Delta Shed Coop Progress

[Erba]

Seems like I have been working on this forever because I threw out my first go, because it was too flimsy, So this is my removable poop board 2.0. Space for two roosts above. I used two sides of an old Ikea bookshelf as the base and fastened them together with perforated plates. The sides are wooden skirting boards, screwed to the base from the bottom. I have made a frame that slots on top of the poopboard, that I will cover in hardware cloth. I also decided to go with industrial chemical resistant rubber mats to cover the wood floor, a novel idea I know, but it was a lot cheaper and being able to take them out and clean is great. Has anyone tried this before or something similar?

 

[aart]

I also decided to go with industrial chemical resistant rubber mats to cover the wood floor,

I know folks have used stall mats on coop floor, similar to what you have there.
Poop board looks great!
Will you line that with something?
Most the chicken poop will not go thru 1/2" hardware cloth.

 

[jthornton]

Is that poop board 1.2 meters wide? You need at least a 60cm wide poop board centered under the roost. Hmm I guess you could get by with a 90cm wide poop board but some birds would be bumping into each other during the night.

+2 poop will just clog up HC. Can you get Zeolite (Sweet PDZ in the USA) in Germany?

JT

 

[Erba]

@aart Thanks for the tip, I am now going to put normal chicken wire onto the frame. Nothing worse than a poop clogged mesh to clean..duhhh. I'll be sealing the board with boat paint.

@jthornton No the inside of the board measures 176 wide and 76cm deep, will that work, or should I just stick with one roost? I can get zeolite here in different grains, from powder to gravel size. Can you mix it? We have something here called bionesto (looks like this) basically small wheat straw pellets that supress the amoniac. Zeolite alone? Expensive, good for the compost? idk..

 

[jthornton]

@aart Thanks for the tip, I am now going to put normal chicken wire onto the frame. Nothing worse than a poop clogged mesh to clean..duhhh. I'll be sealing the board with boat paint.

@jthornton No the inside of the board measures 176 wide and 76cm deep, will that work, or should I just stick with one roost? I can get zeolite here in different grains, from powder to gravel size. Can you mix it? We have something here called bionesto (looks like this) basically small wheat straw pellets that supress the amoniac. Zeolite alone? Expensive, good for the compost? idk..
View attachment 1436197

I'd just put one roost in the middle and forget about the wire. Put the bionesto under the roost in the pan area you made and scoop the poop with a cat litter scoop.

As far as I know Zeolite does nothing good or bad to compost. Very little goes with the poop usually. But use whatever you have locally.

I just have a layer of Zeolite on the floor under the roosts and use a kitty litter scoop to clean each morning. Nothing ever sticks to anything so no poop scraping.


JT

 

[Erba]

I don't need a wire mesh?!! Yeah!!! Thinking about it, you are probably right, unless you don't want to bother cleaning the poop board like ever, but thats not going to happen here. I did the hinged poop board for that exact reason, easy maintenance. A pooper scooper and the abilitity to scrape it all into a bucket. The wire mesh was me thinking the chickens are going to walk or sit in it. If my future chicken do this, well then they get a mesh. I won't bother now...you made my day! Thanks!

 

[aart]

The wire mesh was me thinking the chickens are going to walk or sit in it.

They will walk on it and maybe roost on it, but it's not really a big deal if you sift out the poops every day or two(depending on how many birds).

More info on my poop boards that might be helpful:

http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/6...raphic-gross-poop-pictures/1100#post_13179595

https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...s-poop-pictures.621363/page-178#post-18966048

 

[Erba]

Those chicks look mighty compfy on those roosts. Ok now I'm ditching the mesh altogether. The mesh would have had to be taken off and cleaned, so was going to be extra work. Not on my watch! Need to get this coop ready soon, going to buy my chooks in my villiage on the 12 July, when the the handler comes. He has Marans, Sussex, Bovan Negro, Leghorn and German blue Sperber. Not sure what I will come home with, it's a dilemma between Sussex or German blue Sperber at the moment..love the Bovan negro too....I just definitely want five hens and a rooster to finally start my flock.

 

[aart]

@Erba I love your signature.

 

[Erba]

Finished my coop with some changes, the poop board is narrower now. I went with a layer of sawdust instead of the Bionesto under the perch, which is only on the floor now. The nest box is filled with flax straw, feels pretty silky but hoping the chickens don't like the taste, maybe I should try it first...lol