Dixie Chicks

[BriardChickens]

@Vehve, the Chantecler isn't a common breed here, but it was "invented" here in Canada. The white chantecler is from Quebec and the Partridge Chantecler is originally from Alberta. Mine do awesome in the snow, they are the first ones to fly out of the coop. They make a nice dual purpose breed and are supposed to lay throughout the winter. Seems they also do well in confinement.

@JW12 WOW, that's a lot of cards, how long is inventory going to take you?

 

[hennible]

Yup, turn the poop into bedding, mixed with sawdust it dries right up and decomposes. The coop will never smell if done right. Supposed to stir it up and add more pine shavings, I use hard wood sawdust, the chickens do a good job of stirring it up. It is supposed to add extra heat in the winter also, like a compost pile. I did have my other chickens pooping on the nest boxes so when I got these new ones I  nailed a piece of plywood on a 45 degree angle on the top of their boxes. I read some people mix DE in the bedding, it is recommended not to use DE because deep litter harbors beneficial microbes and nematodes and DE will kill the good microorganisms . The microbes and nematodes are what keeps the litter 'working' and they actually prevent and kill lice and mites. I read somewhere also that chicks live and thrive better if they are raised in a deep litter method coop.

Does you coop have a floor, if so what's it made out of? Or is it dirt?

 

[tntchix]

So this is how my day is going:

youngest scrambling -overslept but somehow still made bus

huge pile of mugs and broken dishes that someone didn't put away -dang barn cats don't respect nothin'

I get that all cleaned up and decide to mop whole floor instead of spot job, and lift rug by back door and it's sopping wet underneath with chicken boot poo soup and before I can shoo dog away you guessed it

she slopped it right up. I sent her outside to vomit, which she will right on cue. Gross.

Meanwhile, oldest is working on midterm finals and when I say working I mean not working. UGH! How can anyone just stare at a screen that long and not just say HELP?

AND I've been out to collect eggs twice so far only 2 each time. I think I need tto go back to bed. LOL

Sorry guys *rant over*

I hope everyone else is having an amazing day to make up for my not so one.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
If I were to live in a moister climate I would definately be using deep litter. I like the whole concept.... But I dont.... So I may go to sand in the new coop for when they land after they get off the perch... to protect their feet. With a layer of rice hulls on top. I want canvas poop catchers under the roosts... So when I clean It will be straight poo to remove....

deb

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Most deep litter people use deep litter over the top of soil.... There is a whole deep litter thread here somewhere.... I was on it for a while.... as well is the Sand thread.... but I have heard Deep litters advantage is mitigating Cocci (sp?) because everything is decomposing and composting right there in the coop. The dry top layer for comfort and warmth and the bottom layers being broken down. The birds are constantly getting beneficial microbes from the deep litter. And boosting their immune system....

Plus the part I like is you dont have to clean out the coop every week. at most I heard once a year? leaving some of the old bedding to spread out on the bottom to start the new layers off right.

That job unfortunately I cannot do.

deb

 

[tntchix]

I do deep litter over a rubberized coated wood floor. It is so easy and the girls can snuggle right down in the layers for a dust bath or a nap. LOL

 

[hennible]

What sort of rubberized coating did you use?

 

[Beer can]

Dirt floor. I didn't even know what deep litter method was until reading posts on BYC on how people keep their coops super clean and then some that do what I'm doing. Some people even give their chickens baths! I'ts just the way I thought you were supposed to raise chickens. It's how my father did it and I'm sure grandparents etc. also.

 

[JW12]

Hopefully it will be done around 2pm. The cards the nick nacks my god it's a lot of stuff!

That's the front of my store. When I say "my" I don't own it I'm just the GM. We are a corporate store.

 

[vehve]

We don't do deep litter, but we do keep the same bedding for about 3-4 months at a time. With a bigger coop I would do deep litter too. This is sort of a compromise, works pretty nicely. I'd like to try a deep litter in the run though, but Karin claims it smells so she clears out the stuff when it gets icky. Oh well, more compost for me. In the coop I've got a vinyl mat on the bottom, it would probably work well with deep litter too if you throw some soil to ignite the burn so to speak.

Deb, wet vacuum cleaners are great too, if you have a tile floor or something. They don't kick up as much dust because they wet the stuff.

Tnt, sounds like you need a cup of coffee.