My neighbors would never complain, so how do these people find out...drive by's?
You're very lucky with your neighbors... take them some eggs and tell them you appreciate them. However, there are also people I like to call the Nosy Patrol; you find them everywhere.
They're sure they know whats best and that it is up to them to keep things in control. Essentially self-appointed moral busibodies, you see them all the time telling you you're too fat, or youre house is the wrong color or that you musn't do this or that. All they have to do is drum up support based on some sort of threat - if it's imaginary, so much the better. Then they dont need facts, they only have to convince people with good, fear-based salesmanship. Their battle cry is: "SOMEONE NEEDS TO PASS A LAW."
I can hear them now: "Oh no, she has chickens in town. That'll never do. We'll have to put a stop to that..."
Believe me, there is always someone paying attention to what you do.
Will the chicken poop hurt my orange tree and other plants?
Well, no. It will burn tender plants, yes. If allowed to mellow and filter through the soil by using a good ground cover, I shouldnt wonder that you don't begin seeing some fat, juicy Poo Oranges soon.
The sprinklers run 2 - 3 times per week in the wee hours, is the damp ground a problem for the chickens?
Not really. In SoCal, things dry out once the sun is up. Damp all the time IS a real problem, since mold and fungus follow. Soon, respiratory problems appear. Good drainage and fresh air is a must.
If I go with sand, do you also add straw?
If you like. It looks more "rustic" than just plain sand. Remember, litter (thats what this stuff is generically referred to), must be renewed from time to time, and straw isnt very absorbent - usually just cheap. You need to rake it around once a week so the poo can get aired out. Straw-on-sand would be a nice touch, though, and would help to conserve the sand base from erosion.
Do cats use the sand as a litter box???
Probably not. Chickens and cats generally do not mingle; cats tend to upset the chickens when they are confined. Besides, I cant imagine the feline that would relish doing it's toilet while a bunch of nosy hens warily watched.
There are exceptions, of course, and someone always comes forward to say their cat sleeps or eats with the chickens. I suppose you could train the kitty to do it, but I don't have a clue how. You probably can't get rid of the cat box - sorry. But it was a nice idea.
I have noticed a lot of flies (though no odor yet) and I've begun to worry that the neighbors will complain... hell, I'm complaining!
As with all things, cleanliness is key. When chickens are confined without good waste management, flies will soon arrive. It has to do with moist, yummy droppings being available to them. Cawabunga, fly-dinner heaven!
You have to keep the droppings down and covered.
In the coop, muck it out often and renew the litter. Employ dropping pits beneath the roost and sprinkle lime in them.
One of the best ways to minimize coop droppings is to kick the birds out into the run! Coops are for laying and roosting. Ensure your coop is well ventilated, even "airy," so droppings dry out.
In the run, employ renewable litter surfaces such as sand or mulch, turning the soil/sand between litter renewal, and again use lime liberally. The goal is to keep the droppings from piling up and the lime sweetens them. And can you imagine how rich this stuff is when allowed to compost? Your garden will never be as good as when you use composted chicken manure.
The real and final solution, though, is to allow enough space, or keep fewer birds so the space they occupy doesn't get overwhelmed with their waste.
You're very lucky with your neighbors... take them some eggs and tell them you appreciate them. However, there are also people I like to call the Nosy Patrol; you find them everywhere.
They're sure they know whats best and that it is up to them to keep things in control. Essentially self-appointed moral busibodies, you see them all the time telling you you're too fat, or youre house is the wrong color or that you musn't do this or that. All they have to do is drum up support based on some sort of threat - if it's imaginary, so much the better. Then they dont need facts, they only have to convince people with good, fear-based salesmanship. Their battle cry is: "SOMEONE NEEDS TO PASS A LAW."
I can hear them now: "Oh no, she has chickens in town. That'll never do. We'll have to put a stop to that..."
Believe me, there is always someone paying attention to what you do.
