Roost in the coop

[tvtaber]

OMG, it seems like all they do at night is poop! I get some serious piles under the roost in just a couple days. If the roosts are closer that ~8 inches, the birds on the top roosts will poo on those on the bottom, but as long as that is not occuring you are good. All my hens crowd up on the top roost anyway, but occasionally someone will be pushed out and have to go on the lower roost (there are a lot of social issues in a flock of hens!).

 

[Wraith]

Do they not move? I mean, if I was getting pooped on, I'm fairly certain I'd move on over. Then again, I'm not a hen.

 

[SeaChick]

I have a droppings board and I LOVE IT. It really cuts down on the amount of poop they track into the litter, keeping it clean much longer. Ours is covered with a vinyl flooring scrap for easier cleaning and we sprinkle a little shavings on it so the poop slides rign off. Each morning we use a plastic spatula to scrape it into a covered bucket (when full>compost). Here is a pic:

 

[Wraith]

Quote:
This is sounding like less and less fun. The eggs better be rolling in.

 

[Enchanted Sunrise Farms]

Quote:

If you have a problem with chicken poop, you may want to rethink the whole chicken thing. Chickens are poop factories extraordinaire. Be prepared to scoop it off the pens, coops, and yourself every day for the remainder of your chicken-rearing years.

 

[PuffMommy]

I have a book that says I should round off the 2x4 (4 side up). Is this neccessary?

 

[MrGreenJeans]

The poop is half the fun ! (well, ok, I'm a gardener actually, so it's 3/4 the fun) Talk to the neighbors, I'm sure they'd be more than happy to haul off a pot of black gold

Lovely coop SeaChick (nice mural as well!)

To piggyback on Puff's question - is it better to leave the wood untreated, or hit it with whitewash or the like ?

 

[SeaChick]

Our roost is an unfinished softwood (cheap) 2 x 4, and every 3 weeks or so we hit it with a coat of "DE whitewash" (Food Grade DE and water, painted on) but I don't think its strictly necessary.

 

[Davaroo]

Youre referring to a dropping board
They are a mess to clean and scrape and fool with. Try this instead.

BUild a small lip around the edge of the board and cover the board with clean sand. Then you only scrape off the dried poo once a week in clumps, like with a cat box. Replace the sand every few months.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
GREAT IDEA! THANKS!