The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mumsy]

I usually have very good luck with my LG still air. Take a plastic milk cap and a screw and put it in the top of the know for adjusting the temp. Save the box and leave the incubator inside (Cut the top off. It really makes a difference with temp fluxuation. Put a small cup (I use a paper bathroom cup and put a sponge in) in the incubator instead of pouring water into the channels in the bator itself. You have a better chance of adjusting the %. Be sure to put the cup under a hole some where so you can put a straw in to pour more water in without opening the cover. I'm not a stickler about not opening the cover as hens are on and off continually. 2 hatches ago 4 separate eggs had pipped when I was candeling, I put them back in and all 4 hatched. The previous hatch, I did everything by the book, Only 1 hatched out of 12. I like mine but then my chickens are not big bucks chickens either.




I can't get the 3rd pic to download that shows the milk cap. I'll try later. There are other tips here on BYC.

I hadn't seen Mumsy's piece on that thing but yes! I'd like to know tho, where does everyone go to get an accurate thermometer? I have up to 10 of them and honestly, I only have 2 that are somewhat near each other. I hate going anywhere reptiles or their accessories but I'll check there. I have 2 brand new digital from Walmart and both are off

I bought two of the reptile therm/hygro cage accessory. One is in the LG and one in the Genesis 1588. In the Genesis, I don't use any other except my meat probe digital to check corners( I have no problem poking extra holes in my bators). . I use lots of little thermometers in the Still air LG because I like to compare which corner is cooler than the others. But I always trust my reptile duo one first. My daughter raises Bearded Dragons. She told me that the one she uses keeps her lizards alive, breeding, and thriving. I trusted her advice and bought what she uses. You get what you pay for as the saying goes. I tossed my cheap ones. They were worse than useless because they were too off to be trusted.

 

[SallyinIndiana]

BDM - on the roost heights...I have always thought a higher roost made sense so I've quietly contemplated why so many people put them so low. I know all the stuff about heavy breeds, etc., but it just doesn't make sense to me for RIR, BR, SFH, etc.

I remember someone telling me that their birds would go very high into the rafters of the barn. Now THAT'S a high roost! (They had provided lower ones but the rafters were chosen over the provided ones.)

we got one of our roosters from a lady that kept her chickens in a full size barn. There were quite a few full size chickens in the rafters. I watched them go up and come down. It was amusing they would do little jumps both up and down.

 

[delisha]

BDM - on the roost heights...I have always thought a higher roost made sense so I've quietly contemplated why so many people put them so low. I know all the stuff about heavy breeds, etc., but it just doesn't make sense to me for RIR, BR, SFH, etc.

I remember someone telling me that their birds would go very high into the rafters of the barn. Now THAT'S a high roost! (They had provided lower ones but the rafters were chosen over the provided ones.)

I have some low ones..and some about chest high. My Leghorns use the top of the nest boxes. I have no idea how they even get up there. I can't reach the top, but, they have no problem. (I clean it very rarely)
gross

Quote: My grandma's chickens were in the big barn when they wanted to hide eggs. Hard to find them way up on top in places.

 

[Sally8]

As a kid 14 - 16 yrs. I remember walking under the roosts to get the eggs holding onto my hair if it were after dark.

 

[armorfirelady]

I use

Also - a winter coop question for anyone!

I use deep litter.  I have never used a "poop board" or anything else under the roost.

But

In the winter, there's a lot more poop concentrated in there since they're home more (!)  I had read of folks that use the deep litter but still have a board under the roost that they clean off daily.  When I read about that it seemed like a lot of extra work to me! 

Now that I've experienced a winter, I can see one thing that a poop board might be useful for.  It may help the litter to last longer without having to be changed out as often during the winter.  You would still have the benefit of the deep litter, just not have such a high concentration during the winter months.

I'm just contemplating that now...I really don't want to mess with a poop board....

But wondering y'alls thoughts on that.  Anyone use a poop board?  Worth it or not for the winter?

I use DL all winter and while its a pain to turn in the tiny coop the enclosed run broke down nice. Did get some snow in some areas but I just turned it under. Only had ammonia smell once in tiny coop so I did end up removing some but other than that no problems at all. My mini coop had a poop board but it was such a pain to take it out to turn the DL under it I took it out.
I turn my DL once a week to keep everything breaking down.

