Droppings Board

[chickenthyme]

Ok......our Labor Day project. After going for about 2 years with just branches put together somewhat like a ladder with two rungs and having to clean poop from underneath them dropping to the floor with straw, we decided to try a droppings board. Couldn't find exactly what I was thinking I wanted for the board and so I ended up getting two laminated shelves like you'd put in a closet each 12 inches wide.
Also made a new roost bar of a 1 x 4 for them. I know it's all foreign to them tonight and I still am working to get my two newest girls adapted with the older 5 which is progressing. Tonight when I went to check on them all but 3 were on the roost and the three were on the board. Well I didn't want them getting pooped on so I rearranged them. Things looked ok for the night when I left with all 7 on the roost (first time too).
My concern right now is that maybe the laminate shelves are too slippery (although that's what I wanted for easy clean up) but I don't want them hurting themselves either. Plan to make a ramp for them to get up but that didn't happen today so I just put the bench back that they are used to hopping up on to get to the roost.
Too much blah-blah?? Just wanted any input you might have with those of you who use droppings boards! Thanks!!

 

[blackdog043]

The women you know is probably using PDZ, it's a horse stall refresher that helps control ammonia odors. I use 1/2" or less of PDZ on my board. I have a frame around the whole thing to hold the PDZ in. I use a cat litter scoop to scoop the poop every day. The poop goes in my compost bin.

Using a laminated board only is probably slippery. My flock is always walking on the board to get settled in for the night. Some of them sleep on the board, the roost and the front board. Also without something on the board, the real wet ones may be hard to get off, unless you want to wipe it up . Also with a 12 inch wide board, some of the poop may end up on the floor. Mine is 24" wide with the roost in the middle. The ones on the front board always face front.

 

[blackdog043]

I'm thinking the laminate is not going to work. Where one dropping was it pucker the laminate so it must have been stronger stuff but it's going to happen. Is your board just wood?? No coating of any sort?

It depends on what your calling laminate. A picture would help.
My board itself is 1/4" underlayment, but it is covered with vinyl. The underlayment is nailed down to a 2 x 4 frame, then I covered it with vinyl. I used 1 x 2's to hold the vinyl down. I nailed 1 x 4's to the outside of the frame(raised up) to make a tray.

This is the underside of the poop board. The frame sits on 2 x 4's along the back wall and 2 x 4's on the sides

You can see how the 1 x 4 is raised up when I attached it to the 2 x 4 to make the tray. I could have used a 1 x 6 and made it even with the bottom of the 2 x 4, but didn't.
I lift the roost bar up when I scoop the poop, that's why it's on an angle.

How do you do your compost?

I have 2 bins about 6' x 6' made out of pallets, to keep the dogs out of it. I don't have any pictures. All the poop goes in there. I add leaves(I always have leaves), kitchen and garden scraps not suitable for the chickens, coffee grounds, tea bags, some of the egg shells and some of the coop bedding when I clean it out. Most of the bedding goes in my deep litter run, which is basically composting also.

 

[Alaskan]

Well... when you are done setting it up... will they be walking on the board much?

I put a frame around my poop board so that it can hold PDZ, sand, or feed bags... or wood shavings.... as needed..

 

[Alaskan]

I put a wide board on the front... to make a second perch there.... because yes, some like to perch there... and yes, I also use a poop board that is 2 feet deep... I used plywood.

 

[chickenthyme]

The women you know is probably using PDZ, it's a horse stall refresher that helps control ammonia odors. I use 1/2" or less of PDZ on my board. I have a frame around the whole thing to hold the PDZ in. I use a cat litter scoop to scoop the poop every day. The poop goes in my compost bin.

Using a laminated board only is probably slippery. My flock is always walking on the board to get settled in for the night. Some of them sleep on the board, the roost and the front board. Also without something on the board, the real wet ones may be hard to get off, unless you want to wipe it up . Also with a 12 inch wide board, some of the poop may end up on the floor. Mine is 24" wide with the roost in the middle. The ones on the front board always face front.

