Shed to coop conversion and other projects

[bridget-rdh]

I have seen something like this but I think they mounted a wide board underneath to catch the droppings and make clean up easier. I guess if you attach a lip to each side of the wide board under the roosting bars you can cover the board with fine sand for ease in scooping the droppings. Hey that sounds like an idea... I'll have to brain storm that one.

Yes a lot of people do droppings board under roosts. I just have too many hens and not enough time each day to clean them. We are doing deep litter method. Also use Sweet PDZ in the litter to keep the smell down. It really works.

 

[Rural Chic]

Yes a lot of people do droppings board under roosts. I just have too many hens and not enough time each day to clean them. We are doing deep litter method. Also use Sweet PDZ in the litter to keep the smell down. It really works.

What is Sweet PDZ??? Right now I am using deep litter method too but am trying to figure out what to do with all the waste later... I don't have a back 40 for composting... Maybe I can prepare a garden bed with it and let it sit a season to decompose and really get into the soil. That should cut down on the smell too, I would hope.

 

[bridget-rdh]

Sweet PDZ is a horse stall refresher.. It absorbs the ammonia smell. I can't believe the difference in the smell inside the coop. There really is no smell now. I think it was 9.99 at Tractor Supply for a 25 lb bag and it should last me a really long time. I also toss some scratch/scraps into the coop each day so the girls turn the litter for me! Not sure what to tell you about the waste.. I do know you have to let the litter age for a good while before you can use it on gardens and such. It is considered 'hot' and will burn up your plants if not aged.. But it does make excellent fertilizer if you can age it.

 

[Rural Chic]

Sweet PDZ is a horse stall refresher.. It absorbs the ammonia smell. I can't believe the difference in the smell inside the coop. There really is no smell now. I think it was 9.99 at Tractor Supply for a 25 lb bag and it should last me a really long time. I also toss some scratch/scraps into the coop each day so the girls turn the litter for me! Not sure what to tell you about the waste.. I do know you have to let the litter age for a good while before you can use it on gardens and such. It is considered 'hot' and will burn up your plants if not aged.. But it does make excellent fertilizer if you can age it.

I'll have to see about getting some of that too. As for the waste, I would just put it into the bed not used at this time and let it decompose turning the soil every so often. Then when it is ready to be planted I can use the next bed for the compost and so on, rotating the beds and giving one a break each year while adding compost. That should work, you think? If not it was a good try and i'll have to think of something else.

 

[bridget-rdh]

Yes, I think that would work! We also had a friend come and get a pick-up load of aged litter for his garden last spring.

 

[Rural Chic]

Last evening my son and I went out and worked for about 1 hour (all the time we had left before the sun went down and the temps dropped).
We did manage to get the plywood cut to size and mounted from under the excisting roof and resting on the new 2 x 4's mounted to the fence.

It got too dark for the photo so I will try to get one or two this evening before we leave for our dinner. I'll post when we get home if I remember. The rest of the extensions for the back will be done Saturday and well as attaching flashing and shingles to the roof extension. Then we move on to attaching the fencing to the frame.
A friend from work said she heard that Oil of Peppermint applied to a cotton ball and placed around the are will keep rats and mice away. Not sure about that but could give it a try. Another thing I want to do is construct small boxes that can cover a small tin full of a 1/2 and 1/2 mixture of powdered sugar and plaster of parris. This the rats and mice eat and they go off and die somewhere and leave NO smell behind. The boxes covering the small tins will have an opening large enough for the rodent to squeeze through (this keeps the birds out) but large enough that I can place a heavy or so rock on top to keep the birds from knocking the box over and getting to the contents if they should get out of their enclosures.
I'll add more later.

 

[sezjasper]

You'll be the first to get one... It may be the only one!

By the way how far is Eldersburg MD from Aberdeen??? I went to high school there.(Aberdeen that is)

It's about an hour away, maybe a little more...my son and his family live over that way (BelAir) How did you end up in Nevada? Was your family military?

 

[Rural Chic]

It's about an hour away, maybe a little more...my son and his family live over that way (BelAir) How did you end up in Nevada? Was your family military?

My adopted dad was in the military he was stationed there before we ended up in Alaska were he retired and I met my now X husband. From Alaska we moved to California, then Germany, then my X retired in Oklahoma and became a cop. I couldn't deal with his crap any longer so I took my son and divorced him and moved with my Mom and Dad out here to Nevada.
Some days I am not sure if that was a good idea or not but I do have a good job and now own my own house so I can have those chickens I have wanted for a long time. At least some of my dreams are coming true. The one about the 3.5 kids, dog, white picket fence bla. bla. bla... Well that one fell by the way side but I guess I could put up a picket fence and paint it white... lol.

 

[sezjasper]

My adopted dad was in the military he was stationed there before we ended up in Alaska were he retired and I met my now X husband. From Alaska we moved to California, then Germany, then my X retired in Oklahoma and became a cop. I couldn't deal with his crap any longer so I took my son and divorced him and moved with my Mom and Dad out here to Nevada.
Some days I am not sure if that was a good idea or not but I do have a good job and now own my own house so I can have those chickens I have wanted for a long time. At least some of my dreams are coming true. The one about the 3.5 kids, dog, white picket fence bla. bla. bla... Well that one fell by the way side but I guess I could put up a picket fence and paint it white... lol.

Wow, you've had quite a life! And it sounds like the BEST of your dreams are the ones that came true! I can relate...used to have a white picket fence, but I think my ex ran into it while driving drunk. The only fence I need now is the one that keeps my chickens in my yard

 

[Rural Chic]

Wow, you've had quite a life! And it sounds like the BEST of your dreams are the ones that came true! I can relate...used to have a white picket fence, but I think my ex ran into it while driving drunk. The only fence I need now is the one that keeps my chickens in my yard

That is sooo true!

First I have to get that fence done... LOL