 

[Pozees]

Has anyone ever had Egyptian Fayoumis here? I got 25 (actually 27, and no deaths so far, knock wood) from Cackle last week, and they are the most vigorous chicks I have ever had! They about came out of the shipping box running and haven't stopped. They're small and I believe they stay relatively small, but I am impressed so far with the way they zoom around the brooder like little chick racecars!

 

[Smithyard Farm]

Also - a winter coop question for anyone!

I use deep litter. I have never used a "poop board" or anything else under the roost.

But

In the winter, there's a lot more poop concentrated in there since they're home more (!) I had read of folks that use the deep litter but still have a board under the roost that they clean off daily. When I read about that it seemed like a lot of extra work to me!

Now that I've experienced a winter, I can see one thing that a poop board might be useful for. It may help the litter to last longer without having to be changed out as often during the winter. You would still have the benefit of the deep litter, just not have such a high concentration during the winter months.

I'm just contemplating that now...I really don't want to mess with a poop board....

But wondering y'alls thoughts on that. Anyone use a poop board? Worth it or not for the winter?

I don't use a poop board. But like you I can see why people do.... I just last week went in and turned it over a bit, added some DE and new shavings... its the only thing i have done since probably early December, other than add some more shavings and some hay as the temps went down. My coop floor is dirt, and i turned that over last weekend too. I love the deep litter method, although i can say, in the spring, summer and fall i do change it out a bit more frequently.. but it works for me.

 

[Sally8]

I should have responded sooner, sorry. My coop consists of 2 levels of 6 x 8 buildings (approx.) One level is roosting and the other has nesting boxes and feeding. I have 18 chickens, only once have I stirred it up (I wanted to check whatwas going on) the rest of the times they do. Occasionally I throw grains in for them to stir. Never ammonia smell.

 

[Mumsy]

I have everything in my barn fit to my height. It drives all of my six foot and over son in laws crazy. They can't go into my barn without hitting their head on something. My husband is a few inches taller than me and he never builds anything out of my reach. It's one of the reasons I love him so.

I considered poop boards for about a minute twenty years ago when we built our barn. Thought against it and glad I did. Just one more place to clean poo off of.

My roosts are all under three feet off the floor for LF and Bantam RIR. Planks and 2"6" boards for the Silkies. My DL is truly deep in all pens and the aisle except the Silkie breeding pens. They don't scratch it up well enough so they are on shavings now. I am going to switch them to hay. I am observing the Catdance pullets and my young Silkies eating the shavings. Binkus had shavings in her gizzard. I have read that this can be a problem for impacted gizzard in some Silkies.

I like to fork my DL. Even though the chickens do it every day. It is one of my favorite barn chores.

 

[Eggcessive]

Also - a winter coop question for anyone!

I use deep litter. I have never used a "poop board" or anything else under the roost.

But

In the winter, there's a lot more poop concentrated in there since they're home more (!) I had read of folks that use the deep litter but still have a board under the roost that they clean off daily. When I read about that it seemed like a lot of extra work to me!

Now that I've experienced a winter, I can see one thing that a poop board might be useful for. It may help the litter to last longer without having to be changed out as often during the winter. You would still have the benefit of the deep litter, just not have such a high concentration during the winter months.

I'm just contemplating that now...I really don't want to mess with a poop board....

But wondering y'alls thoughts on that. Anyone use a poop board? Worth it or not for the winter?

I built some poop boards in my 12X 24 Ft. coop last fall that have Sweet PDZ on them. The roosts are 12 inches over them, and then they have the entire coop floor in deep litter of pine shavings and leaves. I scoop the boards each morning with a cat litter scoop which takes about 15 minutes, but I can observe what it looks like as far as worms, blood, or watery stools. I collect it in 5 gallon buckets and deposit it into my manure bin. The PDZ is zeolite and is non-toxic and won't harm the garden. It keeps everything dry and clean. Frozen manure is quite easy to scoop out and my deep litter on the floor has stayed very nice all winter. I just add some new when it gets thin.