To have a poop board or not

[kuntrychick]

From my understanding, the poop board is just to make cleaning easier, right?

Well, what about if you use Deep Litter Method and composting and all? The poo is supposed to go into the litter isn't it?

So, do you use a poop board or not?

The pros and cons?

 

[Whispering Winds]

Good Question . . .wondered the same thing, but for the most part if I ask something or tell something on here, it dies a horrible swift death.

 

[#1California Chick]

I have a poop board and I wouldn't have it any other way. My poop board is cut from "Tile Board" so it is slick and is easy to scrap or hose off. I also use the DLM in my coop.

I have a small bucket that I fill every other day with poop. I put it into my compost bins to "hurry it along" for my garden. I am amazed at how much they poop at night! I have nine chickens, but would do it even if I had less.

To my way of thinking: there is less to attrack flies, I will be able to go LONGER before I have to change out the litter in my coop AND the poop gets to my garden faster!!! What is not to like!!!

Good Luck!!

 

[sillybirds]

I'm definitely in favor of some sort of poop board/tray. It keeps the litter, even deep litter, much cleaner. I only have to clean out my droppings tray a couple times a week.

 

[redhen]

I have dropping boards also. I would NEVER not have one after seeing how much they really do help with keeping the coop clean. Once you put one in you'll see what i'm talking about.

 

[patandchickens]

A droppings board and deep litter are *by no means* incompatible. At all.

I have both. The virtue of the droppings board is that I can remove about 50% of the daily poo (which means a large fraction of the daily moisture and ammonia output) in a mere ten seconds every morning. This keeps the coop a WHOLE LOT cleaner and less-humid.

At the same time, there is no reason (in my case anyhow) not to let the poo that *does* get deposited in the bedding stay there and accumulate and break down, as long as it is behaving itself so to speak

(I.e., anything that is resulting in stink, flies, a damp humid coop, or sick birds is NOT a useful version of deep litter)

The only reason I can think of that you might *want* all 100% of the poo output to stay indoors in the bedding would be if you are expecting it to do significant duty heating your coop. This does not apply to the vast majority of people here, and if you *are* wanting some heat output from composting litter you need to remember there are some real downsides of it too (especially the fact that it is hard to have active hot composting without also a humid coop, which can be the big 'kick me' sign for frostbite in the winter).

So, it depends on a person's individual situation, but I'd say that for the vast, vast majority of us, there is no conflict at all between the two things

(e.t.a. - I find that having the 'pure poo' off the droppings board makes it a lot easier to manage my composting -- normal dirty bedding is way carbon-heavy to compost well, so having some pure very-high-nitrogen poo to mix in *in controlled amounts* lets me fast-track some of the compost pile)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[redhen]

Quote:
No! I like reading your posts!

 

[ChooksChick]

If you have a soil floor, that is the only way to accomplish true composting, and without true composting, the benefit of the deep litter method is simply delaying the inevitable, giving a soft floor, and insulation on the floor in the winter.

I have a poop board under each roost, and I sweep the poo up weekly to toss in a composter. It keeps the ammonia level down. I only clean the floor litter (5" prairie hay with DE and StallDry for bug deterrent) when it's clearly got a bunch of poo in it. It goes in a composter, hay and poo together.

I think I do the floor about every 3 months.

 

[Buckhorn Farm]

Can we see pics, please.

 

[Whispering Winds]

Quote:
No! I like reading your posts!

Well, gosh, thanks!!!! (blush, blush!!)