Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[lbrykowski2011]

As long as a flock is healthy I don't see a need to scrub and sanitize the coop more than once a year of course that may be just because I'm a lazy old man who doesn't want to do anything unless it is absolutely necessary.

My personal view is that straw is a horrible choice to use is a coop or a run. It doesn't absorb anywhere near as effectively as wood shavings and is much harder to remove. Also I would never add any organic material to a run. It holds moisture and eventually creates a stinking mess. I know many folks claim that their birds like to scratch through piles of leaves and straw but why create more work for yourself? I occasionally add more sand to my runs so they dry quickly and odor is kept to a minimum. I throw scratch grains in the run and the birds are quite content.

Thanks, that will save alot of winter work. How about water and feed dishes? I always thought straw was warmer, I use pine shavings in my nest boxes, is that what you would also recommend for the floor? I throw a few handfuls of cracked corn in right before their bedtime. Thanks again

 

[SillyChicken]

I generally "clean" the coop, spring and fall. I change out bedding weekly. My coops are too small for poop boards, so there is no point to them.

I'll clean the waterer's if they get pooped in/on or as needed but not so much the feeder unless someone craps on it. I put some of those domed covers for bird feeders to keep squirrels out, over my bird feeders and keep outside in covered area of the run, keeps the poops/rain out and birds won't try to hop on the feeder. I keep the waterers outside at all times, in winter I use either a straw house covered with a tarp, or a plastic insulated dog house to put the heater pan and waterer inside of.



Don't use straw or anything organic outside in an uncovered run esp.... you will create a huge mucky mess for you and the birds. Mucky messes harbor bad stuff, esp in spring. I have not used sand yet, but it is on my to do list. Hopefully I'll get to that before winter sets in completely.

Nova - good idea on sandwiching the tarp between wire layers!

All my turkeys recovered from their respiratory issue, didn't lose any thank goodness! The meds are supposedly out of their system after a week (I treated chickens too) so I'll be happy to start eating chicken eggs soon now that they're also laying again! And I feel better about selling/eating some of the young toms for thanksgiving.

Also happy that one of the chocolate turkey has started strutting so I have a pair of those.

Put my billy in with the rest of the goats so he can do his job, though he's being such a jerk, I may have to move him back out and not winter him with the herd as planed. Anyone know where I can get tips to cover his horns? I thought about small tennis balls, but will they hold up? I'm going to see about bike handle bar grips too.

Sam, so glad to hear Granny is doing better. She is such a wonderful lady.

Aging... it a privilege many do not get to experience, nor is it for the weak of heart!

Welcome to all the new folks!!

 

[Hillbilly Hen]

However, I am happy with the life I've led, and thankful for each day that comes. I strive to never let it get me down..............................It's to hard to get back up.

Sam, so glad to hear Granny is doing better. She is such a wonderful lady.

Aging... it a privilege many do not get to experience, nor is it for the weak of heart!

Ditto! I hope all goes well with her MRI.

I also agree that many do not get to experience old age. I am now the same age as my Dad when he passed away.

 

[RaZ]

Again we see that there are different ways of managing your flock. What works for one person may not work for another.
If you are new to this game you may have to try a couple of different ways before you find the right way for you.
Also consider the size of your flock, your coop size, run area and even the area that you live. Michigan has quite the range of weather conditions. What works here in the city might not work in the UP or west side of the state.

My set up is/was:
Coop is a section of the insulated garage. Cement floor with 10 inches of wood shavings and some straw. Approximately 88 square feet of floor space. Roosts positioned over the old work bench which served as a poop board. It was cleaned every day just because I was out there every day. Only took a minute or two. Complete clean out in spring and just before winter
Run has the tent garage for a dry space (10' x 22") and open area of more than twice that. Straw bales were piled up as a wind block.
In the fall I build a compost pile in the open run. Just a simple wire fence circle that the chickens could peck at the edges of. The run does have organic matter, mostly from dropping the leaves and stuff on the way to the compost pile. I have decent drainage so I rarely had a muddy mess. Never had an odor issue at all.

In spring and summer, I use plastic mesh fencing with step-in stakes to re-configure the run area, define my garden and give the flock a new area to explore.

That was my set-up for 10 birds. Your actual mileage may differ.

