North Carolina

[Hollowoakfarm]

Depends on what you are going to do with them, and how dirty they are. If you're selling them for eating, people will want clean eggs. If for your own eating, then I don't. Ones that then hens pooped in the nest...those are dog food, or chicken food. If you're incubating, you don't want to wash them, if you can help it. A rub with a dry scrubby will get most, but not too much rubbing should be done.

Hollow, I try to sell enough to help pay for the feed and upkeep items. Not looking to make a killing with them. I usually try to give some away to neighbors to help try and keep the peace. lol. I realize that I need to have them clean of poo and such, but just wondering if I should wash them to get the bloom off.

Nah, the bloom is what you want to retain. However, I do wash them off just prior to using them if there's any visible dirt, as I don't want to knock it off into whatever I'm preparing. I don't bother if there's nothing to get knocked off, though.

 

[atmaclean]

Good early afternoon, fellow by now thawed people. This am was a freezer of cold. Looks like an awesome day compared to the cold this morning. Tuesday is suppose to be bitter cold for us here so you western folks will most likely be really cold. sheesh.

On the question of sand, I have used sand in my runs and all the chickens do is scratch it out mostly. I guess it would work for mud control for awhile. Now others may have had better luck in the long run.... I find that alot of leaves, some sand, mulch, and dirt to build it up helps. again the chicken will scratch it out somewhat. I have permanent runs, plus I open the doors to let my groups free range so that works for me... Turning the dirt every so often helps with the drainage as well...
Again that is what I do, others may do it differently due to their conditions....

I use the sand in my coup and it makes it so much easier for me to keep clean. The sand is pretty deep - maybe 8 inches. My chickens don't mess in it at all. There is really nowhere for the sand to go since it is inside their coup. They don't hang out in the coup except when they go in to roost or if the hens go in to lay an egg or get something to eat from the hanging feeder. They are outside most of the day foraging in the leaves, grass, pastures, etc. At night they go in the coup to go up on their roosts so they aren't in the sand really. The poop just drops down in it under where they roost and then I clean it out with my special scooper/sifter thing I made. I have thought about putting sand in the outside covered runs where my guineas roost at night and where the roosters live when they aren't out foraging. It will take a lot more sand for those two so I will just have a load brought in. Now I wonder if they would scratch it out along where the fence runs and there is no solid wall to keep it in.... The guineas aren't really in their pen other than to go to roost at night and get their millet. I've tried pine shavings but they are really hard to clean and I end up just forking them all out when I clean. I was going through way too many bags of shavings. Sawdust may work....?

I'm not sure what you mean by turning the dirt....? Could you explain that? I have read a little bit about the "deep litter" method, but I just can't wrap my head around the idea of letting waste build up for months. It just doesn't sound healthy with the delicate respiratory system birds have. I also wonder about the smell...? I know with our horse stalls, the smell would build up terribly if the stalls weren't cleaned daily and fresh shavings added. It is also bad for the horse's feet to leave waste in their stalls. My hubby is a farrier and I've seen my share of rotten feet from standing in nasty stalls. I know they are totally different animals but if the chickens are also scratching through the DL, wouldn't that also stir up a lot of dust and mold and dirt into the air they are breathing? Maybe I'm totally off-base but I've had some reservations about the DL and wonder how you work around the dust/mold/smell.

Thanks!
Angela

 

[tick22]

Turning the dirt is really just digging up some and turning it over. Keeps the ground from getting to hard. Most people do that in gardens, if that makes it easier to understand. Now I use a shovel, some if they had a big enough run or yard use a tractor or riding mower attachment. Your just breaking up the ground really. Now sand in an enclosed area is nice, but sand in a run with fence or any kind of openings, The chickens will kick some out if not alot more than some. laughs. That is what Ramirez and I were talking about, the stuff that gets scratch or kicked alone the run borders. The turning the sand was for drainage to a request in another post. Now everything you read here at BYC, I have found is great information and alot of people suggest things on how to do different stuff. Not everything works for everyone. You take what you can use and do it. Ask any question and someone will have a suggestion on what works for them. It seems everyone can learn or teach others something that they learned along the way... Taking care of any animals is a life long learning experience I have found... This place just happens to be full of excellent people who know alot and are willing to share that information. What more could you ask for.