Will the chicken poop hurt my orange tree and other plants?
Well, no. It will burn tender plants, yes. If allowed to mellow and filter through the soil by using a good ground cover, I shouldnt wonder that you don't begin seeing some fat, juicy Poo Oranges soon.
The sprinklers run 2 - 3 times per week in the wee hours, is the damp ground a problem for the chickens?
Not really. In SoCal, things dry out once the sun is up. Damp all the time IS a real problem, since mold and fungus follow. Soon, respiratory problems appear. Good drainage and fresh air is a must.
If I go with sand, do you also add straw?
If you like. It looks more "rustic" than just plain sand. Remember, litter (thats what this stuff is generically referred to), must be renewed from time to time, and straw isnt very absorbent - usually just cheap. You need to rake it around once a week so the poo can get aired out. Straw-on-sand would be a nice touch, though, and would help to conserve the sand base from erosion.
Do cats use the sand as a litter box???
Probably not. Chickens and cats generally do not mingle; cats tend to upset the chickens when they are confined. Besides, I cant imagine the feline that would relish doing it's toilet while a bunch of nosy hens warily watched.
There are exceptions, of course, and someone always comes forward to say their cat sleeps or eats with the chickens. I suppose you could train the kitty to do it, but I don't have a clue how. You probably can't get rid of the cat box - sorry. But it was a nice idea.
I have noticed a lot of flies (though no odor yet) and I've begun to worry that the neighbors will complain... hell, I'm complaining!
As with all things, cleanliness is key. When chickens are confined without good waste management, flies will soon arrive. It has to do with moist, yummy droppings being available to them. Cawabunga, fly-dinner heaven!
You have to keep the droppings down and covered.
In the coop, muck it out often and renew the litter. Employ dropping pits beneath the roost and sprinkle lime in them.
One of the best ways to minimize coop droppings is to kick the birds out into the run! Coops are for laying and roosting. Ensure your coop is well ventilated, even "airy," so droppings dry out.
In the run, employ renewable litter surfaces such as sand or mulch, turning the soil/sand between litter renewal, and again use lime liberally. The goal is to keep the droppings from piling up and the lime sweetens them. And can you imagine how rich this stuff is when allowed to compost? Your garden will never be as good as when you use composted chicken manure.
The real and final solution, though, is to allow enough space, or keep fewer birds so the space they occupy doesn't get overwhelmed with their waste.
WARNING: Reality ahead. Idealists beware.
500 chickens per acre has been the traditional measure for chickens outdoors. More than that and the land cannot absorb and process their waste on it's own.
An acre is 66 x 660 feet, or 43560 sq feet. Divided by 500 we see that offers 87.12 sq feet/ bird. Billina in SoCal said his/her run is 25 x 6 = 150 sq ft. That would mean that space could accomodate 1.72 chickens without any intervention on the husbanders part. So how many do you have, Billina?
Many people labor under the notion that chickens are naturally nasty, requiring endless toil on their part to deal with it. There's a simple reason why that is: overcrowding. It has been a traditional part of chicken keeping for a long time. But it needn't be. The math is simple. Unfortunately most folks never hear about this before leaping in- or choose ignore it - and just plain crowd them too much.
500 chickens per acre has been the traditional measure for chickens outdoors. More than that and the land cannot absorb and process their waste on it's own.
An acre is 66 x 660 feet, or 43560 sq feet. Divided by 500 we see that offers 87.12 sq feet/ bird. Billina in SoCal said his/her run is 25 x 6 = 150 sq ft. That would mean that space could accomodate 1.72 chickens without any intervention on the husbanders part. So how many do you have, Billina?
Many people labor under the notion that chickens are naturally nasty, requiring endless toil on their part to deal with it. There's a simple reason why that is: overcrowding. It has been a traditional part of chicken keeping for a long time. But it needn't be. The math is simple. Unfortunately most folks never hear about this before leaping in- or choose ignore it - and just plain crowd them too much.
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