Show me your poop boards?

[nine9d]

If you do a raised coop with deep bedding, do people still use poop boards with their roosts? Reason I ask, isn't the general idea of deep litter/bedding to build up the bedding with poop and stuff to be able to use it for compost? Also, I thought Sweet PDZ was not compostable? Thank you.

 

[SueT]

If you do a raised coop with deep bedding, do people still use poop boards with their roosts? Reason I ask, isn't the general idea of deep litter/bedding to build up the bedding with poop and stuff to be able to use it for compost? Also, I thought Sweet PDZ was not compostable? Thank you.

Of course you don't have to do poop boards w your roosts. I only plan to do it for one roost, the roosts on the 2 other sides of the coop won't have any. I use deep litter too. But I do think the PDZ is great for compost. You can sprinkle it into your deep litter if you have any.

 

[jthornton]

I want to make this poop board 3' high...that would place the poop board only 2 1/2" below the roost, ( a 2 X 4 the wide side up. )
The roost bar continues to the right another 3' and is over the nesting boxes which have a poop board above, which is only 2 1/2" under the roost and this proposed poop board would be an extension of that, but wider as it continues.
Any advice/comments?

I had my roosts 6" above the floor and cleaning was a pain to clean now mine are 9 1/2" from the floor to the bottom of the roost. I sill bump into them from time to time and wish I had room for 12" clearance. I have to lean into the coop to clean it...

JT

 

[SueT]

I had my roosts 6" above the floor and cleaning was a pain to clean now mine are 9 1/2" from the floor to the bottom of the roost. I sill bump into them from time to time and wish I had room for 12" clearance. I have to lean into the coop to clean it...

JT

Well, I can't make the roost higher, it's 38 1/2" but I could make the poop board lower. However, I want the maximum cubic footage under it for the chicks' pen. I figure if any poop ends up in the narrow 2 1/2" space under the roost, I could sweep it out w a stick to the open area behind the roost?. They always face the same way roosting as far as I've seen.. I don't think there will be much poop right under. This is a walk in coop, but it doesn't quite have standing headroom for me. So there is always some leaning over. And head bumping. But the shed was there so we used it for the coop. It's fun to "redecorate", lol. Gives me something to do....

 

[nine9d]

If you do a raised coop with deep bedding, do people still use poop boards with their roosts? Reason I ask, isn't the general idea of deep litter/bedding to build up the bedding with poop and stuff to be able to use it for compost? Also, I thought Sweet PDZ was not compostable? Thank you.

Anyone else care to share some insight here please?

 

[chickenmeadow]

Sand trays, easy to maintain every morning with a kitty litter scoop to remove debris & moisture; also gives my coop more floor space for the chickens. I sometimes add a little "stall Dry" or DE (diatomaceous earth). We put vinyl scraps everywhere the sand is for easy cleanup, trays & floor. Best wishes.

.

 

[aart]

If you do a raised coop with deep bedding, do people still use poop boards with their roosts? Reason I ask, isn't the general idea of deep litter/bedding to build up the bedding with poop and stuff to be able to use it for compost? Also, I thought Sweet PDZ was not compostable? Thank you.

Anyone else care to share some insight here please?

Poop boards and deep litter are rather incompatible..
..because, yes, you want those poops in the litter.

DL and raised coops are also rather incompatible,
ground contact will make DL much, much more functional.

Zeolite(PDZ) will not 'break down' as it's a mineral,
but it won't hurt the compost function,
if all other compost ingredients are working.
This applies to when adding it a compost pile,
I see no reason to put PDZ in a deep litter system,
if your DL stinks something is not right and PDZ won't fix it.

 

[nine9d]

I've read that DL and raised coops are incompatible as well. I have seen some people do "deep bedding" although in raised coops. If I did use deep bedding (not DL method) in a raised coop, would it still make sense to use a poop board or not? Thanks and hopefully I didn't confuse you all.

 

[SueT]

I finished my poop board and the chickens tested it out last night. No problem that it's wider at one end, or that the roosting bar is just 2 1/2" above it. The PDZ was easy to clean and return to that zen garden look, lol. The space under the new poop board will be made into a temporary pen for chicks. The 8' roost continues over the nest boxes which already had a poop board on top, same 2 1/2" space. But using PDZ was new for me, I used to use shavings. I love the PDZ. BTW thanks everyone for your pics and advice in this thread, it's all very helpful!

 

[aart]

I've read that DL and raised coops are incompatible as well. I have seen some people do "deep bedding" although in raised coops. If I did use deep bedding (not DL method) in a raised coop, would it still make sense to use a poop board or not? Thanks and hopefully I didn't confuse you all.

Yep.
If you use a poop board your floor bedding will 'last' longer?
I sift boards every day or two and completely change out my floor bedding(shavings and some straw in winter) once or twice a year. I start with about an inch or so of shavings, then add on occasion, by the time I change it all out(usually in fall) it's probably 4-6" deep.