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- #51
I used to have a hamster that could squeeze itself under a door with a little over 1/4" clearance. Also, when we had an issue with mice at a rental a few years ago, the pest control guy told us to look around and fill any hole the size of a dime or large with steel wool. After we did that, there was no longer a mouse problem. So, I suppose in the right circumstances and right type of predator, the 1/2 isn't fool proof. One thing I personally witnessed is stray cats will stick their claws into the run which could catch a bird if they were pressed against the wall. The paneling is definitely something that I am going to look into as soon as funds allow, especially with the bedding creating such a mess. I really like the idea of providing a little extra protection as well.
Vick01, when you say the top isn't covered, can wild birds get into the run? Either way, if they were over head and sat on top, it's possible the lice was introduced that way. I do have a dirt box I stuck in the corner of the run and filled it with peat moss and a cup of diatomaceous earth. It really does seem to keep the pests at bay. I also get rid of feathers and put them in the compost pile to avoid attracting any bugs and to hopefully keep the chickens from ever associating eating a feather as a good thing. However, I do worry with time, the wood shavings will attract lice or other undesirables.
I am having nothing but trouble with the waterer. It is on a chain at the highest level, but I've noticed they can fling the wood shavings a good three feet in the air. I just make sure to give them good clean drink in the morning and dump out the rim if it gets too dirty in the afternoon. I feel bad wasting water, so I try to dump it on the compost or plants if it's not freezing outside.
I still the same two complaints: water gets dirty fast and pine shavings get tracked inside even with changing shoes at the door. These do not outweigh the benefits so far. I plan to continue it throughout the winter. I don't know if it is just my imagination, but the girls legs look more sturdy than before. They seem to have more of a grip and are always digging through the bedding. Before, they did a lot more laying around so I suppose it is possible they are gaining some strength in their legs.
There was a slight smell and all I had to do was rake up the areas they don't seem to frequent as much into a large pile and watch them kick it back out flat. I do worry about the area under the feeder and may toss that part out into the compost as there is now a layer of feed building up. I don't want that to start attracting ants this spring.
Over all, I am now only spending 3-5 minutes daily on chores - cleaning out the poo in the coop, changing out the waterer, checking feed and looking over the health of the birds. I am very relieved that this method is working as my back is taking a long time to recover and I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to keep my birds. But now I feel confident they are healthy and happy with the deep litter method in the run!
Vick01, when you say the top isn't covered, can wild birds get into the run? Either way, if they were over head and sat on top, it's possible the lice was introduced that way. I do have a dirt box I stuck in the corner of the run and filled it with peat moss and a cup of diatomaceous earth. It really does seem to keep the pests at bay. I also get rid of feathers and put them in the compost pile to avoid attracting any bugs and to hopefully keep the chickens from ever associating eating a feather as a good thing. However, I do worry with time, the wood shavings will attract lice or other undesirables.
I am having nothing but trouble with the waterer. It is on a chain at the highest level, but I've noticed they can fling the wood shavings a good three feet in the air. I just make sure to give them good clean drink in the morning and dump out the rim if it gets too dirty in the afternoon. I feel bad wasting water, so I try to dump it on the compost or plants if it's not freezing outside.
I still the same two complaints: water gets dirty fast and pine shavings get tracked inside even with changing shoes at the door. These do not outweigh the benefits so far. I plan to continue it throughout the winter. I don't know if it is just my imagination, but the girls legs look more sturdy than before. They seem to have more of a grip and are always digging through the bedding. Before, they did a lot more laying around so I suppose it is possible they are gaining some strength in their legs.
There was a slight smell and all I had to do was rake up the areas they don't seem to frequent as much into a large pile and watch them kick it back out flat. I do worry about the area under the feeder and may toss that part out into the compost as there is now a layer of feed building up. I don't want that to start attracting ants this spring.
Over all, I am now only spending 3-5 minutes daily on chores - cleaning out the poo in the coop, changing out the waterer, checking feed and looking over the health of the birds. I am very relieved that this method is working as my back is taking a long time to recover and I was afraid that I wasn't going to be able to keep my birds. But now I feel confident they are healthy and happy with the deep litter method in the run!
I was like you in the summer. I had a lot of water for them. I did notice that feeding them foods with a lot of water content helped them stay hydrated and cool.
