FLORIDA!!!!!ALWAYS SUNNY SIDE UP!!!

[Sparcleus]

Stay away from deep litter and use sand.

Thanks! I actually filled in most of the coop tonight with a new layer of sand and earth. Next weekend I'm going to scoop out a good 3-4 inches and refill with sand completely. I think it's just too wet and humid for DL in my uncovered run.

 

[dawg53]

Thanks! I actually filled in most of the coop tonight with a new layer of sand and earth. Next weekend I'm going to scoop out a good 3-4 inches and refill with sand completely. I think it's just too wet and humid for DL in my uncovered run.

Why dont you just add sand on top of the existing soil? It's much easier and you'll be elevating your pen while the yard floods if there's heavy rains. Besides, your soil is probably already waterlogged like ours and it wont take long for flooding to occur. If you've had a lot of rain like we have, I'd bet your water table is just a few feet down in the ground.
Earlier this year I hauled in a total of 7 pick up truck loads of sand, refreshing both pens. I'm glad I did. It has been raining practically every day for the last 4 months. I'm not talking about 'splash and dash' showers neither, deluges of rain for long periods of time. It was alot of hard work doing it myself, but it paid off.

While our yard floods, the sand in the pens have held up and doesnt flood. Sand doesnt wash away like dirt, it soaks up water, dries quicker than mud, and helps deter parasites. There are no nasty mud holes for chickens to drink out of neither.
If anything, hard rains beat the sand down into the soil, eventually replenishment is necessary like I did earlier this year. Here, it costs $25 for 1 cubic yard of sand.

I keep my birds penned 98% of the time. Refreshing sand with another layer of sand helps prevent worm infection with birds kept on the same soil for long periods of time. However, I worm my birds monthly so it's not really an issue for me, but I refresh sand at least every 6 months or so anyway. it's easier to scoop poop with sand, and I do it 2 or 3 times a day.
I use the soiled sand for filling in ruts or holes in the yard due to rain washouts in different areas of our yard.

I have tarps over my main coop and smaller coop, and both coops are elevated above the ground. I have a jury rigged gutter running off the main coop with a 4" corrugated flexible pipe attached directing rain water off the roof out into the yard.
I'll be replacing the tarps and doing some caulking early this coming week when we're supposed to get some drier weather for a few days.
Our weatherguessers here are the worst I've ever seen with their forecasts. Unfortunately they cant forecast yesterdays weather much less tomorrows. So, we'll see how it goes.

 

[Sparcleus]

Why dont you just add sand on top of the existing soil? It's much easier and you'll be elevating your pen while the yard floods if there's heavy rains. Besides, your soil is probably already waterlogged like ours and it wont take long for flooding to occur. If you've had a lot of rain like we have, I'd bet your water table is just a few feet down in the ground.
Earlier this year I hauled in a total of 7 pick up truck loads of sand, refreshing both pens. I'm glad I did. It has been raining practically every day for the last 4 months. I'm not talking about 'splash and dash' showers neither, deluges of rain for long periods of time. It was alot of hard work doing it myself, but it paid off.

While our yard floods, the sand in the pens have held up and doesnt flood. Sand doesnt wash away like dirt, it soaks up water, dries quicker than mud, and helps deter parasites. There are no nasty mud holes for chickens to drink out of neither.
If anything, hard rains beat the sand down into the soil, eventually replenishment is necessary like I did earlier this year. Here, it costs $25 for 1 cubic yard of sand.

I keep my birds penned 98% of the time. Refreshing sand with another layer of sand helps prevent worm infection with birds kept on the same soil for long periods of time. However, I worm my birds monthly so it's not really an issue for me, but I refresh sand at least every 6 months or so anyway. it's easier to scoop poop with sand, and I do it 2 or 3 times a day.
I use the soiled sand for filling in ruts or holes in the yard due to rain washouts in different areas of our yard.

I have tarps over my main coop and smaller coop, and both coops are elevated above the ground. I have a jury rigged gutter running off the main coop with a 4" corrugated flexible pipe attached directing rain water off the roof out into the yard.
I'll be replacing the tarps and doing some caulking early this coming week when we're supposed to get some drier weather for a few days.
Our weatherguessers here are the worst I've ever seen with their forecasts. Unfortunately they cant forecast yesterdays weather much less tomorrows. So, we'll see how it goes.