View attachment 1896767

Thank you for your help. Yes OH MY......the dropping board was just what it infers and what a sight to behold!! Amazing how much they produce in one night!! I'm thinking the laminate is not going to work. Where one dropping was it pucker the laminate so it must have been stronger stuff but it's going to happen. Is your board just wood?? No coating of any sort?
AND since it was two boards, some seeped in between and at the back so that's not good.
How do you do your compost? For today I just scooped it in a bucket and put a bit of lime on it. We had been hauling our straw to some vacant property we have and just dumping it. Here at home I'm not sure I have a good place compost but I'd like to be able to use it eventually on my flower beds and garden.
Thanks for the tips. Back to the drawing board....... I'm ordering some PDZ though today as it was TOTALLY GROSS wiping off the board today and I only had a small putty knife for scooping.

 

[chickenthyme]

It depends on what your calling laminate. A picture would help. [/QUOTE]

They are just shelves we bought at Lowe's with a laminate covering over them. I know basically they're not going to work. I suppose I could get vinyl to put over it which is what I wanted originally but neither Home Depot or Lowe's seemed to have the remnants like they used to so that's why we did the shelves . I can see though we need to put wood clear around the board so that's next. I can get a picture but we do have a frame similar to yours made which the shelves lay on top.

Wasn't going to make it to get some PDZ yesterday so was putting straw there so it wasn't as gross for this morning and wouldn't you know, one of the girls got up and started sifting through it and kicking it off. Silliness!



I have 2 bins about 6' x 6' made out of pallets, to keep the dogs out of it. I don't have any pictures. All the poop goes in there. I add leaves(I always have leaves), kitchen and garden scraps not suitable for the chickens, coffee grounds, tea bags, some of the egg shells and some of the coop bedding when I clean it out. Most of the bedding goes in my deep litter run, which is basically composting also.[/QUOTE]

Do you find your compost bin smells or attracts varmints? Even though we are in the country, we still have people on all sides of us including the back. Do you use the PDZ too as bedding?

Thanks for your pictures and information. Huge help!! This forum has been great for newer chicken owners!

 

[jthornton]

Do you find your compost bin smells or attracts varmints?

If your compost smells you have the ratio wrong. I put a layer of poop then a layer of carbon. Carbon rich things are shredded paper, saw dust, dried leaves etc. This is a good thread on composting https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/catch-22-composting.1325691/

JT

 

[blackdog043]

Do you find your compost bin smells or attracts varmints? Even though we are in the country, we still have people on all sides of us including the back. Do you use the PDZ too as bedding?

No, I don't notice any odors from the pile on a normal basis. If I haven't mixed it in a few weeks, I may get some odor, but it dissipates quickly and you have to be close to the pile to smell it. I add some leaves every couple weeks, to try to keep everything balanced. I add paper towels, as long as there is no grease on them. I also add the cardboard tubes from them. I don't think it draws varmints, it never looks like anything is digging in the pile. My game cameras don't point toward them. I took a couple pictures of my compost bins this morning.

I use pine shavings for my bedding. I start out with it about 3 - 4 inches deep and add to it when it needs refreshing. I end up with about 6 - 8 inches when I clean the coop out, which is once a year or longer. I do sprinkle some PDZ in the bedding after I clean it out and start fresh.

I started this one about a month ago. I get black soldier fly larva in my piles, they love chicken poop. The poop I add in the morning is usually down to what you see here the next morning. I have 24 in my flock.

This pile is about done, it smells like rich soil. The bins not full, I just have it all in the back half. I'll sift it to get anything big/ not fully composted and add it to my garden in the fall.

 

[Mixed flock enthusiast]

The women you know is probably using PDZ, it's a horse stall refresher that helps control ammonia odors. I use 1/2" or less of PDZ on my board. I have a frame around the whole thing to hold the PDZ in. I use a cat litter scoop to scoop the poop every day. The poop goes in my compost bin.

Using a laminated board only is probably slippery. My flock is always walking on the board to get settled in for the night. Some of them sleep on the board, the roost and the front board. Also without something on the board, the real wet ones may be hard to get off, unless you want to wipe it up . Also with a 12 inch wide board, some of the poop may end up on the floor. Mine is 24" wide with the roost in the middle. The ones on the front board always face front.

View attachment 1896767

I love this pic of momma hen roosting with big babies!!! Nice setup!