The Evolution of Atlas: A Breeding (and Chat) Thread

[getaclue]

When I was renting a space on a piece of property for my coop, (I lived in the city and couldn't have chickens. The property I put the coop on, had horses, and was zoned for chickens too) after the first summer there, the land had low spots, and stayed covered in water in a lot of areas. The coop was a muddy mess a lot of the time. The second summer, when we expanded a little, the first thing I did was have a huge dump truck load of sand brought in to elevate my coop/run and keep it high and dry.

When we bought this place, the area I chose for my coops/runs was higher up, but I thought it needed more drainage. I had learned my lesson the hard way with the other coop about not having good drainage. I had 2 huge truck loads of sand delivered. One of my neighbors brought his tractor, and put the sand in the coops/runs for me. I elevated it a little over a foot in good, clean, granite sand. Then I had a load of fill dirt brought in, and put on top of the sand. I may have to walk through water puddles, or mud to get to my chickens, but they are high, and dry. No mud, no standing water.

 

[speckledhen]

Water drains well except in the dustbathing holes, but if I put sand on this place, it would just wash down the hill and be gone. Remember, we live on a mountain, not the flatlands! Nothing stays put up here.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I use wood chips. Lots of wood chips in a run. It causes the water to soak right in and keeps it healthy. No slimy, disease-breeding ground.

When I was using the run, I'd go out on occasion with my shovel and the birds would come running. They knew I was going to dig up a little and turn it so they could get the worms and bugs. They'd dig through it and get all the worms. They'd also scratch in that run and turn them up themselves.

We happened to have some trees chipped that were on our own property and would just keep a big pile. I let them sit until there is worm activity in them (about 8 months) to cure - don't use fresh chipped.

Now I have a tree service that will bring clean chips for me whenever I want them - free. I still have them put it in piles and let them cure before adding anywhere. I just put some in whenever it looks like it could use some. Just dump them in a pile - the birds do the spreading.

Doing that has made the most healthy run you can imagine. No pooling water at all. When it rains, any poo just washes down. After I had the wood chips on there, whenever I'd clean out the chicken shed, I'd just shovel the wood shavings from inside right out onto the run as well. It's an outdoor "deep litter" and it works fantastic.

One year 2 of my daughters came over and we spread aside the wood chips somewhat and they dug out the most amazing soil under there and took it home for their gardens. Full of earthworms. 2 pickup loads out and it really didn't make a huge difference in the run. That dirt smelled amazing and clean.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I use wood chips. Lots of wood chips in a run. It causes the water to soak right in and keeps it healthy. No slimy, disease-breeding ground.

When I was using the run, I'd go out on occasion with my shovel and the birds would come running. They knew I was going to dig up a little and turn it so they could get the worms and bugs. They'd dig through it and get all the worms. They'd also scratch in that run and turn them up themselves.

We happened to have some trees chipped that were on our own property and would just keep a big pile. I let them sit until there is worm activity in them (about 8 months) to cure - don't use fresh chipped.

Now I have a tree service that will bring clean chips for me whenever I want them - free. I still have them put it in piles and let them cure before adding anywhere. I just put some in whenever it looks like it could use some. Just dump them in a pile - the birds do the spreading.

Doing that has made the most healthy run you can imagine. No pooling water at all. When it rains, any poo just washes down. After I had the wood chips on there, whenever I'd clean out the chicken shed, I'd just shovel the wood shavings from inside right out onto the run as well. It's an outdoor "deep litter" and it works fantastic.

One year 2 of my daughters came over and we spread aside the wood chips somewhat and they dug out the most amazing soil under there and took it home for their gardens. Full of earthworms. 2 pickup loads out and it really didn't make a huge difference in the run. That dirt smelled amazing and clean.

We have used mulch in our run and shed. It does make a good substrate that doesn't break down too quickly.

 

[1muttsfan]

Leah, i just happen to have a huge pile of chips left behind by the powerline guys last fall. They probably need to sit a while longer, as they were pretty much frozen for 6 months.

 

[h2oratt]

HI, hope everyone is doing well.
Do you remember I mentioned my choc orp roo was sitting /laying down a lot.? I checked his feet and they were fine. Well my husband found him dead last week. We took him up for a necropsy. I will attach his report.

 

[h2oratt]

Necropsy

 

[getaclue]

h2o, so sorry to hear this. I think in your situation, I would choose to keep the hens, until they die, and enjoy eating their eggs without hatching anymore. When the current flock dies out, I'd do some repeated disinfection over 6 months, then slowly introduce a new small flock, and see what happens. If it's all cleared up, then carry on. I'm not telling you what to do. I'm simply saying what I would do. I understand that we probably don't have the same situation, circumstances, set up, and outlook on this, so I fully respect any decisions you make on how to deal with it.

 

[h2oratt]

So what is this , it’s not mareks , correct. No other chickens have died.

 

[Pyxis]

So what is this , it’s not mareks , correct. No other chickens have died.

Looks like they're suggesting that it's lymphoid leukosis:

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/poultry/neoplasms/lymphoid-leukosis-in-poultry

Very sorry