NY chicken lover!!!!

[Tough Old Bird]

I have 2 geldings and a mare. She is a 14 hand Arab, but I've watched the mini stud try to breed the draft mares in the neighbor pasture. Obviously there are some height differences, but don't want to chance that.

As they say, where there's a will, there's a way. Sounds like the mini stud has a definite WILL !!


TOB

 

[marquisella]

Quote: I have a question about sand. I'm not understanding how sand dries out. I might see usinng it in a run, if the run doesn't get puddles, but I can't see using it in a coop. I have 4in.thick foam animal mats in all my coops, and they still get damp/wet. If I used sand, it would never dry out and I would still have to muck out & replace. Wet shavings are heavy enough, I can't imagine lifting up wet poopy sand to muck out. Am I missing something?

 

[Tough Old Bird]

I have a question about sand. I'm not understanding how sand dries out. I might see usinng it in a run, if the run doesn't get puddles, but I can't see using it in a coop. I have 4in.thick foam animal mats in all my coops, and they still get damp/wet. If I used sand, it would never dry out and I would still have to muck out & replace. Wet shavings are heavy enough, I can't imagine lifting up wet poopy sand to muck out. Am I missing something?

Glad this is being asked, because I'm still trying to figure out my coop bedding and I'm not sure I'm getting the sand idea, either, though it sounds like to pick out the poops might be easier than shavings? Not sure, as obviously, I'm not speaking from any sort of experience!

And with regard to the "deep" shavings method: am I correct in that you just stir it around and occasionally add more to freshen it, but don't actually remove the waste for several weeks -- at which time you remove everything? This seems almost too good to be true.

Marquisella, you mentioned thick floor mats, which reminded me of a suggestion I was considering to line our wooden coop floors with linoleum prior to adding the bedding of choice. The linoleum is supposed to make clean up, especially annual or bi-annual scrub downs, much easier and it doesn't absorb the moisture and hold it like wood. I even saw a coop design that had the linoleum wrapped part way up the coop walls, kind of like you'd do a splatter guard in your kitchen. Our coop will be built a bit off the ground, on account of elevation/slope issues, so our floors will be wood. I was wondering about the linoleum suggestion....


TOB

 

[Cass]

I have a question about sand. I'm not understanding how sand dries out. I might see usinng it in a run, if the run doesn't get puddles, but I can't see using it in a coop. I have 4in.thick foam animal mats in all my coops, and they still get damp/wet. If I used sand, it would never dry out and I would still have to muck out & replace. Wet shavings are heavy enough, I can't imagine lifting up wet poopy sand to muck out. Am I missing something?

I used sand and LOVED it. I had 6 chickens. It was easy to scoop, always clean, never any smell.

I now have 27 chickens. Exactly what you are saying is what is happening. It is heavy, wet, stinky and clings to your shoes like you wouldn't believe. IF I could scoop it in the morning before they all walk in it and squish the poop flat and into the sand it might work, but I am NOT a morning person and do all my chicken things after work...which means 27 birds have walked through and tracked through a nights worth of poop on the floor. (No poop boards here cuz they roost in the rafters) I am switching to shavings and cleaning it totally monthly (Or so I plan at this time) I have clay soil here so the compost from the poop and shavings will be like black gold to me.

I would still use sand (construction grade near the cement in Lowes, not Lil' tykes turtle white sand) if Chicken Math wasn't so contagious and my flock had remained at the 6 I originally planned. (But then I learned that 10:1 is the right ratio for a flock and I wanted a rooster. Then Annie had some really really cute chicks that no one wanted. Then I learned how "easy" Sumantras were to keep. (BS on that one, btw). Then my neighbor asked me to hatch some of her "kind" under my broody and changed her mind after they hatched .So you can see what happened at my house Good thing I built big, right TOB? LOL)


Edited to add: I decided to clean the coop today, while home "sick". (I took a blow to the nose and my head is aching) NOT FUN....but when I got the big side done I walked over to the small side and there were no fewer than 12 chickens dust bathing in the sand in that side. Sooooo I only cleared out the big side. The sand in the small side stays. (There are only 7 birds in the small side...small birds too....my bantams are in there...so it will work, for now)

 

[Tab's chicken obsession]

We went out to Pheonix for a birthday party yesterday. I couldn't help but notice all the hawks along the thruway and 481. There were quite a few, maybe it was because it was warmer this weekend.
I was thinking about getting some meaty chicks this spring and completely passing on store bought chicken.

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

Glad this is being asked, because I'm still trying to figure out my coop bedding and I'm not sure I'm getting the sand idea, either, though it sounds like to pick out the poops might be easier than shavings? Not sure, as obviously, I'm not speaking from any sort of experience!

And with regard to the "deep" shavings method: am I correct in that you just stir it around and occasionally add more to freshen it, but don't actually remove the waste for several weeks -- at which time you remove everything? This seems almost too good to be true.

Marquisella, you mentioned thick floor mats, which reminded me of a suggestion I was considering to line our wooden coop floors with linoleum prior to adding the bedding of choice. The linoleum is supposed to make clean up, especially annual or bi-annual scrub downs, much easier and it doesn't absorb the moisture and hold it like wood. I even saw a coop design that had the linoleum wrapped part way up the coop walls, kind of like you'd do a splatter guard in your kitchen. Our coop will be built a bit off the ground, on account of elevation/slope issues, so our floors will be wood. I was wondering about the linoleum suggestion....


