poop board/tray

[leight54]

Does anybody use plant flats for poop trays? You know, the kind - without dividers - that annuals come in, or you can buy them to start seedlings.

Seems like it would work, doesn't it? Easy to remove and hose down - cheap enough (free?) to replace when they start to break. Hmm, it would be a problem if the hen jumps on the edge and flips it, though.

Any thoughts or solutions?

 

[Crazy4mypeeps]

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Velcro on the bottom?

Free is always good. I'm using an old dry erase marker board, works pretty good.

 

[NanaLantana]

I read about everybody's 'poop boards' and honestly, I don't like the idea of having to scrape them or shovel up poop. So I devised an idea of my own - I bought 20" flashing, 10' roll, and made my own 'poop slide'. I put up slanted rails under the roost, and attached the flashing to the rails, with a dip in the center. It exits at the height of a bucket, curved the flashing to a nice 'funnel' shape - and 15 seconds of water from the hose cleans the whole thing off. It takes less time, I don't have to scrape, and it's less water than a flush of the toilet. My compost bin is right next to the bucket, so in it goes. Sometimes I let it steep, and then add more water, and feed it to my plants and trees.

Of course, my coop is a Florida coop, this may not work well in a real, house style coop. You have to use the hose! But I'm sure you can figure out what will work for you. Keep thinking!

 

[NanaLantana]

Oh, I forgot to add - you have to cover the 'poop slide' with chicken wire, or you risk having the ckickens slide into the bucket!

 

[typnslow]

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Smart idea!

 

[serenityNH]

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There's a post somewhere in the forums about someone using the plant flats. I know they had trouble with them flipping over like you said. My poop boards aren't nailed down so I can remove them but I have a piece of wood above them that actually supports the roost, it also keeps the board from flipping up should the chickens land on the edge. Maybe something similar would work for the plant trays? Basically just something above it to keep it from flipping up- if you look at my page you can see my poop boards/roost.
Just an idea

Good Luck!!

 

[leight54]

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What an image!

Sounds like a great system! But, as you said, it wouldn't work in an enclosed coop, which mine is.

Thanks for everyone's ideas, I'll keep working on it.

 

[goldtopper]

Boot trays on a support shelf work for me. Scrape every two days and it's dry enough to fall off.