Pooooooooop!

[ChristieDB]

My girls (6 total) moved into their new digs last week. . They have a coop where they sleep at night and all day long have a 20'x12' enclosed run... One day they will be allowed to free-range a little every day with supervision,

but not yet. Which brings me to the run maintenance. There is so much poop! Poop. Pooooop. Poop! I'm not talking about inside the coop from their nightly pooping habits, I'm talking about in the run. We left the inside of the run the grass floor, and you can't step (meaning neither can they) with stepping in poop.

What do y'all do? I can't even imagine trying to scoop up all the poop on a daily basis, no time for that, but I also can't imagine not spending time in there with them!

Presently praying for a good hard rain to disperse it into the earth!

 

[aart]

Ha!!
Wait 'til they start laying!
Poops will increase in size and stench by at least 100%.
No more cute little pullet poops.


-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).
There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.


I have a large walk in run and never 'clean' poops from the run,
and there is rarely any nasty odors. The bedding of a good mix of dry plant materials use facilitates this nicely, it's basically no maintenance other than adding more material from time to time. I was able to start with a big load of tree trimmings from the power company that had been aged(6 months) so I avoided the toxic molds that can bloom with fresh chippings. I collect dry leaves in the fall (stored in feed bags in a shed) and add them occasionally, and other garden trimmings. I let my grass grow tall, mow and spread it out with discharge pattern, leave it to dry a few day, then push it into rows with the mower discharge, rake it up and add to run.

 

[featherhead007]

Only one thing to say: Fertilizer!!!!!!

 

[KentuckyJanet]

I have a poop board as well under my roosts, takes me but a minute or two to scrape it and throw into compost pile. Also call me crazy but I do walk around my run every couple of days with a dog scooper and clean up the run. The girls follow me around and I don't mind cleaning it up at all. Doesn't take long at all if I keep up with it.

 

[TheYLWFlock]

@aart that rooster in the third picture is a GORGEOUS fellow! What is he?

 

[chuckachucka]

That photo of the chicken pecking your nose is priceless!

 

[mrslovehen]

I try to think of my covered run as a large compost pile. I add organic matter to
the mix to give the poop company and it helps keep the smell down. The poop helps break down the wood chips, leaves, or grass clippings by adding nitrogen to the mix. Sometimes I throw out some scratch or corn to give them something to encourage a them to stir it up. Since my run is covered sometimes I spray some water on it to give the needed moisture for composting. There are lots of worms hiding down in there.

 

[ChristieDB]

What about pine needles? Leaves? For ground cover in the run?

 

[ChristieDB]

Also do the grass clippings have to be dried out? Can we put in from the bagger?

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Ha!!
Wait 'til they start laying!
Poops will increase in size and stench by at least 100%.
No more cute little pullet poops.


-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).
There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.


I have a large walk in run and never 'clean' poops from the run,
and there is rarely any nasty odors. The bedding of a good mix of dry plant materials use facilitates this nicely, it's basically no maintenance other than adding more material from time to time. I was able to start with a big load of tree trimmings from the power company that had been aged(6 months) so I avoided the toxic molds that can bloom with fresh chippings. I collect dry leaves in the fall (stored in feed bags in a shed) and add them occasionally, and other garden trimmings. I let my grass grow tall, mow and spread it out with discharge pattern, leave it to dry a few day, then push it into rows with the mower discharge, rake it up and add to run.

X2 to all the above. DLM here too, cant beat it!