Michigan Thread - all are welcome!

[RaZ]

I tried sand on a cement floor for about a year and I didn't like it. Used deep litter after that with both straw and wood chips. Despite interweb claims, deep litter does not produce heat in the winter or any other time of the year.

When I moved up here last fall I did not have a proper coop. It is a Harbor Freight portable garage set on dirt. There is a good 6-8 inches of straw on the floor. And I had an ammonia odor recently. The cause is saturated ground under the straw. There is a low spot and the rain and snow melt collected there. Today I pulled out all of the straw and it was a nasty, wet mess. I'll move it to the hot compost pile next and run it through the shredder before adding to the pile.

Within the next few days I should have a proper coop built and I will do deep wood shavings. I've had the best luck with that. A good dose of PDZ too.

Good luck.

 

[robyn8]

Thanks for the litter comments! I should probably add some poop boards in the corners. Im sure that would help.

 

[SunshineMary]

Wanted:
6-12 fresh, fertile Muscovy duck eggs for hatching in an incubator.

I live in Washtenaw county and will drive up to one hour to get the eggs if you have them. Willing to buy or trade. I have fertile Pilgrim goose eggs and fertile Midget White turkey eggs if you are interested in a trade.

 

[RaZ]

Thanks for the litter comments! I should probably add some poop boards in the corners. Im sure that would help.

Poop boards should be standard equipment in a coop. I'm drawing up the plans for my coop and will have them under the roosts.

One thing I forgot to mention was that my hens seem to prefer a straw substrate for nest box. And it should be on ground level. And in a corner.

 

[snowflake]

I use hay in the nest box and a mix of hay and wood shavings on the floor. roosts have poop boards covered with opened feed bags. easy clean up even when frozen,rolls my birds spend a lot of time outside as all food and water are outside year round.

 

[Nyla]

I'll be driving to Crystal MI tomorrow morning. I have muscovy's laying eggs daily. I can bring a dozen for you?

Wanted:
6-12 fresh, fertile Muscovy duck eggs for hatching in an incubator.

I live in Washtenaw county and will drive up to one hour to get the eggs if you have them. Willing to buy or trade. I have fertile Pilgrim goose eggs and fertile Midget White turkey eggs if you are interested in a trade.

 

[1muttsfan]

Oooh, midget whites!

You could just shovel out the corners under your perches every week or two. You can also get a great odor reducer called Manna Pro Coop 'N Compost Odor Neutralizer. I've noticed in wet, humid weather, cold or hot, when nothing dries out for days a sprinkle around the coop works geat.

By 4 weeks the chicks spend most of their time on top of the plate brooder, it apparently is cozy warm on the feet and bottom. I would not put one of those plastic cover things on it for that reason. Press and Seal works great to make it easy to clean off. Remember you raise it steadily as they grow.

I once had a hawk divebomb the small pen where my young birds were, pulling the netting cover out on one side, with the hawk ending up trapped in the pen. When my friend stopped by the house to do chores she found the upset hawk, and no sign of the half-grown chicks - who were inside the coop huddled safely under the brooder plate. Fortunately no one was hurt.

 

[Folly's place]

Pilgrim geese! Small turkeys! This is hard, but MUST NOT WEAKEN!!!
Mary

 

[aart]

Oooh, midget whites!

I Know, Right?!?!

You can also get a great odor reducer called Manna Pro Coop 'N Compost Odor Neutralizer.

This is nothing more than zeolite. Buy it as Sweet PDZ in the horse aisle, 25# for $10, MUCH cheaper that way!![/QUOTE]

Remember you raise it steadily as they grow.

Yeppers! Here what I use for a brooder 'plate'.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/pseudo-brooder-heater-plate.67729/

 

[1muttsfan]

I appreciate the tip. My coop is not huge, and the canister lasts me for a long time.