Chicken Coops for Sale in Sedley, Virginia
Chicken Coops for Sale in Sedley, Virginia
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 Build in Sedley, Virginia
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Sedley Virginia" 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 Sedley Virginia chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Sedley, Virginia With the substantial boost in chicken keeping there has been a similarly large rise in the variety of chicken stuff on sale. Fowl housing is a situation in point. It's likewise a traditional instance of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as numerous would-be fowl housing specialists pitch an array of lodging claiming to be the optimal solution to your chicken real estate demands. Frequently the rate looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks attractive, heck also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Surely they understand a quality chicken house when they see one? There are many low-cost and unpleasant coops swamping the marketplace. I understand this as I've tested a variety of them in the area, as well as seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed pail appeared. The outcome was just an expensive pile of firewood and also a tiny group of bemused and also now homeless bantams.
Baby Yellow Chick For Sale in Sedley, Virginia
Typically these standardized designs are created of rapid grown timber - come the first drop of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that won't close, or ripping the doorway furnishings off in a vain attempt to release the squawking occupants. The first warm day indicates the wood dries and also splits, the felt roofing system bubbles and also boils, and come nightfall the hens refuse to go in. This is not because of their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their when attractive residential property however due to the fact that the hovel is now a sanctuary for, and also possibly abounding, the poultry keeper's bane, red mite. Add that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly fit 4 large hens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and what are you entrusted? A number of hinges and some kindling. A respectable coop for thee to four birds should cost you around ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you choose for a free standing house or one with a run attached. Assuming you are varying your birds in a big room and the pop hole doorway is big enough for the breed you maintain, after that the major requirements of real estate boil down to 3 factors which will define the number of birds your house will hold; perches, nest boxes as well as ventilation. Most types of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost at night, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off edges so the foot rests comfortably on it. The perch ought to be above the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly additionally normally look for the highest point to perch. A perch below that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they generate one of the most poo) bring about soiled eggs the list below day. They should not however be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries could take place when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in little types this is certainly less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your house they need to be more than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their next-door neighbors but are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your house should 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 your home. Your house must have sufficient air flow: without it after that condensation will certainly develop every night, also in the chilliest of weather. Realize, ventilation deals with the concept of cozy air leaving via a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a set of openings on opposite walls of your home as well as at the same degree, this is just what's referred to as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the factors above are still true, yet you must also consider the run size. The EU maximum lawful equipping thickness for a totally free array bird is (as well as let's face it, one of the inspirations for keeping some hens in your home is potentially boosted or far better well-being) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m squared. Take a close look at some of the bargain houses - it could well be your home has the best perches, proper air flow and adequate nest boxes for an affordable number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you get what you spend for". You may assume you've grabbed a deal, however you and also your flock might rue the day you did. Purchase the best house and also it will last for a few years, if not longer offered the correct treatment. Eventually your poultry and your poultry maintaining experience will be much the better for it.for sale chickens
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