Encouraging exercise & sanitation (Getting 'em off the ground) = cotes

[Harley quinn]

Regardless of the flock's intended lifespan -- whether 8 weeks or 8 years -- all chickens (and other poultry) benefit from exercise and sanitation.  The easiest -- and imo best--  thing you can do is give them ample daytime space.  Imo, if they're in a space small enough they're wearing down the grass, it's too small. 


After giving them ample space most sanitation issues will resolve themselves.  Beyond that you have high traffic areas to manage.  Which are relatively simple.  Keep them dry, remove manure regularly.


Chickens are ground birds, not birds of flight.  Keeping them "off the ground" is an artificial resolution to a man-made problem.

How is it a man made problem? New to chickens and don't understand.

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote:
Again your asking questions from a person that is no longer contributing to BYC... I keep this thread on a notification so that I can refer to it again.

I will try to answer but cannot in the depth that some of the previous contributors have.

All domesticated livestock have man made problems. Compared to their original wild cousins. Just by living with us we change them.
Yes we remove the dangers from living in the wild but we introduce confinement and genetic issues

Chickens have been domesticated many thousands of years now. Some retain some of their wild instincts some have it bred out of them. Being able to hatch and raise up chicks is a big one. Broodiness was bred out of many blood lines because it interferes with egg production. Bigger heavier meatier birds raised for meat for the most part cannot fly.

So as caretakers of our flock we need to know the needs of our chickens. Understand their housing and some of their biological needs, come to mind.

I can only tell you what I have done and what works for my climate. Which is High desert... I have had large fowl and bantams. I offer up very high perches and intermediate ones to satisfy needs of the flock. To a one They ALL jostle for the highest perch... Large fowl may not be able to fly up to that six foot high perch. They can land on that intermediate first. They do need more room for landing on the way down. Almost twelve feet. And a soft landing spot...

I use Rice hull bedding instead of sand for that landing spot because 6 pounds of chicken hits the ground with a solid thump. Having padding down helps keep foot injury to a minimum. I have never had a case of bumble foot. The rest of my chicken enclosure is Decomposed granite for the most part...

Also with regards to dealing with manure. Most of the in coop poo happens at night. My coop is pulled down now awaiting a rebuild and relocate. But when i do rebuild I will be installing canvas poop catchers. These allow air to circulate and the contents to desiccate so Cleaning out the coop is a two step process. Removing the catcher and its contents and replacing it with another.

deb