 

[iamfivewire]

our coop mod project - was a "bus stop" (im guessing). will add 2nd bucket for egg nest & havent added poop board yet - will see if i have room to hang water & food on the right side & will add hardware cloth to window in back
This will be for our IowaBlues

its not the prettiest coop on the block, but the birds prob wont mind - should be functional & provide good shelter & safety

 

[iamfivewire]

. . . . & only aprox $10.oo invested - alot of the materials we already had around or was free stuff

 

[naglady]

I geuss it come down to what kind of soil you have.. I live across from lake huron and my ground is pretty much like beach sand.. and its pretty obsorbant.. so for me the leaves worked great..


Iamfivewire, nice coop, I am sure it will work.. does it have enough ventilations..that clean floor isnt going to last long.. i think your chickens will love it

 

[NovaAman]

No Silly, it's the plastic poultry fencing that you can use to make moveable pens. Real pita when you don't realise there is a gap and a SF cockerel who is totally freaked out gets out, runs like hello into the woods at CS, making people chase him down... LOL How is that rotten jerk BTW? The bite mark healed up nice. LOL

I'll post pics of the job when I am done. I don't think I ever took a pic of what I did last year. I might have pics... hmmm...

Ok... it was from back when I needed life rafts, but you can see what I meant, there was still a green section up. I was starting to take the plastic sheets down when the rains hit... and kept raining and raining....

 

[lbrykowski2011]

Again we see that there are different ways of managing your flock. What works for one person may not work for another.
If you are new to this game you may have to try a couple of different ways before you find the right way for you.
Also consider the size of your flock, your coop size, run area and even the area that you live. Michigan has quite the range of weather conditions. What works here in the city might not work in the UP or west side of the state.

My set up is/was:
Coop is a section of the insulated garage. Cement floor with 10 inches of wood shavings and some straw. Approximately 88 square feet of floor space. Roosts positioned over the old work bench which served as a poop board. It was cleaned every day just because I was out there every day. Only took a minute or two. Complete clean out in spring and just before winter
Run has the tent garage for a dry space (10' x 22") and open area of more than twice that. Straw bales were piled up as a wind block.
In the fall I build a compost pile in the open run. Just a simple wire fence circle that the chickens could peck at the edges of. The run does have organic matter, mostly from dropping the leaves and stuff on the way to the compost pile. I have decent drainage so I rarely had a muddy mess. Never had an odor issue at all.

In spring and summer, I use plastic mesh fencing with step-in stakes to re-configure the run area, define my garden and give the flock a new area to explore.

That was my set-up for 10 birds. Your actual mileage may differ.

I'm doing my composting in the run now also and love it. I just have it in the corner and throw the used straw, grass clippings, food and poop in. The chickens are great at doing all the work. I just rake it back in a pile every few days and wait for spring to throw in garden. Used to kill my back trying to turn it with a shovel, now no turning. Gotta love them chickens I only have 7 chickens in a 4x8 coop w/100 sq ft run, I would think all would be easy, but still so many questions.

 

[mara1]

Again we see that there are different ways of managing your flock. What works for one person may not work for another.
If you are new to this game you may have to try a couple of different ways before you find the right way for you.
Also consider the size of your flock, your coop size, run area and even the area that you live. Michigan has quite the range of weather conditions. What works here in the city might not work in the UP or west side of the state.

My set up is/was:
Coop is a section of the insulated garage. Cement floor with 10 inches of wood shavings and some straw. Approximately 88 square feet of floor space. Roosts positioned over the old work bench which served as a poop board. It was cleaned every day just because I was out there every day. Only took a minute or two. Complete clean out in spring and just before winter
Run has the tent garage for a dry space (10' x 22") and open area of more than twice that. Straw bales were piled up as a wind block.
In the fall I build a compost pile in the open run. Just a simple wire fence circle that the chickens could peck at the edges of. The run does have organic matter, mostly from dropping the leaves and stuff on the way to the compost pile. I have decent drainage so I rarely had a muddy mess. Never had an odor issue at all.

In spring and summer, I use plastic mesh fencing with step-in stakes to re-configure the run area, define my garden and give the flock a new area to explore.

That was my set-up for 10 birds. Your actual mileage may differ.

? did you add any extra vents in the garage where you cooped the girls.