Want low maintenance hen house need advice.

[deidreg]

I didn't buy it. My town delivers woodchips and mulch for free. It piles up when they take down trees so they're happy to give it to residents.

 

[Boomerwaffen]

I'm not completely sure why I got them. Sort of an impulse. I also just turned 70, so seemed best to do it now vs later! They're sure entertaining and interesting!

Good for you they’re very fun.

 

[jreardon1918]

We have a 4x8 coop. We have had between 4-9 full size hens. Currently have 4 hens. We used to have poop boards with PDZ. We would scoop once per week. Last fall we took the poop boards out to reposition the roosts. Lower and away from the walls and roof. Never put the boards back in place. We cleaned out the pine shavings in the fall and just did that again this weekend. Just a quick sweep, covered the floor with PDZ and then a bale of pine shavings. The next scheduled cleanout will be in the spring.

So we are using deep bedding with pine shavings. Add pine shavings occasionally, full sweep out once/twice a year. The shavings go in the covered run. The compost from the covered run goes into the gardens spring and fall. This current method is working well. No smell, little poop maintenance. When we get more chicks next spring, we may revisit the current method.

 

[Gammas Bearded Babies]

We have a 4x8 coop. We have had between 4-9 full size hens. Currently have 4 hens. We used to have poop boards with PDZ. We would scoop once per week. Last fall we took the poop boards out to reposition the roosts. Lower and away from the walls and roof. Never put the boards back in place. We cleaned out the pine shavings in the fall and just did that again this weekend. Just a quick sweep, covered the floor with PDZ and then a bale of pine shavings. The next scheduled cleanout will be in the spring.

So we are using deep bedding with pine shavings. Add pine shavings occasionally, full sweep out once/twice a year. The shavings go in the covered run. The compost from the covered run goes into the gardens spring and fall. This current method is working well. No smell, little poop maintenance. When we get more chicks next spring, we may revisit the current method.

And the PDZ is fine to go into composting for future garden usage?

 

[jreardon1918]

And the PDZ is fine to go into composting for future garden usage?

I think so. When we had the poop boards, the scooped poops with PDZ were just spread in the covered run. Here is a blurb from the company website.
A Full-circle Green-Earth Mineral
Sweet PDZ is an earth mineral — it is non-toxic, organic, recyclable and compostable. We like to say Sweet PDZ is a full-circle green-earth mineral. We borrow it from the earth to capture noxious, ozone-burning odors, and you can return it to the earth as a beneficial soil conditioner in your compost and gardens.