Stella's Social Club

[debs_flock]

Looks good Jason!

Quote:
I'd pick the freezer, the darn things eat EVERYTHING!

Deb

 

[The Sheriff]

At least you are being smart with Jeremy's coops and keeping it open front. Did you get the smaller or larger one? I am still struggling to try to waterproof mine.

I don't think Jeremy has chickens. He thinks that little board in front of the nest boxes is a roost.

I ordered clear plastic roll up tarps for the fronts of my coops to try to keep the water out. I have floors in my coops and the water is a disaster. I ordered the tarps from FarmTek. They are similar to this but on a much, much smaller scale.




The "curtain" is made of thick clear vinyl and it attaches at the top. There is a pipe that goes through a hem at the bottom and the curtain rolls up with a hand crank mounted on the front of the coop. I sure hope this works and that I can get them mostly waterproof. Michael promises to help me dig out the wet Stall Dry that I installed when I foolishly thought I had blocked the water. We are going to try to get that done in the next few days. The tarps and parts are being delivered on Thursday. You cannot imagine what a yucky mess my coop are. Absolutely gross.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Mary I tried for about a month to use sweet PDZ on the floor of the coop in a thick layer but it started to smell bad from the tiny droppings not being removed (a very thin layer worked just fine for at least 3 years before that, though. (I used to scrape the floor every day and then sprinkle sweet PDZ down. Then I added bags of it to make a thick layer but it started to smell.)

My coops have eternally wet edges on the inside during the whole winter. I even have to bleach the coops to kill the mold periodically in the winter.

So what I have done in my two shed coops is to switch to a very thin layer of sand. I love it. But I do scrape it each day with a plastic stiff rake, then use a kitty litter scoop to remove the solids. NO smell anymore!!! Then I shake out some sand to replace what was coating the poo and the coop smells fresh.

I DO keep the edges of the coop without sand. There is a big island of sand spread thinly in the middle of the coop. If I put sand on the edges, I am throwing that sand away the next day since it got wet.

It is much cheaper than sweet PDZ and I buy the bags of dry play sand (not the cheaper masonry sand that is wet in the bag).

Sand is awesome. You should try it if you haven't...but if you make your layer too thick then that takes forever to sift with the kitty litter scoop.

Instead of $40 a month in sweet PDZ I am now down to $10 a month in sand.

 

[The Sheriff]

Mary I tried for about a month to use sweet PDZ on the floor of the coop in a thick layer but it started to smell bad from the tiny droppings not being removed (a very thin layer worked just fine for at least 3 years before that, though. (I used to scrape the floor every day and then sprinkle sweet PDZ down. Then I added bags of it to make a thick layer but it started to smell.)

My coops have eternally wet edges on the inside during the whole winter. I even have to bleach the coops to kill the mold periodically in the winter.

So what I have done in my two shed coops is to switch to a very thin layer of sand. I love it. But I do scrape it each day with a plastic stiff rake, then use a kitty litter scoop to remove the solids. NO smell anymore!!! Then I shake out some sand to replace what was coating the poo and the coop smells fresh.

I DO keep the edges of the coop without sand. There is a big island of sand spread thinly in the middle of the coop. If I put sand on the edges, I am throwing that sand away the next day since it got wet.

It is much cheaper than sweet PDZ and I buy the bags of dry play sand (not the cheaper masonry sand that is wet in the bag).

Sand is awesome. You should try it if you haven't...but if you make your layer too thick then that takes forever to sift with the kitty litter scoop.

Instead of $40 a month in sweet PDZ I am now down to $10 a month in sand.

Thanks for the heads up. I am going to make a decision which way to go after seeing how waterproof I can get the coops. I sure miss my old coops. The only leak I had was in the one Michael built and that wasn't even close to what I have now. Not complaining about the construction. They were intended as open air cops. Just didm't work that way for me.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

At least you are being smart with Jeremy's coops and keeping it open front. Did you get the smaller or larger one? I am still struggling to try to waterproof mine.

