The Poultry Keeper

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1942 Location: Cheshire

This is my first winter keeping hens, and I am finding the early nights difficult to cope with. Its dark when I leave for work, and when I return. I only see a snippet of the girls by tourch light and worry that I might be missing health issues. I have to rumage around under hens in the dark to find my last remaining daily egg. And the only chance I have to clean them out is at the weekend and its getting a bit pongy in the house by friday. In a nut shell I miss them! Sad

layla · Joined: 26 Oct 2007 Posts: 532 Location: West Midlands

You and me both.......it's gonna a b a long winter Sad

Magpie · Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 549 Location: Norfolk

Thankfully I keep mine at work so I can pop and see them during the day Laughing

. You need a webcam Twisted Evil

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Tim

Henwife · Joined: 31 Jan 2006 Posts: 3197 Location: Monmouthshire

Oh come on....It's not all that long to the shortest day and the next thing we'll have is grumbles that they won't go to bed because it's too light.

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1942 Location: Cheshire

debcat · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:09 pm Post subject:

some of mine don't go to bed at all in the summer Confused

NannyP · Posted: Wed Nov 28, 2007 10:24 pm Post subject:

You'll get used to it Speeps, and they probably don't need to be as clean as you like them to be.
Of course, I imagine they're pining for you Wink

Bhindi · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 7:53 am Post subject:

Winters only stops me from seeing my girls on a Monday, and then as soon as the school hols comes round, that's not even a problem then. I hate not cleaning them out daily but as NannyP says, its probably not as necessary to keep them as clean as we do, but saying that I went out before leaving for work at 6.30am, to give them fresh water, and was rather stunned at the niff, that 9 chooks had managed to brew up overnight, and that was without removing some cloth covering that I put over the top of their frame. (I thought my Geoff was bad but they won the smellython by far) Laughing

Tony Sirett · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:30 am Post subject:

so how often are you supposed to clean them out then? my coup is 6 Foot by 6 Foot square and i have 8 hens in there (they only go in there of a night and not during the day unles its bad weather) i have about 4 / 5 inches of wood shavings on the floor and it only gets cleaned about once a month or when it starts to smell Embarassed

NannyP · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 11:56 am Post subject:

I think it depends on how your OCD is Tony Laughing

Mine get done every 2 months if they're lucky. They are in a big shed, about 3 metres squared, and are out all day. I have only just this time put loads of shavings down, so I could clean out easily some of the poo, specially as they (3 of them) are finally roosting in the same spot...so there is a nice pig pile of poo.

I am sure I don't clean them out as often as maybe others would advise......but they seem fine and quite happy, after all they're chickens Very Happy

El Pollo Diablo · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 12:16 pm Post subject:

Thank God for that I nearly had a heart attack when I heard 'every day'...
Mine get their house cleared out and re-filled with shavings and straw every Sunday unles I am away then they have to wait till the next week Embarassed

Run is raked out (straw and general mud etc.) when it is looking pretty bad - or else new straw goes on top Rolling Eyes

Duckie · Joined: 24 Sep 2007 Posts: 201

mmm, once a week with a bit of picking poo out of the nesting box in between if it needs it.

I did think I'd be good when it comes to the summer and do it more often when we had light evenings, but then I realised they'd be out more in the summer and so the coop wouldn't be nearly as bad then anyway Very Happy

Sparklepeeps if it stinks I really recommend garlic powder and hemcore - I'm quite sensitive to smells and it takes about 5 nights (and how on earth can four small chickens poo that much??) before I start to smell it from outside the coop.

CP · Posted: Thu Nov 29, 2007 2:33 pm Post subject:

Stalosan also helps with nasty niffs. Wink

We use it in the coop after a thorough mucking out - every 3-4 weeks on average.

bronskibeat · Joined: 09 Sep 2007 Posts: 1612 Location: Clawddnewydd

I love the dark nights, everything tucked away safely in bed by 4.30 then into house for a coffee/glass of wine (dependent on time Wink

) sitting in front of a nice fire.......
Unfortunately, mid Feb comes around too soon for me - 24hrs a day in the sheep shed............

Sparklepeeps · Joined: 17 Jan 2007 Posts: 1942 Location: Cheshire

To be honest, I only clean them out once a week, Saturdays is my day, but I usually picked poo out when I saw it to help the situation along. My eggs are always pooey by friday, thats my biggest issue! I have often wondered how other people clean their hen out, so whats your routine then?

I do it every Saturday, scrub the perches, and visable wood, wipe all the lino coverings inside the coup down with with poultry shield, pressure hose the gang plank. I have little paper bags (like in sweet shops) hanging up in the house with a scoop, and when I can I scoop all the daily poo out into the bag and pop it into the compost bin.