Perch Bucket!

 The coop has a little corner set aside right in front of the maintenance door. Partly to keep the deep litter in the coop as we maintain the coop (open and close the door / going in and out). There's a bucket in the corner with fresh litter, or pine shavings. To add in as needed. Based on some in-person and camera observation, Yang sleeps on the bucket rim.

Might as well make it more comfortable, and the stash of pine shavings cleaner...

Took a piece of cardboard, put packing tape on one side, and laid it over the shavings in the bucket. Then added a layer of shavings and coop dust. Then topped off the bucket with a perch, made from wood from the 70% off / purple pile at a big box store. And voila! A perch bucket!

Haven't been able to get a good pic of Yin and Yang roosting on it, but they have been since. The surface and edges were sanded down, but that's it for the work.

#backyardchickens #perches #diycoop

Nest Box Updates

We do the deep litter method, where I do a deep cleanout every 4 months or so. As part of this endeavor, I finally fixed up a modular nest box that I pulled out this summer. An egg broke and made a mess. I had to remove the plywood underneath. 

This round, I sanded and painted the nest box, hoping that it'll make clean up a little better next time. As for the bottom, I put cardboard lined with packaging tape for a bit of lasting effect. Cardboard for now. I don't have an ideal area for cutting sheets of plywood. It's laying down 2x4's and cutting over them with a lot of bending. I will eventually do that so I can have bottoms of the nest box lined with tile. But for now, since I'm already bending when I clean out the coop...stapled cardboard!

Now to replace the other solo nest box so that can have some maintenance, then scrape and sand the coop perches, and shovel out the litter.

The last clean out, I put the litter in boxes to burn. I'm still going through batches to burn. This clean out of litter will go into a raised garden bed for overwintering and composting. Hoping to have some good stuff to use in the garden for next season.

The paint color theme? It's one that I'm considering for the main house. So far, I'm liking how things are going with the paint.

#nestboxes #maintenance #deeplittermethod