Poop board convert *warning-graphic/gross poop pictures*

[LauraSac]

It makes a wonderful litter box solution, either use alone or under clumping litter or over non-clumping.. I have started many friends with a pound or so of PDZ to see if it works for them. It has every time!

Thank you! I can't wait to try it. The shipping prices on Amazon make it unaffordable through them, but I would think our feed store would have it, even though horses aren't allowed in the city limits. If not, we have several rural town around us with Tractor Supply Co. stores. Worth the drive if I can use PDZ for the cat, the dogs and the chickens. Wish I had known about it years ago.

 

[amenfarm]

go to their web site for more user friendly ideas. it is also ok to use for composting, it's used to lighten heavy soils as well. clay.

 

[LauraSac]

go to their web site for more user friendly ideas. it is also ok to use for composting, it's used to lighten heavy soils as well. clay.

Being ok for composting is a must. Thanks for all the advice.

 

[lostinthemusic]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I revised my coop to this roosting/poop collection method. LOVE IT!!!!!

 

[amenfarm]

Well, I'm tried of scooping/sifting after 7 birds, mostly because of the humidity/flies we deal with in a open air coop, and I'm adding 20 or 30 chicks. So, I'm still using some PDZ and adding a roost hammock ( made with breathable outdoor fabric) with a little PDZ added, instead of a poop deck. that way I can just lift and dump dried manure once a week.Will be changing over the course of the spring/summer...or when DH has time.

 

[LauraSac]

Well, I'm tried of scooping/sifting after 7 birds, mostly because of the humidity/flies we deal with in a open air coop, and I'm adding 20 or 30 chicks. So, I'm still using some PDZ and adding a roost hammock ( made with breathable outdoor fabric) with a little PDZ added, instead of a poop deck. that way I can just lift and dump dried manure once a week.Will be changing over the course of the spring/summer...or when DH has time.

It is a bit shocking how much they poop, even though I was well warned. I only have two young pullets and they alone can produce a lot. But they're in "coop training" so it's the only place they have to go. With just two, it's not that big a deal, though. I just pull the tray out and strain it into my compost bin. I went by my local feed store yesterday and they were out of PDZ, so they're ordering me some. We don't have humidity, either, so I know I have it easy, especially compared to anybody with bigger flocks (most people) and humid climates.

 

[aart]

I put poop boards in when I built my coop last summer for 10 Large fowl chooks and I love them. I use shavings on floor and straw in nests.
2 feet wide luan (cheap 1/4 thk underflooring) with 2x2 around the edges lined with foam backed vinyl sheet flooring.
Roosts are 2x4 wide side up, 8" above board and removable, but I find I don't need to remove them and they rarely get pooped on.
My coop is only 6' wide so built ramps as they can't fly down easily without crashing into the wall.
Boards are waist high for my ease, feeder hangs underneath the board.

Boards have washed, dried sand and granular PDZ mixed at about a 4:1 ratio about 1 inch deep. I use this mix in my brooder too, at about 1/2" deep, as well.

I use a mesh office organizer basket as a sifter, a short handled hoe to carefully scrape vinyl and push into basket. I use a reptile poop scoop in the brooder as it stirs up less dust than the mesh basket. I dump the poops into a lidded bucket to go to compost. I made a 'leveler' to smooth the sand/PDZ back out to an even depth, screws in the edge of a 1x3x21 can be tilted to adjust depth.
Even in frigid winter, frozen watery poops scraped off the vinyl pretty easily.

I think the key minimizing dust is to use clean sand, but everything chicken will get dusty (really, really dusty) sooner or later.
The zeolite definitely helps with ammonia odor, but nothing quickly quenches the stench of a fresh cecal poop.
Oh, and, pullet poops are cute and nothing compared to adult chicken poops.

Pics for clarity and inspiration....more details on My Coop page.
Birds do hang out on boards during the day and some roost on the board itself or the edge...not really a problem.

Pullets 'hiding' from big birds.

Ramp....added another up to nest bar too.

Mesh basket, 12" handled hoe and bucket.

Leveler



Size of sand for reference

 

[henless]

I finally got both of my roosts up. I'm trying to decide if I want to leave the board empty and just scrap off the poo, put up shavings or do the pdz. If I do the pdz, then I'll have to put up a "retainer" board to keep it from being knocked off into my deep litter. If I go with or without shavings, I can just rake it off onto the floor.


Close up of my roosts. I have two 2x4's 10 ft long. I have them 12 inches apart and 12 inches from the wall. I hope that is enough since I only had 3 feet to work with? They are 8 inches above the poop board, which is the top of my brooder. There is about 4 inches to the edge of the poop board.




Here's the whole set up. I had just finished putting up the 2nd roost here. My chicks were very impatient and wanting to get out of the brooder to play.

 

[dollydaylillies]

Hello from Ohio. Do you sand with the Sweet PDZ on top or just the PDZ stuff? Also, how far off the ground is your poop board? Do the chickens have a ramp to go up to it or do they jump up to it???

thanks for your help,

 

[Alaskan]

Hello from Ohio.  Do you sand with the Sweet PDZ on top or just the PDZ stuff?  Also,  how far off the ground is your poop board?  Do the chickens have a ramp to go up to it or do they jump up to it???

thanks for your help,

The answers to all of your questions will depend on who you ask.

Everyone sets up their coop differently, and also different breeds and ages of birds need different set-ups.

In my chicken tractor, the entire floor is a poop tray and covered in PDZ. In my coop and shed I have four different poop trays ranging from 2 feet up to about 5 feet. I don't use any ramps, but some people do.

The sand and PDZ will get mixed together the first time you sift it for poop. The PDZ has more oder control, but the sand will probably be less money.