NY chicken lover!!!!

[Cass]

Ok, now I am upset. I am STILL not getting notification of updates to ANY thread I resubscribed to. What's with that? How do I get in touch with a Mod to see if they can help me.

I cleaned out the coop today. Whoever said sand was easier than wood chips never shoveled out 6 bags of it, frozen, from their coop. That crap is HEAVY. 2 wheel barrel loads full.
But I got beach type sand to put in, it looks soooo pretty.

 

[trilyn]

Cass...how do you like the sand? Is it easier to clean the coop with it? What do you do...sift it every couple of days?? Some people say it doesn't contribute to the warmth of the coop like shavings. Personally, I can't see that the shavings have anything to do with warmth in the coop, so I'm totally open to the sand idea. Oh, what about disposal? Sorry for all the questions, but I am curious!

 

[Cass]

Cass...how do you like the sand? Is it easier to clean the coop with it? What do you do...sift it every couple of days?? Some people say it doesn't contribute to the warmth of the coop like shavings. Personally, I can't see that the shavings have anything to do with warmth in the coop, so I'm totally open to the sand idea. Oh, what about disposal? Sorry for all the questions, but I am curious!

First thing I would say about sand is it sticks to your shoes when you leave the coop. Doesn't bother me, cuz I don't wear my coop shoes in my house, but it would be like living next to a beach if you DO wear your outdoor shoes inside.

I have nothing to compare it too, I set up with sand, but I find sand easy. I have a cat litter scoop that I taped to an old boom handle to scoop the coop. I do it daily, but it takes only a few minutes. However IF the rooster stands on the edge of the water bowl routinely and spills it on the sand *in the winter* it makes for a hard surface that can't be scooped. (Hense my clearing out the old sand in the middle of winter, cuz the humidity was climbing and the birds were having sneezing problems)

The first sand I had was like what you would get if you called a bulk place and had them deliver sand....cuz they would be thinking you needed it for mixing cement. I don't like it as much as the sand I just got today....today's sand was very much like beach sand. Before it froze up, my birds could dust bath in the coop....they loved it.

It doesn't compost like wood chips, so there is no thermal addition to the coop from composting action. We have very heavy clay soil here so I put it on the area I use for my garden to turn into the soil in the spring.

My 8x10 coop takes 4 - 6 fifty pound bags. I usually bring it in 3 at a time, cuz I can't lift more than 150 pounds in the wheel barrel.

 

[featherz]

I love the wood chips.. I just throw in some BOSS every few days and let them stir it up for me, add a bag now and then and throw in some ez-sweetz. I clean the coop in spring and fall. So far so good! I'd love to have some sand delivered for the run tho- they'd have more dust bathing space!

 

[happycountryhens]

I do use some stone dust out in the pens to control the mud. Works well and gives the chooks some grit. Coop is wood shavings and sweet hay. They love to eat the hay tho so I have to buy a bale a month.

18 eggs yesterday. Doris is laying again probably due to having a little more outside time. Last week I let them out for a while before work and when chores were done I called them in. They not only wouldn't come, they started running up the trail to the house. I had to sprint in the mud to get ahead of them. Right before work.
Of course.

Have a nice night all.

 

[happyhensny]

Rancher - what are you worming with? I bought a bottle of Ivermectin pour-on and haven't opened it because I can't figure out how much to use. Any ideas?

PS - I like Dels

 

[Cass]

Rancher - what are you worming with? I bought a bottle of Ivermectin pour-on and haven't opened it because I can't figure out how much to use. Any ideas?

PS - I like Dels

I used 1 ml on the back of the neck for Large fowl and point 5 (.5) ml on my banties. They all survived. I have seen other recommend 1/2 that dosage.....I wasn't even sure my girls had worms, but I know how wet it is here and how much they free range, so I figured it couldn't hurt. I will be doing it again in about a month, just before the weather gets really nice.

PS I would have gladly given you half my bottle for half the cost, cuz I will NEVER use it all up before it expires.

 

[vmdanielsen]

Ok, now I am upset. I am STILL not getting notification of updates to ANY thread I resubscribed to. What's with that? How do I get in touch with a Mod to see if they can help me.

I cleaned out the coop today. Whoever said sand was easier than wood chips never shoveled out 6 bags of it, frozen, from their coop. That crap is HEAVY. 2 wheel barrel loads full.
But I got beach type sand to put in, it looks soooo pretty.

Cass, I can't figure out how to get notifications either. I bookmarked this page and have to check it every day. I give up on trying to get them in my emails.
ginny

 

[java girl 2]

Ok, now I am upset. I am STILL not getting notification of updates to ANY thread I resubscribed to. What's with that? How do I get in touch with a Mod to see if they can help me.

I cleaned out the coop today. Whoever said sand was easier than wood chips never shoveled out 6 bags of it, frozen, from their coop. That crap is HEAVY. 2 wheel barrel loads full.
But I got beach type sand to put in, it looks soooo pretty.

if you want to check your updates you need to go to the top of the page on BYC "can be any page as long as you are log in" and where you will see your user name "cass logout" on the other side of it. you will see how many messages you have and on the bottom of that you will see subscription. click on that and you will see your updates. hope this help!!!!!!

Cass, I can't figure out how to get notifications either. I bookmarked this page and have to check it every day. I give up on trying to get them in my emails.
ginny

 

[Glasshen]

Well, that didn't go very well.

Took Stewie out and put her on the roost with everyone else, not a seamless operation as Bella the Newf accompanied me outside and was loudly warning the monsters in the dark woods not to come near because she was on guard. When Bella barks the hens are wary of danger, so they roused a bit. But things seemed fine when I left.

This morning at dawn things seemed good, and I thought they might just not remember whatever had happened. It was still too dark and they seemed fearful of going out.

A few minutes ago I went down to check and let them out, it was noisy in the coop and most were on the roost, Stewie was near the nest boxes. They all came out, then Stewie attacked a red girl who retaliated, then the two wnt in the coop, and another red girl and I followed. One red girl stood on Stewies back and both were seriously pecking her neck. Stewie is now back in the basement. I didn't find any blood, but she was damp, maybe with chicken slobber?

Does anyone have any insights to the situation?

I want them to all get along and like each other, and am beginning to suspect this may not happen.