Thanks, this info helps a lot. Yes, we have been inundated with so much rain this year it is ridiculous! I think I will just put more new, clean sand on top of what I already have. It is so good to know this. I can get one yard of sand here at my local garden center for about $15, and my run isn't too big. The coop itself is an old converted playhouse and I don't have an issue with it flooding. I appreciate your help!

 

[Redfisher1997]

Hey everyone! Anyone in the Tampa Bay Area or close by looking for a young rooster to add to their flock? I have a beautiful black and white Easter egger roo that is 11 weeks old. Hasn’t started crowing yet but it’s an obvious roo. He is sweet tempered in fact today I picked him up and he ate water Mellon out of my hand then took a nap! Also he is already showing signs of being a great flock protector because any bird/plane flies over and he lets everyone know to run and hide! I’ll do a photo shoot and post pics a little later but I want him to have a good home I worked hard to raise a tame rooster and I would hate for him to have to go to the auction and end up being eaten or fought because I can’t have a roo where I live!

 

[dawg53]

I wish I could take him. But like you, we're not allowed roosters neither. Grrrr. I hope you find him a good home.

 

[Redfisher1997]

I wish I could take him. But like you, we're not allowed roosters neither. Grrrr. I hope you find him a good home.

Yeah I wish I could keep him

 

[chrisb01]

Hey everyone! Anyone in the Tampa Bay Area or close by looking for a young rooster to add to their flock? I have a beautiful black and white Easter egger roo that is 11 weeks old. Hasn’t started crowing yet but it’s an obvious roo. He is sweet tempered in fact today I picked him up and he ate water Mellon out of my hand then took a nap! Also he is already showing signs of being a great flock protector because any bird/plane flies over and he lets everyone know to run and hide! I’ll do a photo shoot and post pics a little later but I want him to have a good home I worked hard to raise a tame rooster and I would hate for him to have to go to the auction and end up being eaten or fought because I can’t have a roo where I live!

HOA??

 

[Jules929]

Hey everyone! Anyone in the Tampa Bay Area or close by looking for a young rooster to add to their flock? I have a beautiful black and white Easter egger roo that is 11 weeks old. Hasn’t started crowing yet but it’s an obvious roo. He is sweet tempered in fact today I picked him up and he ate water Mellon out of my hand then took a nap! Also he is already showing signs of being a great flock protector because any bird/plane flies over and he lets everyone know to run and hide! I’ll do a photo shoot and post pics a little later but I want him to have a good home I worked hard to raise a tame rooster and I would hate for him to have to go to the auction and end up being eaten or fought because I can’t have a roo where I live!

I wish I could help you, he sounds like a good patriarch! But I haven't decided whether or not to risk upsetting my neighbors by keeping a roo.
And my coop is not yet constructed. I picked up my fencing (to enclose the side yard), and the coop lumber last Sunday.
Hatch is on lockdown, so I don't have any peeps yet.
I hope you find a wonderful home for him!

 

[cmom]

This is a reminder that instead of holding our monthly Dunnellon TSC Farm Swap at the Dunnellon Tractor Supply on Saturday (8/11), this month we will be holding it at the Crystal River Rural King in the Crystal River Mall due to the construction going on around Tractor Supply. There is some shade but if you are a vendor we suggest bringing a canopy or umbrella. Hopefully we will be able to resume the Farm Swap at the Dunnellon TSC next month (September). We will post here for any changes.

 

[chrisb01]

This is a reminder that instead of holding our monthly Dunnellon TSC Farm Swap at the Dunnellon Tractor Supply on Saturday (8/11), this month we will be holding it at the Crystal River Rural King in the Crystal River Mall due to the construction going on around Tractor Supply. There is some shade but if you are a vendor we suggest bringing a canopy or umbrella. Hopefully we will be able to resume the Farm Swap at the Dunnellon TSC next month (September). We will post here for any changes.
View attachment 1499244

Hi @cmom , I had plans to go today, but was stung by a wasp last week and got an adverse reaction from it.. Just got done with meds yesterday, but not up to going anywhere, other than Publix.. I'll plan again for the 4th Sat.. Aug. 25th..

Hope you had a lot of fun..