I don't think Jeremy has chickens. He thinks that little board in front of the nest boxes is a roost.

I ordered clear plastic roll up tarps for the fronts of my coops to try to keep the water out. I have floors in my coops and the water is a disaster. I ordered the tarps from FarmTek. They are similar to this but on a much, much smaller scale.




The "curtain" is made of thick clear vinyl and it attaches at the top. There is a pipe that goes through a hem at the bottom and the curtain rolls up with a hand crank mounted on the front of the coop. I sure hope this works and that I can get them mostly waterproof. Michael promises to help me dig out the wet Stall Dry that I installed when I foolishly thought I had blocked the water. We are going to try to get that done in the next few days. The tarps and parts are being delivered on Thursday. You cannot imagine what a yucky mess my coop are. Absolutely gross.

I did the smaller one. added the wood to the sides and smaller 1/2 x 1" wire. I am putting them on trex wood to keep them off the ground. My deck is trex so there was a ton of this laying around.
I need more coops but will build them myself. I dragged that d*m thing 10 feet and turned it. Feeling under the weather stunk. Cooper my son luckily was there putting the trex under the sides when I picked it up.
I am going to put all my extra stucco wire at the bottoms of these coops staple them to the sides and put a bunch of sand on the bottom. I think I need to work on the drainage just above it so run off stays away. It looks like he is putting a cap on the top of the coops now so I dont think they will leek. I have this one facing north. I may put some sort of curtain for real chilly nights or Mini Blinds

. It is very cold there. was 5 degrees cooler there than my place today and as you can see there is still some of the 1" of snow from a few days back. The ground was frozen and my toes are cold lol.

 

[Hangtown Farms]

What ya gonna keep this guy in?!



Stop over here and post something.....anything....
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/732804/contest18

Dont know but they can stay. I figure as long as they are here the real big predators will stay away from my chickens.

 

[farmerfogg]

Okay, we got the sign up today so here are a couple of pics........of course, since I had the camera out I had to take other pics too! The sign in it's new home..... I don't think I mentioned that it is painted on both sides....other side.... It made it up to 30 F this afternoon so.........scratch time to get them gathered for some pics........ (Brad, the pullets flanking Audun on both sides produced some of your eggs/chicks!) Obligatory Elska picture.. .....oh, and did I mention that I have an Elska cockerel that is looking rather interesting.... Eldur..

Beautiful chickens! I like where you put your sign.

 

[tbitt]

I thought I'd share a picture of what my children got me for Christmas....



I hope the weather is nice enough when the DH is feeling better (down with a stomach flu

) to get it hung-up out on the barn.....I'll post another pic when that happens!!

I love it! That must have been fun to open and see!!!

 

[farmerfogg]

Okay, what do you do when you have been saving eggs. Realize you aren't going to set them (too old now anyway), don't want to eat them (you have plenty of fresher eggs to eat), but don't want to waste them (think 300+ willing chicken mouths). Break a few eggs (probably 20-30 dozen, maybe more, there were quite a few quail eggs involved too) Filled this 9x13 pan almost to the brim 3 times Bake & cool a bit Cut into squares (almost look tasty if I didn't know how careless I was being with shells, dirty eggs, etc.) Toss several squares to each run and have MANY happy chickens. Deb

Look at all those eggs! I'm sure your flock was very happy to be the solution to your dilemma!

 

[farmerfogg]

I got a new coop at the new place. Do to needing a fridge and oven had to make due with 1 coop today. will build the run in the next few days. Is 40x15 big enough for 5-6 hens and a rooster? Down the road I am going to build 3 more coops probably a little larger than this. Runs larger too. So I can keep more of each. I need to stain this tomorrow and add a few roosts. Did not realize it did not have that. just a 1" in front of the boxes. I had him add more wood on the side and use smaller wire. I need to finish leveling tomorrow. With my head cold I am suprised I was even able to move this thing myself lol.

Nice looking coop!