy to pick poop from on the parts where it's covered. I could even bleach it and rinse it if I wanted to!

Any other suggestions or recommendations?

I use quikrete all purpose sand in the coop. It's pretty cheap. Not to long ago I pushed all the old sand with little bits of poop I can't pick up out into the run. It's dirt and weeds so the kids had fun scattering the sand around.

Pea gravel would be nice. I've seen it used by a breeder here and it was very clean. I may have to add that to the parts of my run that tend to get muddy.

This will be my first winter with sand but I also have a raised coop and plan on covering the area under my coop with clear acrylic. Actually I am going to put up clear acrylic sheets around my entire run except for the the top 6 inches on the east and west sides. I have read that sand retains the sun and heat of the day for hours and doesn't freeze or get hard. I guess this winter will be a learning experience. But...i am hopeful after all I have read from others that I will be as happy with the sand this winter as I have been all summer. We'll have to compare notes

My chickens don't have access to under the coop and the wind blows the snow up a hill and around. I was hoping the straw would break the wind and snow and maybe give off a little heat into the floor.

I was going to try some tarps on the sides of the run. Again hopefully stop the drifting that happens. My chickens refuse to go out in the snow! I've shoveled and trampled it down. They stick their heads out and go right back inside. LOL

 

[Suzi18]

Much cheaper then buying a whole wire crate. You could probably find one at a dollar store. LOL


I think I probably already have one.