Chicken Coops for Sale in Lancaster, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Lancaster, 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 And Run For Sale in Lancaster, New York
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Lancaster 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 Lancaster New York chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Lancaster, New York With the substantial increase in poultry keeping there has been a similarly big surge in the variety of fowl paraphernalia on sale. Poultry real estate is a proceedings in point. It's additionally a timeless example of the excellent old bandwagon being jumped on as different would-be fowl housing professionals pitch an array of accommodation asserting to be the suitable option to your chicken real estate needs. Usually the cost looks attractive, your house looks desirable, heck even the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are lots of inexpensive as well as nasty coops flooding the marketplace. I understand this as I've examined a number of them in the field, as well as seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed pail appeared. The result was nothing but an expensive heap of fire wood as well as a small group of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Chicken House in Lancaster, New York
Usually these standardized designs are built of rapid grown wood - come the first decline of rain they swell, leaving you either defending a door that won't close, or tearing the door furnishings off in a vain effort to release the squawking inhabitants. The first warm and comfortable day means the hardwood dries out as well as cracks, the felt roof covering bubbles and also boils, and also come nightfall the hens choose not to go in. This is not because of their frustration at the decrease of their when desirable commercial property but considering that the hovel is now a sanctuary for, as well as probably abounding, the poultry caretaker's bane, red mite. Add the fact that it said on the blurb that it would certainly fit 4 large chickens when that equipping density was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also exactly what are you entrusted? A couple of joints and some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to four birds must cost you in the region of ₤ 300 though this can depend upon whether you choose for a complimentary standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large area as well as the pop hole door allows enough for the type you keep, then the primary needs of real estate come down to three factors which will certainly define the number of birds your house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also air flow. Most types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost during the night, this perch ought to preferably be 5-8cm wide with smoothed off sides so the foot rests easily on it. The perch should be more than the nest box entry as chickens will additionally normally search for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is incidentally when they create the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the following day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require about 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is undoubtedly much less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your home they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors but are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably the house should have a the very least one nest box for each 3 birds and also these ought to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your house. Your home ought to have adequate air flow: without it after that condensation will certainly accumulate every evening, even in the chilliest of weather condition. Realize, air flow deals with the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving with a high gap drawing cooler air in from a reduced gap - it's not a set of holes on other wall surfaces of your house as well as at the exact same level, this is what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run attached after that the factors above are still real, yet you ought to likewise consider the run dimension. The EU maximum lawful stocking thickness for a totally free variety bird is (as well as let's encounter it, among the motivations for maintaining some chickens in the house is perhaps improved or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m settled. Take a close consider a few of the deal residences - it could well be the house has the appropriate perches, correct ventilation and enough nest boxes for an affordable variety of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the stating goes, "you get exactly what you pay for". You might believe you've got a deal, however you and also your group could rue the day you did. Purchase the right house and it will last for a few years, otherwise longer provided the proper treatment. Eventually your fowl as well as your chicken maintaining encounter will be much the far better for it.coop build
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in Elmsford, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Fly Creek, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Beaver Falls, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Cornwall On Hudson, New York
Chicken Coops for Sale in Clyde, New York