TOB

TOB--Yes, you leave the litter in the coop and just stir an freshen as needed. Your nose will tell you. I do a complete cleanout twice a year on the big coops and more than that on the silkie coops. Their coops are little so a complete cleanout is easy. Now, on the terrorist coop we built, we did put lineoleum (vynal flooring its called now) down over the floor and up to where the walls begin. My dh did this after reading about it on others posts. Our coop is elevated and it does make it easy to turn over the litter and overall maintenance. I do have it in my silkie coops too and when I do complete cleanouts, I can just use wipes to disinfect the floor when I am done, let it dry and throw in shavings. Of course, on the terrorist coop, I will use an mop and bucket to disinfect and then put down new shavings and de.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

I used sand and LOVED it. I had 6 chickens. It was easy to scoop, always clean, never any smell.

I now have 27 chickens. Exactly what you are saying is what is happening. It is heavy, wet, stinky and clings to your shoes like you wouldn't believe. IF I could scoop it in the morning before they all walk in it and squish the poop flat and into the sand it might work, but I am NOT a morning person and do all my chicken things after work...which means 27 birds have walked through and tracked through a nights worth of poop on the floor. (No poop boards here cuz they roost in the rafters) I am switching to shavings and cleaning it totally monthly (Or so I plan at this time) I have clay soil here so the compost from the poop and shavings will be like black gold to me.

I would still use sand (construction grade near the cement in Lowes, not Lil' tykes turtle white sand) if Chicken Math wasn't so contagious and my flock had remained at the 6 I originally planned. (But then I learned that 10:1 is the right ratio for a flock and I wanted a rooster. Then Annie had some really really cute chicks that no one wanted. Then I learned how "easy" Sumantras were to keep. (BS on that one, btw). Then my neighbor asked me to hatch some of her "kind" under my broody and changed her mind after they hatched .So you can see what happened at my house Good thing I built big, right TOB? LOL)

Ooooh boy.... 6 is where I'm at right now. Gulp!

Thanks for the details on the sand, Cass. I guess it's still a viable option for me -- IF I curb my immense enthusiasm!

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

TOB---above are two pictures of the Woods style chicken coop we built for the terrorists (aka rir, br and red sexlinks)..Dh built it raised instead of on the ground like the original plans called for by Dr Woods. It is 20 inches off the ground so the cheeps have use of under the coop as well as their run (not built yet in the pic). The bottom pic shows the front window looking back through the coop. Nest boxes are on the left and roosts in the back. 5 gallon bucket feeder hanging from a chain and the waterer is now a 5 gallon galvanized one sitting on a special raised table built with a cookie tin heater housed underneath. The vynal flooring is up to where the wall meets the floor. We have 21 chickens in there (its a 10 x 12) and the run comes off the front (see pop door in top pic) and is 10x20, not including their access to under the coop. Hope this helps.

 

[Cass]

Glad this is being asked, because I'm still trying to figure out my coop bedding and I'm not sure I'm getting the sand idea, either, though it sounds like to pick out the poops might be easier than shavings? Not sure, as obviously, I'm not speaking from any sort of experience!

And with regard to the "deep" shavings method: am I correct in that you just stir it around and occasionally add more to freshen it, but don't actually remove the waste for several weeks -- at which time you remove everything? This seems almost too good to be true.

Marquisella, you mentioned thick floor mats, which reminded me of a suggestion I was considering to line our wooden coop floors with linoleum prior to adding the bedding of choice. The linoleum is supposed to make clean up, especially annual or bi-annual scrub downs, much easier and it doesn't absorb the moisture and hold it like wood. I even saw a coop design that had the linoleum wrapped part way up the coop walls, kind of like you'd do a splatter guard in your kitchen. Our coop will be built a bit off the ground, on account of elevation/slope issues, so our floors will be wood. I was wondering about the linoleum suggestion....


TOB

TOB, when I had 6 chickens I loved my sand floor. The poop dried out rapidly, so no smell. I taped a cat litter scoop to a long pole (old broom handle) and used that to scoop the poop out of the sand. With only 6 chickens who had 24/7 access to an outside run there was really no problem with keeping up with the poop. I tried to do it every day, but every 3 days was probably a more realistic accounting for what I achieved.

Now I have many more chickens and they squish the poop into the sand so it is no longer scoopable. (Today I got the sand out of the side with 20 birds today. The odor was HORRIBLE and it was wet 100% of the time. Not a good environment for healthy birds)

Wood shavings are a LOT lighter than sand if you do have to shovel it all out, however I only changed my sand once a year....shavings require more frequent changing and refreshing.
50 pounds of sand at Lowes cost $3.49...It took 3 bags to cover an 8x8 foot floor. Shavings cost $5 a "bundle". It took one bundle to do the same floor space. I just did it today, so I don't know how long it will be before I have to add or change the shavings. I am not set up for deep litter method, so I will have to change it more often than those who use deep litter. As I understand it the door of the coop has to be higher to accomodate the accumulating litter as you add more shavings to the top of the composting shavings already on the floor. I probably could retro fit my door for deep litter, but I am prone to tripping over things, so I am not apt to do so.

 

[featherz]

I do deep litter on all three coops - I change 2-3 times/year, add new shavings and or DE if I smell anything.