Oh Lord, I am rambling again....

 

[gavinandallison]

So peeps, first incubation of the year starts tonight, I have 40 Silkie eggs going in..... Fingers crossed for a good hatch.....

 

[BHep]

So peeps, first incubation of the year starts tonight, I have 40 Silkie eggs going in..... Fingers crossed for a good hatch.....

 

[tick22]

Angela, on my runs, they are covered with old tin, so they do leak some, so shavings really don't work for me. I have leaves, sand, pine needles, old bales of hay, etc as well as the ground. You could say it is kind of like deep litter. The chickens scratch it up to almost nothing and outside the run. I am not sure that is considered Deep Litter. I thought deep litter was more inside the enclosed coops. ( I could be wrong on that) My coops are mostly open ended with 2 solid walls on most and a roof. On rainy days or snow days if the chickens don't want out, they play in the runs, plus they are up before me and roost after I have done evening chores, so the run is used alot during that time before I lock or open the runs doors for them to free range. Hope that makes sense?

Hey what is going on with the Farrier Business?? I have had lost 2 of them and had trouble finding the one I use now.... I know the one retired but the 2nd on just stop showing up one day. Took 3 months to locate another one that was kind of close to us... Is business that bad or have all the horses moved west??? We are across from a big horse ranch and they are having trouble keeping their Farriers as well. we use different ones. One horse vs 40 or so horses. They have money and pay like 60 bucks a horse, we have 1 and pay 35.

Hope I was a little helpful...

 

[tick22]

darn you Beth and Gavin, my incubators has not decided to brood yet...... If I could find a small, cheap but good one, I would love to hatch them when I wanted instead of when they do.....

Good luck people....

 

[gavinandallison]

darn you Beth and Gavin, my incubators has not decided to brood yet...... If I could find a small, cheap but good one, I would love to hatch them when I wanted instead of when they do.....

Good luck people....

do you want some?

 

[TarheelBirdy]

So peeps, first incubation of the year starts tonight, I have 40 Silkie eggs going in..... Fingers crossed for a good hatch.....

Looking forward to my first batch! If only my SFH girls would start to lay.

 

[atmaclean]

Turning the dirt is really just digging up some and turning it over. Keeps the ground from getting to hard. Most people do that in gardens, if that makes it easier to understand. Now I use a shovel, some if they had a big enough run or yard use a tractor or riding mower attachment. Your just breaking up the ground really. Now sand in an enclosed area is nice, but sand in a run with fence or any kind of openings, The chickens will kick some out if not alot more than some. laughs. That is what Ramirez and I were talking about, the stuff that gets scratch or kicked alone the run borders. The turning the sand was for drainage to a request in another post. Now everything you read here at BYC, I have found is great information and alot of people suggest things on how to do different stuff. Not everything works for everyone. You take what you can use and do it. Ask any question and someone will have a suggestion on what works for them. It seems everyone can learn or teach others something that they learned along the way... Taking care of any animals is a life long learning experience I have found... This place just happens to be full of excellenchat people who know alot and are willing to share that information. What more could you ask for.

Oh Lord, I am rambling again....

Gotcha! I have learned so much on this list and all the knowledgeable folks on here. Every time I read threads, I learn something I didn't know. Sounds like what we have to do with a lot of the horse info we get! LOL! We read it or listen to it and take what we can use and let the rest fall through the sifter. I'm a lot more confident with caring for my horses than I am my chickens. I've been doing horses, dogs, cats, bunnies and birds all my life but chickens only a few years.....
Angela