Poop tray width (update)

[h c hennery]

Summary: 12 inches is too narrow; 14 inches works so far.

Our first poop trays were 13” x 17” plastic trays from IKEA which provided a “catch” width of about 12 inches. (The trays are filled with Sweet PDZ granules and rest on two IKEA curtain rods.) Our chickens outgrew the 12 inch width by the time they were about 12 weeks old.

Last month we switched to larger size trays providing a catch area of 14 inches. I couldn’t find perfectly sized trays for our coop, so we used a 15” x 30” boot tray and a 12” x 16” food tray, cut to fit. Our chickens are 18 weeks old now. So far, so good.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

An interesting experiment. Never though about it mattering.

 

[aart]

The closer the roost is to the tray,
the smaller the tray can be(within reason),
think you're still at the minimum.

 

[h c hennery]

I took pictures today of the trays at their worst -- 4 nights of poo from our 3 hens! I prefer to scoop poop out daily, but with shorter day lengths, the girls are roosting when I leave for work, and roosting when I get home.

Luckily the trays pretty much captured the mess, and there was no smell.

I agree that 15-inch wide is the minimum -- 16 inches would have been better, but not enough for us to re-do.

 

[aart]

Looks like they always face the same way...so slide the trays over.
Course then they might turn around