post your chicken coop pictures here!

[bruceha2000]

Hahaha! Kinda does, doesn't it? No, actually, 2 - 25 lb bags

Wow, sure gotta look around for a decent price on that stuff. Amazon has the 25 pound bag for $15 PLUS $28 for shipping! Same size at Tractor Supply, in store, for $10.

I agree. She is already looking at more chickens to order for next year. I cringe at the thought. But she thinks I am crazy for the amount of time/care i spend on my chickens. I believe if you take something alive in you should give it the best care possible. I sent her some directions but she did not seem impressed. I guess she will be impressed when they all get sick

There is "deep litter" and "deep bedding". I suspect the amount of smell depends A LOT on how big the coop is, how many chickens are in it and HOW LONG they are in it every day. I now have 16 girls in a coop 10'x12', converted horse stall. The auto door opens at sunrise and closes when it gets dark so they are only in the coop at night. I get by with deep bedding, I run a rake through it every morning. The girls hang out in the run (the entire rest of the lower part of the barn) or outside depending on their mood and the time of day and the weather. I pulled it all out this May and replaced it because the 7 new chicks were arriving and I didn't want it too dusty in there. I don't think it actually mattered, the barn is so full of natural dirt dust anyway. Any clean surface shows a lay of dust within 2 days. I left it in the run, they scratch through it every night when they get their scratch treats.

True deep litter is really a compost pile. A straight pile of pine shavings won't decompose much but if you add proper percentages of "green" and "woody" material, it all composts.

 

[perchie.girl]

Deep litter method should not smell. If it does that person is doing it wrong or doesn't have enough bedding.

There are several methods for keeping the coop clean.

Deep Litter Is essentially compositing in place. Ideally the litter should touch soil but it can be done on concrete. There are several discussions on the subject yere on BYC. But the method is to start with a layer of litter then add to it thorughout the year. Think of how a compost pile works. Its a whole ecosystem in of itsself.

Just one discussion on the subject
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/70/deep-litter-method

Sand It drains well you can clean it with a pitch fork covered with Hardware cloth. Excellent choice for rainy environments.
I have even seen sand used in nest boxes.

Just one dsicussion on the subject.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/945603/pros-and-cons-for-using-sand

Environmental issues come to play as well IF you have a small coop that off the ground on legs I wouldnt try to do deep litter. or sand. there just isn't enough space. My coops are twelve by six feet. they are a combination of Coop and run.

My environment is very dry and there is not alot of greenery. High deserts are like that. I put bedding down in the landing spot for the birds. And I use Rice hulls. I pile it up and the chickens spread it out. I have never removed it. Ever. my coops are clean. I never see poo except that which has been recently deposited. Right now I haven't had chickens on the property for about four years. The coop is going to move to a permanent location so that I can access more easily.

I will be using a version of poop tray called a hammock In this environment the hammock is an excellent choice. its made of canvas air permeable from below. Poo collects and desiccates. Cleaning is done once in a while. Again bedding in landing spots to help prevent foot injury. My roosts are up six feet. Yep and even thei big girls can get up there. Takes them about six feet of flight to come down... Hence bedding in the landing spot.

For what its worth The number of people I have spoken to that do deep litter and are successful with it are very happy with it. And they have very low incidences of Coccidosis. Especially when they have broody raised chicks. the only down side to me is if you have an infestation of mites. or Lice... I would want to be able to strip and treat... that coop.

So finally ... there is no ONE true method.... Only the ONE that works for you.

deb

 

[FarmerPhronc]

From what I've read and understand, if you can smell ammonia it's already at a high enough concentration to be harmful to a chicken's respiratory system. Sounds like they need to add more ventilation.

 

[MeepBeep]

Can someone explain the deep bedding method and care of it to me? I do not use it but I have a friend that says she does but it just looks to me like she only cleans it once a year and does no other upkeep. The last time I went in her coop I almost died from smell I would like to give her better information on how to do it for her chickens. Thanks

For one if done properly deep litter requires very little maintenance, and going a full year without changing it is perfectly acceptable as long as more compost was added throughout the year... The only non yearly maintenance I do to mine is to add more compost and fluff it up in some areas the chickens ignore turning over, nothing you would really notice upon a visit as 24 hours later it looks just like it did before I added more stuff or fluffed it up...

BUT, if it smelled when you walked in it was not being done properly, plain and simple deep little should not smell, if you smell ammonia it's not working or being done right...

 

[carcar80]

Yes it's bamboo, we had moved it to that side away from the house to provide some afternoon shade from the sun. Makes a nice brush for the chickens to settle and play in.

And yes we do plan on adding hard wire later on. My sister had found a stray chicken and couldn't find its owners so we had to biuld it up faster then we had planned

I've been thinking about planting some bamboo for the chickens. I've actually been thinking about it for a couple of years now. I should go ahead and get a clumping kind in the spring. I think it's so pretty ,and it would make some nice shady spots for them.
Oh wow. That's really nice of you guys to take it in.  Lucky chicken to have found you all 

Careful. Purposefully planting bamboo is like planting kudzu. The former owner here planted a line of it along the property line and it has now taken over at least a couple acres of our land and has eaten all of our fruit trees.

 

[carcar80]

(Although it does make for good chicken cover I guess)

 

[Adorkable]

Quote:
Thanks, but I think the clumping kind is a bit different than the runners. Clumping kinds are much easier to keep from taking over the world

 

[carcar80]

Thanks, but I think the clumping kind is a bit different than the runners. Clumping kinds are much easier to keep from taking over the world

Gotcha Clearly the former owner didn't do his bamboo research prior to planting willy-nilly. LOL! Ugh..

 

[sawilliams]

Gotcha Clearly the former owner didn't do his bamboo research prior to planting willy-nilly. LOL! Ugh..

yeah this is a clumping it still should be boxed in either with cement or heavy duty planters, but it spreads much slower. Well see how it goes with the chickens though becuase they will either keep it trimmed back for us or cuase it to spread faster. I have at least 1 or 2 I will need to cut into and dig out half the roots soon though

 

[ShrekDawg]

We are getting this one tomorrow morning.

http://boston.craigslist.org/nos/grd/5326854823.html