She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[RubyNala97]

I leave everything in the runs, but haven't thought about turning the coop litter into it. That would be a great idea, becuse the chickens already have it composted in the coop. It would work great in the bare runs and pens. I love that idea. It's so simple, but I never thought of it

I use that Koop Clean straw (it's just straw treated with pdz) in the coop, so I would dump that into the run and just leave it in the run? No more cleaning the run out everyday?

 

[scflock]

I use that Koop Clean straw (it's just straw treated with pdz) in the coop, so I would dump that into the run and just leave it in the run? No more cleaning the run out everyday?

That's what I would do. How big is your run, though? I keep forgetting that all of our pens aren't exactly the same size

Even in a small run, I would think that 4-6 inches of composted straw would create a good floor. How often are you cleaning your coop? I don't clean mine at all after the spring. A good, thick layer of composted poop and mulch helps hold the heat in the wintertime

 

[chicapee]

I've actually been meaning to ask how everyone cleans out their runs. I rake all the poop out daily and then hose it down once or twice a week. Are you saying to leave all the poop in there?

I do deep litter in the runs, using leaves, hay and pine shavings. I am planning on changing out once a year in spring. It is working well so far. Might get a bale of straw to add for winter.

 

[kwhites634]

I do deep litter in the runs, using leaves, hay and pine shavings. I am planning on changing out once a year in spring. It is working well so far. Might get a bale of straw to add for winter.

For warmth, hay would be better than straw. 'Course, the birds are gonna peck at it more, but at least there's some nutritional value in it.

 

[RubyNala97]

That's what I would do. How big is your run, though? I keep forgetting that all of our pens aren't exactly the same size
Even in a small run, I would think that 4-6 inches of composted straw would create a good floor. How often are you cleaning your coop? I don't clean mine at all after the spring. A good, thick layer of composted poop and mulch helps hold the heat in the wintertime

My run is 12 (or 14, can't remember) x 6 ft. I do a full cleaning of the coop once a month because my silkies do NOT roost. They just sleep in a giant fuzz ball pile in one corner of the coop. So I try to keep it cleaner since they are sleeping right on it. I'll add some straw, shift out some poop every other week.

I do deep litter in the runs, using leaves, hay and pine shavings. I am planning on changing out once a year in spring. It is working well so far. Might get a bale of straw to add for winter.

If you can, I'd love to see some pictures of your run.

 

[meganhundley]

Personally, since I incubate with the eggs upright, I don't like to turn them over to candle. I tried all kinds of things. A salt box works well, and is small enough to turn upside down to candle from the top, and any direction, while holding the egg upright. But I like my flashlight with foam added to the end the best because its easiest to manipulate. Alot of people candle with the egg on it side, too, and some flip it all around. I just like to keep the egg in one position.
Just another opinion... Not saying any are wrong or right.

My husband is a fiberglass production/fiberglass repair man as well as a car/boat motor mechanic on the side so he buys alot of tools from Snap-On, which I have about wrung his neck several times for some of the things he's bought and the prices he's paid (I'm sorry but $250 is just too much for a set of wrenches or sockets!) But they do have a lifetime warranty and he pays payments monthly so I've gotten to the point that it doesn't bother me quite as much anymore, but he has a small Snap-On super bright LED flashlight that has has the rechargable battery packs that you can swap out with other tools that would be amazing for candling if I could find something to put around the end. Foam is a great idea, I think I'll try that next. I tried a gun bore light, lol, it was the perfect size but it just wasn't bright enough. I eventually used my cheap little $1 hot pink mini LED flashlight from Walmart that I keep in my purse on the occasion that I get home after dark and forgot to turn the porch light on before I left. I took a piece of cardboard to put between the light and the egg and poked a hole in it about the size of a pencil and candled the eggs while they were still sitting in the carton so I didn't have to move them around. I found that if I don't candle straight down and do it instead slightly off center from the top, like to the back or side of the top of the egg, I can see the air cells much, much better. I think I'd have had better results with the Snap-on light but with the eggs in the carton I couldn't move it around to the right positions without taking the eggs out of the carton and I really didn't want to move them a lot since they are shipped eggs. But all the air cells looked to be ok, this was my first time candling so I don't know much but they all appeared to be in good shape and attached to the shell pretty good and there were no saddle shaped cells, so I put the eggs in the bator yesterday afternoon and they are now on there incubation journey and I'm just hanging on for the ride, lol.

 

[meganhundley]

I DO! 

×2!!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

For warmth, hay would be better than straw. 'Course, the birds are gonna peck at it more, but at least there's some nutritional value in it.

My husband is a fiberglass production/fiberglass repair man as well as a car/boat motor mechanic on the side so he buys alot of tools from Snap-On, which I have about wrung his neck several times for some of the things he's bought and the prices he's paid (I'm sorry but $250 is just too much for a set of wrenches or sockets!) But they do have a lifetime warranty and he pays payments monthly so I've gotten to the point that it doesn't bother me quite as much anymore, but he has a small Snap-On super bright LED flashlight that has has the rechargable battery packs that you can swap out with other tools that would be amazing for candling if I could find something to put around the end. Foam is a great idea, I think I'll try that next. I tried a gun bore light, lol, it was the perfect size but it just wasn't bright enough. I eventually used my cheap little $1 hot pink mini LED flashlight from Walmart that I keep in my purse on the occasion that I get home after dark and forgot to turn the porch light on before I left. I took a piece of cardboard to put between the light and the egg and poked a hole in it about the size of a pencil and candled the eggs while they were still sitting in the carton so I didn't have to move them around. I found that if I don't candle straight down and do it instead slightly off center from the top, like to the back or side of the top of the egg, I can see the air cells much, much better. I think I'd have had better results with the Snap-on light but with the eggs in the carton I couldn't move it around to the right positions without taking the eggs out of the carton and I really didn't want to move them a lot since they are shipped eggs. But all the air cells looked to be ok, this was my first time candling so I don't know much but they all appeared to be in good shape and attached to the shell pretty good and there were no saddle shaped cells, so I put the eggs in the bator yesterday afternoon and they are now on there incubation journey and I'm just hanging on for the ride, lol.

That's how I candle, slightly off to the side/back of the air cell. I should have been clearer about that when I said down into the egg from the air cell.

 

[meganhundley]

This is the Mossberg Maverick 88 I bought. I got the 20 gauge.  5+1 pump action for $189. Not the most glamorous gun in the world, but a darn fine varmint gun for the price. See how short the stock is? Perfect for Mrs. Flock, but still comfortable for me to shoot

I LOVE it!! That is actually a pretty sweet looking little gun and it appears to be just my size! I'm about 5'6" and 130lbs so big just isn't good for me!! And $189 is good price, I think I'll try to convince my husband that we are in dire need of a new, much smaller shotgun. 1 that's not 20 feet long, lol. I saw a few nice looking Mossberg's at our local Walmart that I like that were priced really good but that was about a year and a half or 2 years ago. 1 was a Mossberg tactical 12ga that had room for all kinds of gadgets and gizmos and I think it was only around $200, i rwally liked that 1. Then they had some type of Mossberg hybrid thing that you could swap out the barrels and such and switch between shotgun and rifle, it was pretty cool but weird.

 

[scottcaddy]

Quote:
I would have thought the little green frontend poop scooper would do a good job of toting, my little red one does.
Nice drainage in your runs!
Scott