Show off your roosts!

[dangerouschicken]

The sticks are neat! I need something like that. My coop is so sterile. Well, other than the chicken poop.

 

[BeardedChick]

Nice work with the manzanita branches! I need to build a roost for my turkey poults today and that is inspiring!

 

[Davaroo]

One of our members, dipseydoodledoo, uses branches, too. Ive seen her set up and its nice. It only reinforces what Ive said all along - chickens dont need fancy.

I also really like the cinder block sole of your barn/coop/shed and your "swingin" dropping board. Id run with that idea.

 

[Jennyhaschicks]

Can I ask a question?
How come so many of you catch the droppings? Mine are just dropping on the ground and I thought I could just shovel them out when it gets messy. What am I missing here?

 

[dangerouschicken]

Point made. I would like answers, as well.

 

[Iowamom]

Being new to chickens, I may not be the best to answer this. I was just going to let them fall where they may and do the deep litter method. But Ma was telling me they had a dropping table and how it made it really easy to keep the coop clean. So I did a search and started reading different threads about it. I decided that since I will be out there everyday anyway, I might as well try it. That way I have some good bird poop for my compost right away as well as what will collect in the litter over the winter.

 

[Davaroo]

But Ma was telling me they had a dropping table and how it made it really easy to keep the coop clean.

And there then is the answer: Anything you can do by design to simplify and reduce your work to keep chickens clean, healthy and productive should be your goal.
Dropping boards were an old idea, commonly used for one reason - thay accomplished this aim.​

 

[Anny]

I plan on having a shelve to catch the droppings since most of the dropping are done under the roost, It makes for a nice easy clean up. But either way works. To each his own I suppose.

 

[Kerry]

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[Kerry]

Here's my new garden tractor with four 2-month-old Barred Rocks. Est. cost $400.00.
There's a few design elements I'd change if I were doing it again.*

It drags across the yard easily.

Two compartment egg house

Outside door for retrieving eggs and cleaning.

They learned how to use the water faucet nozzle for dogs very quickly. I sat with them and showed them how for a few minutes each day for several days before I removed the parakeet waterer (which I highly recommend for just 4 chicks).


*
I'd use 1' PVC instead of 2" (except for 2" roosting bars)
I'd make it 6' x 8' instead of 8' x 10' (mainly because of some narrow places on my yard)
I'd make it 3' high instead of 3 1/2' so that I could reach the food tray easier.
I'd used a 1 gallon water bucket instead of the 5 gallon. There's no need to have that much water for just 4 hens, it would be lighter to lift and wash.
I'd make the door for me to enter so that I wouldn't have to duck to get in. It would require some heavy duty reinforcing so as to still be able to drag it.
I've noticed that on the mainland they sell 3-corner PVC connectors so I wouldn't have to have two stanchions on each corner.
I started using clear tie straps and then found out about the UV resistant black ones.
I'd reduce the angle of the roof so as to provide more shade in mid-morning. (not I place a small tarp on the lid to shade them.
I also keep two cardboard boxes in the pen for them to play on and rest inside.


With aloha,

Kerry