Questions about : the Things You've Learned Thread

[mendogurl]

I don't want to interrupt the amazing flow on that thread, so I thought I'd start a separate thread to ask questions that I have about what I have read there.

Chicken Poop! Wow, I am not sure there isn't one post that doesn't mention chicken poop. It seems that a lot of posters avoid going into the coop unless they have to because of poop.
-How do you deal with feeding and watering? Don't you have to go in every day?
-If you feed and water in the run do you also need to do it in the coop? Which place is best?
-How does poop control relate to the deep litter method?

I am planning on using the deep litter method. Linoleum floors and washable walls. I plane to wheelbarrow everything out a couple of times a year (?) and hose it down. But what is the ongoing maintenance.

If anyone had ever told me I would be seriously discussing chicken poop on the internet...

 

[mendogurl]

The other thing that seems to come up is a "chicken prison", maybe I'll call it the hospital ward.
What do you use for that?
I am planning to use a large dog kennel to house my chicks when they arrive, could that then become a hospital room?

 

[mendogurl]

Poop help???

 

[briana1975]

I have started to wonder the same thing. I have read on this site about some people turning the wood chips and adding more clean wood chips to top. Is this the correct way for the deep little method?

 

[Zahboo]

Quote:
Chicken Poop is a big deal, no one wants the stuff on their designer shoes... or just their regular shoes lol. I personally have a special pair of shoes for the coop, that way if I go in and do step in the poo, they have smooth bottoms so it's easier to clean off, and I don't have to immediately do it if I'm in a rush. My suggestion is to reduce the trouble by having the feed and water to a side that isn't in the walkway, without worry of poo. Same with the roost. This cuts back a lot of poo in the way. Also, turn the litter every few days. Have a rake or what not to clean out the walkway every few days. Search Deep litter method for more detailed methods. I personally don't like it as I like the coop to be clean, and so I clean it every week or have a wire floor that I can hose down and use a BBQ grill scrubber to clean.

 

[mendogurl]

So you cannot avoid poop, it is everywhere, in their feeder, in the water, on the nests and all over the floor. People do deep litter as a way of dealing with the magnitude of poop?
Wow, I guess that's a lot of poop. But how do you keep the poop out of the walkway? How do you avoid the poop when you give them feed and water?
I assume you don't. I thought I read that some posters here have found ways to avoid the poop for the most part.

If there is a way to minimize the pop effect (coming to a theater near you), when I build this coop, I will be very happy.

 

[Zahboo]

Try to have food and water near the door, so you don't have to go in. Hanging feeder and waterer help a lot. Deep litter method I thought, but ain't sure was to save on amount of litter, and hold heat. No, you can't avoid poop. I don't struggle with it in my banty tractor, since I just reach in and it's a wire bottom....

 

[dancingbear]

I have some "chicken prison" areas, but they do extra duty as recovery wards, maternity wards, nurseries, ......
Right now I have 2 roos on death row. I had to get them away from the flock, too much ruckus, chasing hens, etc, just too many roos. The weather's been crappy, but the next few days should be nice enough I can clean the coop, and butcher the roos. I feel bad having them locked up, they're unhappy watching the others run around loose all day. But it's better for my hens, too many roos are just bad for them. I still have 2 others that are still with the girls.

 

[newchickmom]

I am not that concerned about getting poop on my shoes. I go inside to water feed and collect eggs. I just have a pair of, what I call, my "chicken poop shoes"

 

[CityChook]

Hey, poop happens. And if you're going to have chickens, be prepared to encounter it - every day. And if you carry your chickens around, they'll even poop ON YOU. I feed my chooks inside (it's too cold outside) and walk in to their coop several times a day. I have deep litter, and turn the shavings 2-3 times a week. I completely empty the coop of all shavings and refill with fresh only twice a year. The poop dries up and really isn't that big of a deal. And I'm a prissy city girl.

One word of caution: no flip flops in the coop unless you want your pedicure attacked.

Have fun!