Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[aart]

Quote: They shouldn't be sleeping in the nests.
Any wettish bedding is going to soon freeze solid again....temps are dropping!

 

[Coyox]

They shouldn't be sleeping in the nests.
Any wettish bedding is going to soon freeze solid again....temps are dropping!

NOPE! They definitely shouldn't be. Luckily I have nestboxes on the opposite side where the laying is being done, come Spring I'm boarding the nest boxes they've been sleeping in up, to try to coerce them to sleeping on the perches above and below.....

I don't know why, but I have 7 of them that just will not leave the nest boxes alone. I brought some chicks in last month and made sure they were using the perches-- they seem to be slowly inspiring the others to sleep in a better location. But I figure, with the stress of winter and the cold front coming in, I will just board them up come spring and try to inspire them to the perches with the others. They've done this since they were chicks-- I hope I can break the habit.

The bedding isn't wet :[ I take care of my chickens. I don't know why people keep assuming their bedding is wet.... as that is not really what I meant. It's starting to get a bit offensive.

 

[aart]

Quote: Pardon my misunderstanding about your actually non-wet bedding.

They won't want to roost/sleep lower than nests.
I've got nest covers on hinges, close them up an hour before roost time, open after dark when I lock up.
Took some time to rig up, but sure makes it easier to deal with.

 

[Coyox]

Pardon my misunderstanding about your actually non-wet bedding.

They won't want to roost/sleep lower than nests.
I've got nest covers on hinges, close them up an hour before roost time, open after dark when I lock up.
Took some time to rig up, but sure makes it easier to deal with.

I really like this idea, thank you! I think this is how I will go forward with the problem.

 

[1muttsfan]

You can also put and empty cardboard box in each nest box late in the afternoon, and remove them the next morning - easy and cheap.

 

[chickswanted]

So i have 10 two year old hens. Mixed types. Been getting two eggs a day all winter. Found this in egg box. Pretty sure i don't have a pigeon living in coop. Been getting odd eggs sporadically all winter. No shell or tiny eggs with no yolks but this one takes the prize. LOL.

 

[RaZ]

Today is one of my favorite of the year, as it marks the birthday of one of my favorite people

Happy Birthday, Opa!

Wouldn't it be great if we could all get together for a cup of coffee?

Thanks for sharing, I'll have to give Sam a call.
We can all get together for that cup of coffee. In June. At Chicken Stock.

PS Today is Michigan's 180th birthday.

 

[RaZ]

I very much appreciate the tip! Like I said--- I'm very new to this, what information I've gotten is from other local chicken people, and they are not always right. I don't think I will do it again next year-- it doesn't seem necessary. Luckily my chickens free range over 20 acres so there isnt a whole lot of poo going on in there, just at night in the nest boxes-- and the coop is about 10ftx12ft in size. I'm just going to wait for a nice dry day to clean it up--- I've been looking around and I kind of like other options better. And like you said--- I don't think it makes too much of a difference.

Thank you!

You're welcome. I'm glad you found my opinion helpful.

I think that people often confuse deep litter bedding with composting. There are so many "alternative facts" on the internet.
I've experimented with a variety of coop bedding materials over the years. I've found that deep litter works best for me. The base I have is nearly 2 feet of good dry straw. At least once a week, I pitch-fork off the manure from under the roosting bar and add it to the compost heap. I also scrape the poop boards from the other roosting area. That goes to the compost heap as well.

I have 2 roosting areas to accommodate the flock hierarchy.

I'd be happy to discuss bedding or composting or chicken poop or just about anything else either here or by PM. Just keep in mind that mine is just one more opinion on the inter-web.

 

[Grammi]

Today is one of my favorite of the year, as it marks the birthday of one of my favorite people

Happy Birthday, Opa!

Wouldn't it be great if we could all get together for a cup of coffee?

Happy Birthday Opa,sure hope you had a wonderful day.

 

[bobhoke]

So i have 10 two year old hens. Mixed types. Been getting two eggs a day all winter. Found this in egg box. Pretty sure i don't have a pigeon living in coop. Been getting odd eggs sporadically all winter. No shell or tiny eggs with no yolks but this one takes the prize. LOL.

Yeah I got one too. We ate it.