Chicken Coops for Sale in Hanlontown, Iowa
Chicken Coops for Sale in Hanlontown, Iowa
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.
Baby Chicks in Hanlontown, Iowa
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Hanlontown Iowa" 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 Hanlontown Iowa chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Hanlontown, Iowa With the huge increase in chicken keeping there has been a similarly big surge in the variety of fowl stuff on sale. Poultry real estate is a situation in factor. It's additionally a traditional example of the good old bandwagon being got on as various would-be fowl housing specialists peddle a variety of holiday accommodation claiming to be the optimal option to your chicken housing needs. Usually the rate looks desirable, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks eye-catching, heck even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are many cheap as well as unpleasant cages swamping the market. I understand this as I've examined a number of them in the area, as well as seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed bucket appeared. The outcome was nothing but an expensive pile of firewood and also a small group of bemused and also currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Quality in Hanlontown, Iowa
More often than not these standardized models are built of rapid grown timber - come the first decrease of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that won't close, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking inhabitants. The initial cozy day means the timber dries as well as fractures, the really felt roof bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the chickens choose not to enter. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their as soon as attractive apartment but considering that the hovel is now a place for, as well as probably crawling with, the chicken keeper's nemesis, red mite. Add that it claimed on the blurb that it would suit 4 large hens when that stocking thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also exactly what are you entrusted? A number of hinges as well as some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to 4 birds should cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you choose for a totally free standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are varying your birds in a large space and the pop opening door is big enough for the breed you maintain, then the major requirements of real estate boil down to three factors which will define the number of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also ventilation. A lot of breeds of chicken will perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch needs to preferably be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off edges so the foot sits easily on it. The perch must be more than the nest box access as chickens will likewise naturally look for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they generate the most poo) causing dirtied eggs the list below day. They shouldn't however be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries could happen when the bird comes down in the morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in tiny breeds this is obviously much less), plus if greater than one perch is set up in your house they should be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors however are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Ideally your house must have a the very least one nest box for every three birds and these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of the house. Your home ought to have adequate air flow: without it after that condensation will accumulate every evening, even in the chilliest of weather. Know, air flow works on the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high gap attracting cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a collection of holes on contrary wall surfaces of your home and also at the very same level, this is just what's referred to as a draft. If you have a house with a run affixed then the points above are still real, yet you need to likewise consider the run size. The EU maximum lawful equipping density for a totally free variety bird is (and allow's encounter it, one of the inspirations for keeping some chickens at home is possibly improved or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird per 4m settled. Take a close take a look at a few of the deal residences - it could well be your house has the best perches, right air flow and also sufficient nest boxes for an affordable variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? And so as the saying goes, "you get exactly what you pay for". You may think you've got hold of a deal, yet you and your flock might rue the day you did. Purchase the ideal house and it will certainly last for a couple of years, otherwise longer offered the correct therapy. Eventually your chicken and your chicken maintaining experience will be a lot the better for it.plan plan
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