I am new to chicken keeping, although I did research it for months, driving myself mad, with whats what etc, so much conflicting information. Anyway, I scoop the poop out of the house & run everyday, and in the process have to replace the wood chippings daily, I seem to be getting through tons of the stuff, is this normal? I have read a lot about ammonia/dirty coopd etc annd want all of my ladies to be as healthy and comfortable as possible, am I doing the right thing? I also change the water twice a day, OH says this is unneccesary, is it?? Also last night to my absolute horror, my OH said to leave the vent open on the coop, I was worried my poor girls would be freezing ( although it isnt actually all that cold) byt they were fine this morning . Is it ok to be leaving the vent open for them??
Any help greatly appreciated,
Many Thanks from an over anxious chicken keeper.
sharon. 1 very understanding OH, 5 kids, 1 English Bullmastiff, 1 Dogue de Bordeaux, 1 inherited Staffie Cross, 2 cats ,9 chickens, 1 cockerel 2 indian runner ducks, 3 Aylesbury Ducks and numerous fish.
We just poo pick in the mornings and clean out completely once a week. We do quite a thick layer of bedding in the coop and, except when the weather is very wet, haven't had to top it up between clearouts. They'll be fine without a water change, just top it up if it runs low/out. Chooks suffer more from heat than cold so leaving the vent open is a good idea. We have a couple of Leghorns in our flock who roost in a tree within their run all year round and were perfectly healthy even during a week of sub zero temperatures. Hope that's some help. Dom
Hi and welcome to the Lane! Yep...those lovely ladies poop a lot LOL I think most of us poo pick the coop and run every day to keep on top of it! As for leaving the pop hole open over night, personally, I wouldn't do it! Foxes are determined predators and leaving it open could put your hens at risk! My run is a secure as I could possibly make it and I am sure foxes can't get in, but I still wouldn't leave it open! I dont' think I could sleep if I did! I only change the water once a day, unless of course they make it really dirty or run out, but otherwise once a day is fine!
Slave to 3 children, 1 Greyhound, 1 Cat, 4 rescued hens and a very patient hubby x R.I.P: Ellie, Phoebe, Tikka
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redd_angel55 wrote:As for leaving the pop hole open over night, personally, I wouldn't do it! Foxes are determined predators and leaving it open could put your hens at risk!
Redd, I think she was talking about the ventilation hole rather than the pop hole Dom
Do you mean leave the pophole open? unless it is fort knox I would personally say no, if it is a vent for ventilation then yes as long as there is no draughts. I know some members have chickens that roost in trees and on the coop roof, but I believe they are secure. As for water they do really need clean water available all the time as with food, especially in this weather, put an extra one down any heavy based container or one with a brick/stone in it, although mine prefer dirty puddles As for the poop and litter, are you just poo picking? just actually getting the poo out and not replacing it all? if so you shouldn't have that much, it is what I do, I also put it in the compost heap, so if you don't have one may be worth doing that, we also dig a trench every now and again to dispose of it.
Massive help , Thanks for the reply, OH is right then, I am being obsessive, can I ask what you use for poo picking, I seem to be in there with a shovel :-/...
Will now have to admit to OH he is right about the vent, I hate that ;-) !!!! I clean completely once a week and also put quite a thick layer in, just not got this poo picking thing right yet, and take half the bedding out with me!!!
Sharon
sharon. 1 very understanding OH, 5 kids, 1 English Bullmastiff, 1 Dogue de Bordeaux, 1 inherited Staffie Cross, 2 cats ,9 chickens, 1 cockerel 2 indian runner ducks, 3 Aylesbury Ducks and numerous fish.
No not the pophole, the sehd has a square vent with wire mesh stuff in it, my OH is an Engineer and so therefore knows all about heat distribution etc, except I had a restless night thinking they would all have pneumonia this morning but they are all fine and dandy and lovely.
Yes poo picking is something I think I am getting wrong, I dont think my shovel is the way to go, I have had the chickens two weeks and have already going through a huge bale of bedding !!!!
I have multiple water drinkers/feeders but like yours kine would rather drink the water the ducks are splashing about in, but they seem happy enough.
Compost heap, fab idea, I love gardening too so chicken poop will be great for the garden. Thanks for your help.
sharon. 1 very understanding OH, 5 kids, 1 English Bullmastiff, 1 Dogue de Bordeaux, 1 inherited Staffie Cross, 2 cats ,9 chickens, 1 cockerel 2 indian runner ducks, 3 Aylesbury Ducks and numerous fish.
Thanks Redd, I never leave the pop hole open, too paranoid about foxes, I have gone so far as to set up a perimeter alarm around my coop and run, which makes a loud noise and wakes the stret up, but anything for my chickens. OH thinks I am crazy, and gets cross when the alarm goies off as we have Cats, which are forever prowling the garden,. may need to think the alarm part of my plan!!! .
Yes poo alot,. I cant get over how much ducks poo , , but they are sop lovely it doesnt matter,
Thanks for all the help, I can now tell OH & friends I am indeed obsessive about the chickens
sharon. 1 very understanding OH, 5 kids, 1 English Bullmastiff, 1 Dogue de Bordeaux, 1 inherited Staffie Cross, 2 cats ,9 chickens, 1 cockerel 2 indian runner ducks, 3 Aylesbury Ducks and numerous fish.
Have now been on to Ebay and purchased a scraper overalls, rubber gloves, a large shovel thing, and a stiff hand brush, and some long handled bbq tongs for poo picking, OH will kill me if I use his nice box set ones
Does any one out there put any form of flooring on the floor of the chicken shed, mine is a walk in ( no removable floor) so was thinking about outting something over the floor which can be dragged out and hosed down, any ideas?? [quote][/quote]
sharon. 1 very understanding OH, 5 kids, 1 English Bullmastiff, 1 Dogue de Bordeaux, 1 inherited Staffie Cross, 2 cats ,9 chickens, 1 cockerel 2 indian runner ducks, 3 Aylesbury Ducks and numerous fish.
Please don't tell anyone, but I poo pick with my bare hands. Not usually bare, I have a good supply of latex gloves, but if I'm being absolutely honest I don't always bother. I do get through a lot of anti-bac handwash, etc, but my daughter and her partner work where it's made so I get it at "cheap as chips" prices.
My argument is that I can be very careful that I'm only removing poo and any soggy straw and so the bedding hardly ever needs topping up. For really messy donations I have a children's spade and rake thing, designed for sandcastles, but as they are now 34 and 32 years old I feel that they are unlikely to want to use them again.
Bea; 19 hens (most of whom I intended to get); 6 bantams (which I never intended to have); old Benji dog and young Toby dog (who I definitely wanted). Three years into country living and loving it.
I just use us the yellow rubber gloves to poo pick the coop, and an old dustpan and brush for the run, just flick it into the pan, easy! It all goes into a large plastic tub lined with an xxl bin liner and with a tight fitting lid until its full, then disposed of, simples
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but they are all fine and dandy and lovely. 
, but they are sop lovely it doesnt matter, 
