residence in the space underneath. Wood floors are hard to clean, and the cracks between the boards invariably get packed with filth and bugs.
Droppings boards of sturdy welded wire or closely spaced wooden slats allow manure to fall through where chickens can’t pick in it. Not only will the chickens remain healthier, but the droppings will be easier to remove because they won’t get trampled and packed down. Even if droppings boards don’t cover the entire floor, putting them under roosts (or using them as perches) improves sanitation and simplifies cleaning away the piles of night-deposit droppings.
To build this style floor, construct the perimeter wooden framework and fasten it to either welded wire or 1 by 2-inch lumber, placed on edge for rigidity, with 1-inch (2.5 cm) gaps between boards. Make the floor in removable sections that are small and light enough for you to move easily. When you clean out the droppings underneath, take the sections outdoors and clean them with high-pressure air or a pressure washer. Then let them dry in direct sunlight. Like wood flooring, droppings boards must be high enough off the ground to discourage rodents.
Concrete, well finished, is the most expensive option but the most impervious to rodents and predators and the easiest to clean and disinfect. As a low-cost alternative, mix one part dry cement with three parts rock-free or sifted soil, andspread 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) over plain dirt. Level the mixed soil, and use a dirt tamper to pound it smooth. Mist the floor lightly with water, and let it set for several days before turning the chickens in. You’ll end up with a firm floor that’s easy to maintain.
Bedding
Bedding, scattered over the floor or under droppings boards, offers numerous advantages: it absorbs moisture and manure, cushions the birds’ feet, and controls temperature by insulating the ground. Good bedding, also called litter, has these properties:
Is inexpensive
Is durable
Is lightweight
Is absorbent
Dries quickly
Is easy to handle
Doesn’t pack readily
Has medium-size particles
Is low in thermal conductivity
Is free of mustiness and mold
Has not been treated with toxic chemicals
Makes good compost and fertilizer
Of all the different kinds of litter I’ve tried over the years, wood shavings (especially pine) remain my favorite because they’re easy to manage — but they’re also quite expensive. Chopped straw is a good alternative. Wheat straw is best, followed by rye, oat, and buckwheat, in that order. Chopped straw, especially mixed with shredded corncobs and stalks, makes nice loose, fluffy bedding. On the other hand, straw that hasn’t been chopped mats easily and when combined with moist droppings and trampled by the chickens, creates an impenetrable mass that’s difficult to clean up. A good alternative to chopped straw is well-dried clippings from a lawn or pasture that wasn’t sprayed with toxins — the operative phrases here are “well dried” and “wasn’t sprayed.”
Dried leaves are sometimes plentiful but pack too readily to make good bedding. Rice hulls and peanut hulls are cheap in some areas but are not absorbent enough to make good litter. Shredded paper is at least as good as rice or peanut hulls and is inexpensive, but tends to retain moisture and to mat, so it must be replaced often. In some areas it’s sold by the bale, or you can make your own, given lots of newsprint and a shredder. Coated (shiny) paper is not absorbent enough for this purpose.
Deep litter insulates chickens in the winter and lets them keep cool by burrowing in on hot summer days. Start young birds on bedding a minimum of 4 inches (10 cm) deep and work up to 8 inches (20 cm) by the time theyare mature. When litter around the doorway, under roosts, or around feeders becomes packed, break it up with a hoe or rake. Around waterers or doorways, remove wet patches of litter and add fresh dry litter (and fix leaks).
DUST BATHING
Chickens enjoy
Droppings boards of sturdy welded wire or closely spaced wooden slats allow manure to fall through where chickens can’t pick in it. Not only will the chickens remain healthier, but the droppings will be easier to remove because they won’t get trampled and packed down. Even if droppings boards don’t cover the entire floor, putting them under roosts (or using them as perches) improves sanitation and simplifies cleaning away the piles of night-deposit droppings.
To build this style floor, construct the perimeter wooden framework and fasten it to either welded wire or 1 by 2-inch lumber, placed on edge for rigidity, with 1-inch (2.5 cm) gaps between boards. Make the floor in removable sections that are small and light enough for you to move easily. When you clean out the droppings underneath, take the sections outdoors and clean them with high-pressure air or a pressure washer. Then let them dry in direct sunlight. Like wood flooring, droppings boards must be high enough off the ground to discourage rodents.
Concrete, well finished, is the most expensive option but the most impervious to rodents and predators and the easiest to clean and disinfect. As a low-cost alternative, mix one part dry cement with three parts rock-free or sifted soil, andspread 4 to 6 inches (10 to 15 cm) over plain dirt. Level the mixed soil, and use a dirt tamper to pound it smooth. Mist the floor lightly with water, and let it set for several days before turning the chickens in. You’ll end up with a firm floor that’s easy to maintain.
Bedding
Bedding, scattered over the floor or under droppings boards, offers numerous advantages: it absorbs moisture and manure, cushions the birds’ feet, and controls temperature by insulating the ground. Good bedding, also called litter, has these properties:
Is inexpensive
Is durable
Is lightweight
Is absorbent
Dries quickly
Is easy to handle
Doesn’t pack readily
Has medium-size particles
Is low in thermal conductivity
Is free of mustiness and mold
Has not been treated with toxic chemicals
Makes good compost and fertilizer
Of all the different kinds of litter I’ve tried over the years, wood shavings (especially pine) remain my favorite because they’re easy to manage — but they’re also quite expensive. Chopped straw is a good alternative. Wheat straw is best, followed by rye, oat, and buckwheat, in that order. Chopped straw, especially mixed with shredded corncobs and stalks, makes nice loose, fluffy bedding. On the other hand, straw that hasn’t been chopped mats easily and when combined with moist droppings and trampled by the chickens, creates an impenetrable mass that’s difficult to clean up. A good alternative to chopped straw is well-dried clippings from a lawn or pasture that wasn’t sprayed with toxins — the operative phrases here are “well dried” and “wasn’t sprayed.”
Dried leaves are sometimes plentiful but pack too readily to make good bedding. Rice hulls and peanut hulls are cheap in some areas but are not absorbent enough to make good litter. Shredded paper is at least as good as rice or peanut hulls and is inexpensive, but tends to retain moisture and to mat, so it must be replaced often. In some areas it’s sold by the bale, or you can make your own, given lots of newsprint and a shredder. Coated (shiny) paper is not absorbent enough for this purpose.
Deep litter insulates chickens in the winter and lets them keep cool by burrowing in on hot summer days. Start young birds on bedding a minimum of 4 inches (10 cm) deep and work up to 8 inches (20 cm) by the time theyare mature. When litter around the doorway, under roosts, or around feeders becomes packed, break it up with a hoe or rake. Around waterers or doorways, remove wet patches of litter and add fresh dry litter (and fix leaks).
DUST BATHING
Chickens enjoy
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