Organic Approaches to Getting Feces Less Messy

[centrarchid]

This project has split into 2 components.

Ongoing with individually confined game pullets has shown some issues to be resolved by summer. First, nest boxes too deep making so pullets coming down to hard on eggs while entering nest. That will be corrected by cutting off much of nest box top so broodies can walk into nest. Secondly broodies are too tame where they come off nest as soon as they see me come into building. A wall will be wrapped around each pen to block their view of visitors yet make so birds can see us from ground and roost. Today we should have results on diel variation in fecal output from pullets in lay.

Second part with Speckled Sussex will get modified roost that can support 60+ lbs of birds in lay over a fecal collection tray. That means about 12 birds which will be replicated in two pens. Speckled Sussex not using roost setup that games and American Dominiques find suitable. Breed issue. I need about 50 lbs of dry fecal matter with collections starting in next two weeks.

 

[centrarchid]

Low light levels or disturbance we cause collecting feces at night impacts fecal output. When "nightlite" is on with hourly harvesting of feces we get turds that are more scattered and include cecal poop. We do not want cecal poop. Last night the "nightlite" was turned off and feces was collected only just before lights came on. Turds where stacked on top of each other and no cecal poop. Latter is what I observed with birds maintained in barn and in trees. Experimental setup impacted results.

 

[centrarchid]

A pullet went broody for real. About 1/2 dozen breast feathers in nest. Feathers lost no enough to the brood patch pushing 0.25 square feet the pullet has under her. What really sets this pullet apart is the following: she is growly, and she gets back on nest immediately after consuming feed.

 

[centrarchid]

Interesting Observation as Pullets Commence Broodiness:

The two pullets already broody began to produce fewer and larger turds the day before broodiness began. Third pullet had big turds on floor as of this morning. They could have been produced late yesterday or before 0800 this morning. Could be result of feces not produced on last night before broodiness starts. Lots of changes beyond wanting to sit on eggs all the time.

 

[centrarchid]

Finally got camera up and running with at least one computer.


Collected eggs marked in pencil with ring around equator.

Each egg marked the morning following detection to record sequence of deposition and get a standard weight.

Weight recorded to nearest 0.1 g.

Nest box is too deep causing hens to crack eggs when jumping in nests. One pullet has busted nearly 1/3 of what she has laid in current clutch.

Pullet below has busted no eggs and is farthest into incubation cycle. Note feathers numbering about 20 when those away from nest are counted. Number and area recovered not enough to line nest nore explain size of brood patch.

 

[centrarchid]

Speckled Sussix about to be pressed into service. They are not using roost as intended. I expected this at time roost were designed. They are roosting so many will not be dropping feces on poop board. Roost will be elevated to get more to come off the ground. A fence of some sort will be placed around perimeter on the 4 x 4's forcing them to roost on the 1 x 2's. The group not shown doing slightly better in terms of where they are roosting.

 

[centrarchid]

Game pullets from previous trial are well into incubation. One is for some reason not producing monster sized poops. She also comes off the nest more than I think is proper.

 

[centrarchid]

Chart above shows relationship between sequence eggs laid (Date Egg Laid) with Egg Weight (grams) in American Game Pullets hatched late last summer. This first time the pullets have laid eggs. It appears egg weight stabilized at roughly two weeks after first egg produced. The pattern differs markedly from Speckled Sussex pullets which produced eggs that started often considerably smaller than those produced by the games. This despite the Speckled Sussex pullets being about 1.5 lbs heavier.

 

[centrarchid]

Pullets all broody. Son and I checking them at 0430 to confirm. Best indicator when actual movement not observed appears to be appearance of broody poops. Kids and I now go in very early to avoid coworkers. The chickens are being checked 7 days a week by only one person which will be tough to sustain.

 

[centrarchid]

This real interesting. Pullet designated Maple is broody and still in lay! She does spend more time off nest and is eating most of the feed being applied. She is eating more feed now than when she was simply in lay, totally in the face of what I have always "known". Late deposited eggs will not hatch in time to leave nest with balance of brood. I have seen many larger clutches with embryos that fail to hatch because late in developing. That may be a function of some laying into broody cycle. Conditions are artificial where the pullets are confined. I wander if pullet doing this might be the ones most likely to sleep eggs into nest of others, a form of cuckoldery.