Show me your poop boards!

[Molpet]

The goal was for up to 8 hens. We have 7 now and a local ordinance that states a max of 8. The roost will certainly fit 8 no problem. I needed to make capitalize on standing room for me or my wife. This shape allows us a little more room while still allowing plenty of room for the hens.

turkeys weigh a bit more than chickens

 

[WindingRoad]

So far, except for the occasional egg eating rat snake, but they get a pass. I just pick them up and put them in the woods or brush pile. Although we supposedly have weasels here, I've never seen one in my life. Rats/mice don't seem to be a problem at all (could be because of the rat snakes and my cat) and 'coons and possums just stroll by the coop/run according to my trail cam. I just don't seem to have the predator problems a lot of folks seem to have although I have lost a few birds to hawks, but that's the price of free ranging.

Knock on wood I've not had much of a problem. Today I looked out and the neighbors Maine Coon cat was on top of my chicken house. She usually sits right outside the hen house I'm sure she can hear the chickens. I don't believe she's be much of match for my SLW. She's big but I think it's mostly fluff.

 

[blackdog043]

You've answered your own question! Just keep the PDZ a thin layer, easier to sift it all and they won't try to dust bath in it...I learned that lesson quick.

I agree with the thin layer of PDZ, no more than 1/2" deep is needed and the chickens will not bath in it. I keep mine between 1/4 - 1/2 inch.

A tarp. I bet you could even take that out and hose it off... I was looking for a cheap flooring option for the coop. This might be my answer. Lay down a tarp and then cover it with bedding. Should protect the wood enough and I can just lift it out in the warmer months and hose it off while changing the bedding.

I would leave it bare wood before putting a tarp down. They might scratch down to the tarp and start ripping it apart, which wouldn't be good. Is your coop that small that you could lift the tarp out with all the bedding on it?

 

[BReeder!]

Do your bottom chickens get pooped on by the birds above them? There doesn’t appear to be much clearance, but it might just be the picture!

There's a good amount of clearance. The picture is odd. That entire space is 4 ft wide. There's a good 10-11 inches in between them the top and bottom boards horizontally. We haven't had any issues so far. The top girls like to face forward too, which helps ensure no problems. Our matriarch hen sits up there in particular and looks out over the others, maintaining pecking order.

 

[BReeder!]

I agree with the thin layer of PDZ, no more than 1/2" deep is needed and the chickens will not bath in it. I keep mine between 1/4 - 1/2 inch.



I would leave it bare wood before putting a tarp down. They might scratch down to the tarp and start ripping it apart, which wouldn't be good. Is your coop that small that you could lift the tarp out with all the bedding on it?

Coop floor is 4'x10'. So it's bid enough for the 7 girls, and I would be comfortable adding an 8th. 8 is our legal limit due to local ordinance.

 

[BReeder!]

turkeys weigh a bit more than chickens

Those are 2'x3' roosts except for 1 2'x'2 because my smaller girls like the thinner board actually. They are well anchored. Even a pair of 18 lb turkey hens doesn't concern me. Again, I weigh 250 lb and the bottom roost held me.
If we are successful with hatching turkeys, I may add another roost on the other side over the nest box, but with a poop board under it as well. The turkeys would require the extra roosting space as they are larger then chickens.

 

[Ghosty]

The new roosts I put together today. I will make the poop boards wider and closer to the roost tomorrow. The roosts are 8 feet long, but I will widen them to 12 feet, just need to cut down the right trees.
I already had two birds fall against the wall trying to get everyone acclimated tonight, so I will make sure the poop boards also act as a safety net.
The roost stands are just cinder blocks with 4 x 4's wedged in with shims. I wanted the roosts to be freestanding and movable. I will concrete the legs in the cinder blocks tomorrow. I expanded the coop from 5 x 16 to 16 x 15, so this is a new room for them. Construction not yet complete.

 

[aart]

The roost stands are just cinder blocks with 4 x 4's wedged in with shims. I wanted the roosts to be freestanding and movable.

Might not be needed, but...
...rotating the blocks 90°(one end clockwise, the other end counterclockwise) will make the whole thing more stable.
Oh, and, keep an eye on the block holes, perfect place for mouse nests..BTDT.

 

[Stockpilejoy]

A tarp. I bet you could even take that out and hose it off... I was looking for a cheap flooring option for the coop. This might be my answer. Lay down a tarp and then cover it with bedding. Should protect the wood enough and I can just lift it out in the warmer months and hose it off while changing the bedding.

I think that would work great. Tarps are great for so many things. Initially, I had linoleum but it kept curling up on the edges and had to be replaced. I had to think what do I have on hand to replace it and a tarp came to mind. I used short screws to tack it down. It cleans so easily. Just a few weeks back I wanted to cover the area between my two coops at the doorway so when it rained doors could be opened and they could go back and forth between them but stay dry. I ordered size needed so it would be strong and hold up to the wind. So far it has worked wonders in the ran and wind.

 

[Ghosty]

Might not be needed, but...
...rotating the blocks 90°(one end clockwise, the other end counterclockwise) will make the whole thing more stable.
Oh, and, keep an eye on the block holes, perfect place for mouse nests..BTDT.

The blocks are getting filled with concrete. I turned the cinder blocks to the inside to get them out of the way and support the poop boards for now. I may turn them to the side when I go to 12 ft roosts and raise the poop boards if it isn't stable enough as is.