The Natural Chicken Keeping thread - OTs welcome!

[Mumsy]

Leahs mom: Gosh those SFH are beautiful. I would love to raise those but can't find the space.....Yet!

eggcessive: Your pen is HUGE! I can see why you can clean your droppings board in fifteen minutes. This wouldn't work for me in nine sepearte breeding pens. I also cut open my empty feed bags and staple them to my barn walls. It keeps the drafts out of the barn.

Judy the Broody got off the nest to eat, poo, and drink while I was in the barn. No pips on the five eggs. Hmmm...

 

[chickiemomy]

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?

There's a thread about poop boards that I've been following -- if you make a shallow tray for under the roost, fill it with PDZ - granular- couple of inches deep - (zeolite -ok for chicks to eat, if they happen to) then you can use a kitty litter scoop to scoop out poop - no smell.... My coop was built prior to my reading about this -- I put hog wire under my roost - the coop is elevated, but the wire leaves it open to the ground - the poop falls thru (mostly) - then I can scoop the poop from an outside area - secured by doors. This has kept the rest of the coop litter quite clean. The chickens have never, to my knowledge tried to walk on the wire -- it is 'walled' off - sort of - from the rest of the coop by a 2" x 8" board, placed on its side - so as to keep the litter from falling into the wire grid. They easily hop off the roost into the shavings. Those using the tray method, will often place next boxes under the tray, so as to not waste floor space. The poop tray is about 10" below the roost for large fowl. The thread is called poop board convert...

 

[PeepsCA]

I have this waterer too. Does anyone else have trouble opening this sucker? I have to straddle the white part between my knees and put everything I've got into unscrewing the lid!! My husband and daughter think it's a riot to watch!! Me...not so much! Maybe I'm just not eating my Wheaties!

I don't have this exact waterer, but one similar (different brand, and in the 5 gallon size)... mine is a bear to open too. A coating of petroleum jelly (or even veggie oil/shortening) on the gasket and threads helps make it a little easier to open.

 

[Eggcessive]

So.... it would be best to not put them in a mixed flock? I was thinking about just getting one pullet, so maybe that would be a bad idea? I have all the breeds I currently own in my signature. I have 3 roos (2 silkies and one EE). Any other roos I get are eaten.

I think it would be fine to get a pullet as long as it is being raised with others. I raised 2 different sets of chicks into my flock last year and the year before, and they did fine. They tend to not be the highest in pecking order, but as long as they are raised with others I think it would work. My new rooster came in at 5 months old, and my other rooster would not tolerate him and bloodied his comb badly while he never fought back.

 

[Sally8]

I love all your pic, snow to birds to whatever. Keep them coming and thank you for sharing. They are all so beautiful! The SFH are so gorgeous but I'll be honest the brightly plumaged Buff Orpington's are my favorite and not a one on the property. lol

I didn't really think that Thor was a boy due to his stance, just a tiny joke on my part. I do think he's male from all the learning comments I've been reading from you all.

I'm sticking to my BCM as I seem pretty good with them so far, I'm trying to darken my eggs. I know there is another site for this but am afraid to go there.

Already been there.

I like the poop boards with the PDZ. Every time hubby builds me something more, he says it's the last time. I think I can almost do it on my own.

I like the idea of the 5 gal waterer that unscrews from the top but since being diagnosed with fibromyalgia I can't open a small water bottle anymore. In the winter months I've been using the heated dog bowl. I'm looking for something like it,, plastic and doesn't have a plug.

Thank you all for welcoming myself and all the other newbies that pop along with us and ask the very same questions from the beginning. You all are so gracious and I continue to learn from them and from you. sue

 

[Ashdoes]

I had PDZ in my coop, I scooped every day and every day I hated it more and more. But, I also don't have cats anymore for that exact reason, I really hate dealing with the poop directly. I like the DL because it's minimal work, and don't have to mess with it if I don't want to. The PDZ was great with the chicks brooder, I would sprinkle it over the shavings and it dried up the poo and kept the stink away.

 

[Sally8]

I had PDZ in my coop, I scooped every day and every day I hated it more and more. But, I also don't have cats anymore for that exact reason, I really hate dealing with the poop directly. I like the DL because it's minimal work, and don't have to mess with it if I don't want to. The PDZ was great with the chicks brooder, I would sprinkle it over the shavings and it dried up the poo and kept the stink away.

Could we use PDZ as the only littler under new chicks?

 

[Eggcessive]

I used to have 4 1/2 ft tall ladder roosts the length of my 24 Ft. long coop, and everyone including the silkies had to be on the top roost,LOL! I liked the deep litter, but I found that when I put in the poop boards, it opened up the whole floor for deep litter. I can even put broody pens and supplies under there. The 15 minutes daily that I clean the PDZ poop boards, I spend observing the flock dynamics and see who's laying what eggs.Also, I can use pine shavings on the poop boards if I choose.

 

[Ashdoes]

Could we use PDZ as the only littler under new chicks?

Actually I've read a lot of people who use just sand, and I would think the PDZ would work even better. It does keep all smells away, and it's not harmful. I'd say give it a try, and see how it goes.

 

[TheH Klan of 10]

Hello everyone I was recommended this thred by mumsy .... I have 31 eggs in lockdown this is my first time incubating and I was a girl the last time I had chickens !! We are wanting to raise these chickens without medicines and as natural as possible! Any advice is more than welcome since I am new to this.... Thanks a ton!!