h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Debating Droppings

Any time multiple chicken keepers meet, whether online or in real life, there is a large likelihood that chicken manure will be discussed. Not only can the health of members of the flock be indicated by the appearance of the droppings ( http://www.the-chicken-chick.com/2012/02/whats-scoop-on-chicken-poop-digestive.html ), but all that poo needs to be managed somehow. Just like any other aspect of chicken keeping, there are many ways to do so.

Poop Board/Hammock

Since chickens do the majority of their indoor elimination while they are sleeping, some people place something under the roosts to catch the droppings. They then dispose of the droppings* when convenient.

Sand

If sand is used in the coop, it's a simple matter of scooping, just like a cat litter box. However, sand can eventually absorb odours, and is a bit chilly in the winter.

Deep Litter

The deep litter method is basically composting in the coop. It works best if the floor of the coop is dirt, but it can also work on a wooden* or concrete floor. It can be the least labour-intensive manure-management plan, with the time between cleanings being counted
in months instead of days or weeks, with no more odour than a forest floor. Some pople can have trouble getting it started, howver, if
there is either not enough moisture or too much, or if the coop is too small to get a good pile going. Composting organisms may go dormant during very cold winters*.

Lots of Bedding

Not quite the same as deep litter, but can be nearly as odour-free, especially combined with a poop board.


*Quite often, in compost.

*Protecting the wood by covering it with something waterproof is a good idea.

*Generally, if it gets *that* cold, the droppings freeze and have no smell anyway!


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Technical difficulties mean that I didn't have time to type more, and I've got other things I need to do tonight. So here is the last snippet, and I will be compiling, adding, and editing over the next few days

everyone for reading!

Who'd've thought chickens could be so interesting! Even their poop

This has been a fascinating series of journals. TBH I would never have read a finished entry because I really didn't think chicken keeping would be interesting to anyone other than those who actually planned on keeping chickens. But I've really enjoyed your journals.

Deb

Chicken droppings can be great fertilizer for gardens.

That was going to be in the snippet, before I figured I better get it posted

Deb, that's kind of why I wanted to get an entry on it on h2g2--so people could stumble upon it who weren't necessarily searching for chicken info. Maybe I should title it something like "Backyard Chicken Keeping For the Non-Chicken Keeper". Or not. That title's pretty bad