Chicken Coops for Sale in East Otto, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in East Otto, New York
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 For 10 Chickens in East Otto, New York
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in East Otto New York" 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 East Otto New York chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in East Otto, New York With the huge boost in poultry maintaining there has been an equally large surge in the variety of poultry stuff for sale. Poultry housing is an instance in point. It's likewise a timeless instance of the great old bandwagon being got on as different potential chicken real estate experts market a variety of accommodation claiming to be the ideal solution to your chicken housing needs. Often the cost looks eye-catching, the house looks appealing, heck even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look eye-catching. Surely they understand a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of economical and horrible cages flooding the market. I know this as I've checked a variety of them in the area, as well as seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed bucket showed up. The result was just an expensive stack of fire wood and a little flock of bemused and now homeless bantams.
Baby Chick House in East Otto, New York
Most of the time these mass produced designs are created of rapid grown timber - come the very first decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a doorway that will not shut, or tearing the doorway furniture off in a vain attempt to release the squawking occupants. The very first warm day suggests the hardwood dries out and fractures, the felt roofing bubbles and also boils, and come nightfall the hens choose not to enter. This is not as a result of their disappointment at the decline of their when desirable apartment but since the hovel is currently a haven for, as well as probably abounding, the chicken caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add that it stated on the blurb that it would fit four big chickens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as what are you entrusted? A number of joints and some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you choose for a totally free standing house or one with a run connected. Assuming you are ranging your birds in a huge space and the pop opening door is big enough for the type you keep, then the primary demands of housing boil down to 3 points which will certainly define the variety of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. Many types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost in the evening, this perch should ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch should be higher than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly likewise normally seek the acme to perch. A perch less than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they generate one of the most poo) leading to stained eggs the following day. They shouldn't however be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries could possibly happen when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require regarding 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is undoubtedly less), plus if more than one perch is installed in your home they must be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors however are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your house must have a the very least one nest box for each 3 birds and also these ought to be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of your house. Your house should have ample air flow: without it then condensation will certainly develop every evening, also in the chilliest of weather condition. Be aware, ventilation deals with the principle of warm air leaving through a high gap drawing cooler air in from a reduced void - it's not a collection of openings on contrary wall surfaces of your house and at the exact same degree, this is exactly what's called a draft. If you have a house with a run connected after that the factors above are still real, however you must likewise think about the run size. The EU maximum lawful equipping thickness for a totally free array bird is (and allow's face it, one of the motivations for maintaining some chickens at home is potentially improved or better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m settled. Take a close consider some of the deal homes - it could well be your house has the appropriate perches, correct air flow and ample nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you obtain what you pay for". You may assume you've grabbed a bargain, but you as well as your flock can rue the day you did. Purchase the appropriate house and also it will last for a few years, otherwise longer provided the appropriate treatment. In the long run your chicken and your poultry keeping encounter will certainly be a lot the much better for it.chick chick
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