What to put on ground of chicken run?

[Lil Chickie Mama]

Quote:

I can't even imagine how much poops are out there in my coop! I have 12 (20 weekers) and have never cleaned it yet-well moved the coop once, but no cleaning yet. I plan to do it twice a year, can only imagine what it will be like.

 

[ERnoleGuy]

Quote:
That is a great idea. I am doing that tomorrow. I have a few feet of extra hardware cloth and plenty of spare wood. I've been using the rake to scrape up the excess hay that gets dragged over the the sand par of my run, and then using the rake head as my sifter. But I always have to touch poo on accident that way.

Now I want to make like a shovel that has a sifter in it too. I am not a farmer or anything (I live in the city), do they make something like that already. Like the front few inches is a shovel, and the back half of the shovel head is a sifter/grate. ??????? If not, let the record show that it is my future patent. LOL

 

[ERnoleGuy]

Quote:
That is a great idea. I am doing that tomorrow. I have a few feet of extra hardware cloth and plenty of spare wood. I've been using the rake to scrape up the excess hay that gets dragged over the the sand par of my run, and then using the rake head as my sifter. But I always have to touch poo on accident that way.

Now I want to make like a shovel that has a sifter in it too. I am not a farmer or anything (I live in the city), do they make something like that already. Like the front few inches is a shovel, and the back half of the shovel head is a sifter/grate. ??????? If not, let the record show that it is my future patent. LOL

DARN! http://www.freepatentsonline.com/3851763.html

 

[Amethyste]

Quote:
Do you use powdered lime? That sounds like it may help with the smell.

I use agricultural lime...and mix in really well . I lock up birdies early, then do their yard, and let it sit after I water it over night. Next day theya re good to go. I really dont have a lot of smell...I dust with DE once or twice a week to helpw ith flies, and rake the wood bark around as well.

 

[jkfemale]

I didn't know chickens went out in the winter. I have books on them and nothing about the winter months. I was planning on keeping them cooped!

 

[MonkeyZero]

Dirt
All natural good stuff with grass. I like it. THey can forage(there are lots of worms to dig for) and they dust bath in the drier spots
Dirt is good
Good is dirt!

Have a nice day!

 

[Country Heart]

Quote:
I love, love, love this idea!

Any chance you can share a photo of what your sifter looks like? I would like to build one of my own.

My girls love their dirt pile, but I think I could convert part of their floor into something sand-based.

 

[kcfuerst]

I'll take a photo of the Sifter tomorrow so you can see how simple it is to make one.

Also, guys, honestly, I only clean my coop out once a year. I use the deep litter method in there and just keep turning everything over. The girls have a special roosting place over a large "box" about 3'x5' (called the poo park) that gets cleaned out about once a month. When I clean that out, I use the wood shavings from the floor to add to the roost box and put a bit more clean shavings on the floor. Couldn't be better and never smells and no flies. I walk barefoot in it all the time and never step on anything remotely gooey.

Here's photo of the roost/poo park, enough for 10-15 hens to sleep comfortably.

When I clean the run, I sprinkle Oyster shell lime LIBERALLY over the entire sandy run. After that, I sprinkle LIBERALLY Diatomacious earth over that with extra in their bath holes. It actually looks like it snowed in their run when I'm done.

The girls dust themselves with the DE so I don't have to do that either.

Pic of run just after cleaning:

Once a year I take their roosts and all other tree limb type doodads and paint them with Kerosene to kill any lice or mites. Have had no problems with bugs at all.

Here is a photo of the coop and run:

 

[Country Heart]

Neat set up - I look forward to seeing your sifter picture tomorrow.

 

[kcfuerst]

I'll have to do it after work, so it will probably be tomorrow night before I can get something on board. I will post it to this thread if I can find it. Otherwise look for a "sifter" post.