Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[gladahmae]

As the days have started to warm, albeit slightly, I'm starting to notice the odor of ammonia in my coops. There's a LOT of ventilation in them, so I can't imagine that's the problem, but we've done deep-litter for the floors, and I haven't changed any of it out (only added) since the fall. I did turn the bedding a few times over the winter, but mostly I've left it alone. Yesterday I went out and took 2 30gal trash-cans worth of shavings from under the roost bars out, and added a new bag of shavings to the layer coop, and took 1 trash-can worth of shavings out of the smaller rooster coop and added a fresh bag in there as well. I also turned the old bedding before added the new chips on top. Today, the smell is STRONGER in the layer coop. Should I be concerned? Is this just a result of everything melting and drying/evaporating now that it's above freezing?

We don't have a poop board, but I'll probably make on before next winter.

 

[Huston's Happy Hens]

As the days have started to warm, albeit slightly, I'm starting to notice the odor of ammonia in my coops. There's a LOT of ventilation in them, so I can't imagine that's the problem, but we've done deep-litter for the floors, and I haven't changed any of it out (only added) since the fall. I did turn the bedding a few times over the winter, but mostly I've left it alone. Yesterday I went out and took 2 30gal trash-cans worth of shavings from under the roost bars out, and added a new bag of shavings to the layer coop, and took 1 trash-can worth of shavings out of the smaller rooster coop and added a fresh bag in there as well. I also turned the old bedding before added the new chips on top. Today, the smell is STRONGER in the layer coop. Should I be concerned? Is this just a result of everything melting and drying/evaporating now that it's above freezing?

We don't have a poop board, but I'll probably make on before next winter.

We have always done the deep litter method. In past we use to stir it up as suggested/directed for this method, add DE/Lime(Ag)...but last year we had the same issue that you are having with the smell.....we stopped stirring it up and just add Aglime to help dry up the droppings.....very, very little smell for us now....we won't go back to the stirring method and we shovel it all out 3-4 x's a year - let me know if you try this and it works for you!

 

[Opa]

I agree with Nancy that you should not be stirring the shavings when using the deep litter method. When you stir the litter you increase the surface area allowing more ammonia to be released.

I installed dropping boards several years ago and every two weeks since I have removed 15 to 20 gallons of droppings that otherwise would have been on the floor. My dropping boards are 4'x4' made from RFP and 1x. While the Reinforced Fiberglass Panel is about $28 for a 4x8 sheet that fact that it is durable and waterproof make it the ideal material.

Toe loss due to frost bite is not an uncommon problem and it occurs most often when waterers are of sufficient size that allows a bird to step in the water. A wet toe will freeze very quickly once single digit temperature occur. While a missing toe might make the bird have an awkward gait it usually doesn't prevent much of a problem.


edited for spelling

 

[Huston's Happy Hens]

I agree with Nancy that you should not stirring the shasving when using the deep litter method. When you stir the litter you increase the surface area allowing more ammonia to be released.

I installed dropping boards several years ago and every two weeks since I have removed 15 to 20 gallons of droppings that otherwise would have been on the floor. My dropping boards are 4'x4' made from RFP and 1x. While the Reinforced Fiberglass Panel is about $28 for a 4x8 sheet that fact that it is durable and waterproof make it the ideal material.

Toe loss due to frost bite is not an uncommon problem and it occurs most often when waterers are of sufficient size that allows a bird to step in the water. A wet toe will freeze very quickly once single digit temperature occur. While a missing toe might make the bird have an awkward gait it usually doesn't prevent much of a problem.

We suspect that was what happened....so how awkward will that gait be with 2 missing toes Sam? Do you have a contact for Buff Brahmas - standard?

 

[cuppycake]

Anyone planning on going to the animal swap meet at the New Haven TSC, April 6th? I might take a couple of rabbits.

 

[gladahmae]

I agree with Nancy that you should not be stirring the shavings when using the deep litter method. When you stir the litter you increase the surface area allowing more ammonia to be released.

I installed dropping boards several years ago and every two weeks since I have removed 15 to 20 gallons of droppings that otherwise would have been on the floor. My dropping boards are 4'x4' made from RFP and 1x. While the Reinforced Fiberglass Panel is about $28 for a 4x8 sheet that fact that it is durable and waterproof make it the ideal material.

Good to know. I figured that if I was basically 'composting' the shavings by using deep-litter that I needed to turn it every other month (really, I've only turned it 3x since we put birds in it in October or so) just like you would turn a compost pile. Guess I'll just leave it be from now on!

What do you do with all those droppings?

 

[chickenwalker]

While a missing toe might make the bird have an awkward gait it usually doesn't prevent much of a problem.

Quote:

We suspect that was what happened....so how awkward will that gait be with 2 missing toes Sam?

I have one EE with all toes on one foot curled to the point of not being usable since about 2 months old. We occasionally have to clip her nails so they don't dig into her ankle. I complete agree with Sam about not probably not preventing much of a problem. Curly only uses the base of her left foot and gets along very well. She uses our highest nesting box, highest roost and has also landed gracefully on the 8' rafters in the coop. At times she is a bit awkward getting around but she is amazing. She also consistently lays large to extra large blue eggs.

 

[Maah]

Not much to add about the chicken toes or coop odors... good luck to everybody. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that your chickens heal well.

Good luck to those incubating right now. Lady, hope this batch of marans does better. Not sure what to tell you about the hygrometer. You just had a pretty good hatch and it seemed to be working. What would cause it to go 'catawampus'? Maybe pick up a second one just to help reassure you that your numbers are holding well? Especially with all the time & money you've put into hatching your marans eggs.

..................................................

I got our new Mini Maglite Pro in the mail today... with all it's 226 lumens strength & candled my eggs in the incubator. WOW, what a difference. I didn't need to sit there and play with the eggs to try to get a reading on the eggs. Our EE eggs are so thick that I could barely see into them before... but at least I was able to see something in those. I was barely able to pick out anything but shadows in our really dark barred rock eggs. She lays the darkest eggs from our flock... I'm really surprised they're that dark, but they are. Anyways, I check them all again today... & wonderful development and lots of movement in all the eggs! Yippee. So easy to see too! I made a bit of a joke to DH that one of the chicks looked like it was playing jump rope with a vein. Seriously though, it was quite an active little bugger.

I am feeling MUCH better this week. I was dragging can all last week with the time change. Even syrup thick coffee barely helped my droopy burning eyes. Thankfully I had a fairly relaxing weekend that helped me catch up on some rest.

I re-opened my silkie hen's nest boxes today and filled them up with nice fresh straw. Maybe she'll decide it's time to start laying again. I'm sure she fully recovered from her 6 week long broody streak. She perky and has regained weight... even her feathers are fluffy and shiny again. She severed the invisible teather she had to the coop and has been behaving wonderfully.

 

[9chickens]

Hi, we live SE Mi to, newbies also. My husband is building our coop, we have 12 of the little buggers , Isa Reds mostly. Have you decided on how to keep your coop warm next winter?

I live south of Lansing and so not heat my coop, the girls are all fat and happy. It is important to insulate the coop and have adequate ventilation. Heating your coop can actually lead to health problems. I have USA browns,barred rock and buff orpingtons. They all have been fine through the last two winters.

 

[NovaAman]

I've a hen who just completed her second brood... Call her Criptoe because both feet have curled toes. She's normally a good mom, high rooster, mean old broad. LOL Lays a big egg when she's not broody. My other hen Beulah, who lost her toe the other night, she's walking around now like nothing new. So, Maybe that high stepping was because there was something wrong with the toe to begin with... Don't know what though. They always looked normal. Even the part that fell of looked normal...