Chicken Coops for Sale in Molena, Georgia
Chicken Coops for Sale in Molena, Georgia
Sand Litter Bed In The Chicken Coop: An Experiment
We’ve been managing our chicken coop through a . This hybrid system has worked extremely well in . Briefly, how that system works is, the chickens roost over the sand, which acts like kitty litter to dry out their overnight poop, and in the morning the poop is raked to the lower area, where it composts-in-place with lots of straw and other high-carbon bedding.
Last year, fed up with the very real problems involved when you combine chickens and vegetable gardening, we decided to stop attempting to free-range our birds and instead fenced in a large, outdoor area adjacent to the coop. We confined the hens to this area (the ducks, less destructive, still get to free range) and this solved many of our chickens-scratching up-my-seedlings problems.
Too Much Of A Good Thing?
However, this confined run area led to another problem. This is a good problem, a problem I cannot believe I have, but it’s a problem nonetheless. In order to accommodate our flock in this confined area, we piled on the straw and woodchips in both the coop’s lower area, and the outdoor run.
This has led to, basically, more compost than I can use. Yeah, I have too much compost. Crazy, right? I didn’t know there was such thing as too much compost.
When I hauled out all the deep litter and piled it up, it looked like this.
And it’s not just dealing with storing Mount Compost Heap up there. The bedding was building up so deeply in both the coop and the run that we started to have problems just opening the door to the coop. The chickens weren’t super effective at scratching down to the lowest levels, and I’m embarrassed to say that some anaerobic ickiness was starting to take place in the deeper levels of the bedding.
Something needed to change.
Trying something new.
Is Sand A Solution?
In order to manage these drawbacks, we are experimenting with a sand bed in the run area of the coop. The fenced outdoor chicken area will still be managed as a deep litter system, with arborists woodchips and straw added as needed for carbon.
But inside the coop itself, I’m trying sand.
I had help raking out the new sand.
I see several potential upsides to a sand bed, and a few downsides as well.
Pros:
- Sand bed is lower profile, so we’re able to open the door without hassle.
- Seems drier in winter due to superior drainage.
- Spilled chicken food is less likely to get “lost” in the bedding. I’ve observed chickens pecking at the food that falls on the sand. Less food waste = less feed expense.
- Sand adds natural grit to a chicken’s diet and sharpens nails
- Probably less expensive in the long-term, since sand doesn’t require frequent additions or “top-ups” like a deep litter system.
- May allow for indoor dust-bathing. I have not observed my hens using the sand to dust bathe, but I’ve read that they will.
- May cut down on opportunities for Coccidiosis in chickens by providing an inhospitable environment for the protozoa.
- Easy collection of poop allows for a more dedicated manure-composting system, which might be of use to people looking at black soldier fly farming (hem hem, me) or related endeavors.
When the hens spill feed, they can pick it up now.
Cons:
- Cold. The sand does not add to the warmth of the coop like the composting bedding. The sand feels noticeably colder to me when I touch it, and I’m not even walking around barefoot like my chooks. Cold is a drawback here in January. However, to chicken keepers in hot weather climates, perhaps a non-heat generating litter option would be a benefit?
- Requires more regular dedicated maintenance. We’re already in the daily habit of scooping the poop from the sand covered upper coop area, so this doesn’t add a huge amount of work to that chore, but it’s definitely not the kind of job you can ignore for several
weeksdays. - Does not break down into compost. Unless your chickens already make more compost than you can use, less compost is a bad thing.
- The ducks don’t seem happy about the sand, but then ducks don’t like change, so I don’t read too much into this yet.
- Duck poop doesn’t scoop well. The front runner of Reasons I May Go Back To Deep Litter is wet duck poop on sand. Ewww.
- The poop has to go somewhere. In the prior system we just scrapped the upper poop onto the composting bedding. Now the upper and lower poop have to go somewhere. At the moment we’re scraping the poop out the door into the outdoor run area, but this experiment of sand-bedding the indoor run has triggered a re-evaluation of all my manure and compost management practices. So, simple change.
As of now, I have more questions than answers. I’ll let you know how the sand bed works out going forward.
Chicken Coop Yard Ideas in Molena, Georgia
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Molena Georgia" into any one of the numerous search engines and a wealth of information will pop up. This information will provide links to other websites that will be informative and will provide the right direction for finding Molena Georgia chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Molena, Georgia With the big increase in poultry maintaining there has actually been an equally big increase in the array of poultry materiel on sale. Poultry real estate is a proceedings in point. It's likewise a timeless example of the good old bandwagon being got on as different would-be chicken real estate professionals peddle a selection of accommodation asserting to be the excellent option to your chicken real estate demands. Frequently the rate looks desirable, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks desirable, hell even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Certainly they know a professional chicken house when they see one? There are many inexpensive as well as unpleasant coops swamping the marketplace. I know this as I've tested a variety of them in the area, and also seen a ewe run straight through one when the feed pail showed up. The result was just a pricey stack of firewood and also a tiny flock of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Near Me in Molena, Georgia
Typically these standardized models are constructed of rapid grown wood - come the first decrease of rain they swell, leaving you either defending a doorway that will not shut, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking occupants. The very first warm day means the hardwood dries and splits, the felt roofing system bubbles as well as boils, and come nightfall the chickens refuse to enter. This is not as a result of their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their when eye-catching building yet considering that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, as well as possibly abounding, the chicken caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add that it said on the blurb that it would certainly fit 4 huge hens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and just what are you entrusted? A few hinges and some kindling. A decent coop for thee to four birds ought to cost you around ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you elect for a complimentary standing house or one with a run attached. Thinking you are varying your birds in a big room and also the pop opening doorway allows enough for the type you maintain, then the main requirements of housing boil down to 3 points which will certainly specify the variety of birds the house will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. The majority of types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost during the night, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch must be higher than the nest box entrance as chickens will likewise naturally try to find the highest point to perch. A perch less than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they create the most poo) resulting in dirtied eggs the following day. They should not however be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries could occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in little types this is clearly much less), plus if more than one perch is set up in your home they ought to be more than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors yet are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your home should have a least one nest box for every three birds and also these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of your home. Your home should have adequate ventilation: without it then condensation will develop every evening, even in the chilliest of climate. Be aware, ventilation deals with the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving with a high gap attracting cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a collection of openings on opposite walls of your house as well as at the exact same degree, this is exactly what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached then the factors above are still real, yet you ought to also take into consideration the run dimension. The EU maximum legal stocking density for a totally free array bird is (as well as allow's face it, among the inspirations for maintaining some hens in the house is perhaps boosted or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m made even. Take a close consider a few of the bargain homes - it could well be your home has the best perches, correct ventilation and ample nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the claiming goes, "you obtain what you spend for". You may believe you've got a bargain, however you and your group can rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house and also it will certainly last for a few decades, if not longer offered the proper treatment. Eventually your poultry and also your chicken maintaining experience will certainly be considerably the better for it.chickens diy
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