From pigeons to chickens: Where to put roosting bar?

[gabigirl21]

Y’all have been so helpful. Time for one final question. I notice you all seem to be recommending a poop board in addition to deep bedding. I've looked on the forum for this combo and haven't found a clear answer.

I'm not particularly interested in the daily scraping the poop board. My reasoning for the deep bedding was to avoid this and to do more of the once a week add-on/mix and add scratch to have the chickens turn it as well.

Question: Is the thought with the poop board that I would scrape poop into the bedding, or are you suggesting that the board with PDZ is superior to the deep bedding all together?

 

[3KillerBs]

Y’all have been so helpful. Time for one final question. I notice you all seem to be recommending a poop board in addition to deep bedding. I've looked on the forum for this question and haven't found a clear answer.

I'm not particularly interested in the daily scraping the poop board. My reasoning for the deep bedding was to avoid this and to do more of the once a week add-on/mix and add scratch to have the chickens turn it as well.

Is the thought with the poop board that I would scrape poop into the bedding, or are you suggesting that the board with PDZ is superior to the deep bedding all together?

I don't use a poop board and I'm perfectly happy with the situation.

Once in a while, when I think it needs it, I stir up the bedding under the roost to keep it from getting crusted.

Or I through a handful of scratch in there and get the chickens to stir it for me.

 

[aart]

Y’all have been so helpful. Time for one final question. I notice you all seem to be recommending a poop board in addition to deep bedding. I've looked on the forum for this question and haven't found a clear answer.

I'm not particularly interested in the daily scraping the poop board. My reasoning for the deep bedding was to avoid this and to do more of the once a week add-on/mix and add scratch to have the chickens turn it as well.

Is the thought with the poop board that I would scrape poop into the bedding, or are you suggesting that the board with PDZ is superior to the deep bedding all together?

Deep litter(a truly composting deep litter) and poop boards don't really mix.
Poop boards are for getting the poop out of the coop daily.

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture
-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).
There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 7 years.

 

[saysfaa]

Many options can work well given a good match to climate; preferences and tolerances of the people; and numbers space, and management of the chickens.

I have a poop board and deep bedding. I've only had chickens for five months and it took a month and a half or so before they moved in to the coop. So, keep your grain of salt handy.

I don't intend to clean out the coop until we are ready to sell this house. I also put a high priority on minimizing smell and flies. From what I've read, it seems it is the amount of free ammonia in the air that causes most of the stink. There are three ways to get less free ammonia: less fresh poop in the area, convert the ammonia to something else chemically (like with pdz or composting) and more ventilation so what is there dissipates quickly.

If there is more of one or two of them then you need less of the other one or two to get the same effect.

I did both partly to do everything I can. And partly because I don't know if I would prefer the poop board. And partly because it would be much easier to take one out than to add one after the rest of the coop is built and occupied.