If you have an uncovered space AND ducks in with your chickens, you will have a muddy situation. I always withdrew water in my duck house at night. Actually, the ducks seldom had water in their coop. It had a solid roof, so no rain or snow fell inside the coop. If I had a duck setting eggs, I removed her from the coop and took her to the far side of the fenced yard where she did her business, had some water & food, bathed and groomed before heading back to her eggs. I winder if you have any fencing under the coop area? If not, you will eventually loose your poultry to some digging predator.

The suggestions about hardware cloth floors are excellent. To assist in keeping the shavings from compacting, try tossing out some whole grains on the bedding (shavings or wood chips...pine, not Black Walnut or Teak) in the late afternoon and the chickens will scratch the bedding in search of the grains. This will assist in keeping the ammonia fumes down and fluff up the bedding. Stal-Dri will dry out bedding, but most of the wettest bedding should be removed prior to using Stal-Dri (organically accepted).

During the wettest months, you might want to cover the top of the coop with a tarp to keep rain/snow out.

Good luck!

I live on the south coast of MA. I'm no longer homesteading and would like to sell the books I bought to teach me how to do what I needed to do. All are in excellent condition, soft-cover books. Shipping is extra and will be calculated according to how many books will fit into the Priority Mail mailer. Thanks for reading!

SEPTIC TANK PRACTICES
By Peter Warshall, 1979 edition
Anchor Press/Doubleday
Strategies for conserving and recycling household waste water accompanies information on the construction, operation, and maintenance of septic tank systems...$4.00

THE WELL-BUILT HOUSE
By Jim Locke, 1988 editoin
Houghton Mifflen Company
This is the essential book for anyone who is considering building or buying a new house or remodeling an old one--an insider's guide to construction, written by a professional contractor. Many readers will remember Jim Locke as the contractor in Tracy Kidder's bestselling book HOUSE, in which he epitomized the values of the true craftsman...$6.00

SLOPING AND VIEW SITES
300 new custom home plans 1988 edition
L. M. Bruinier & Associates, Inc. Designers...$5.00

SLOPING AND VIEW SITES
290+ new home plans
L. M. Bruiner & Associates Inc. Designers...$5.00

THE HOME WATER SUPPLY
How to Find, Filter, Store & Conserve It.
By Stu Campbell, 1988 edition
A Garden Way Publication
If you manage your own water supply, you’ve likely had, are having, or will have water problems. Whether it’s an issue of access, contamination, or taste, Stu Campbell has a clever solution, often enlivened by a charming anecdote. Campbell offers techniques for locating water on your property, as well as how to purify, store, and distribute it throughout your home. With an approachable style, expert advice, and money-saving strategies, The Home Water Supply has all of your water issues covered...$10.00

SOLID FUELS ENCYCLOPEDIA
By Jay Sheldon, 1990 edition
A Garden Way Publication
Excellent information on different fuels, stoves, installation of stoves...$10.00

WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BUILD A HOUSE
The Diary of a Builder
By Bob Syvanen, 1985 edition
Taunton Press
A great book for beginner builders, shows all kinds of structures and proper building information...$8.00

EARTH PONDS
The Country Pond Maker's Guide
By Tim Matson, 1982 edition
Countryman Press
The author writes from the perspective of a conservationist, but his passion for what he's doing comes across as poetic. Extremely helpful guide for facts, resources, and the issues/challenges you're likely to encounter, as well as key environmental considerations...$9.00

PASSIVE SOLAR ENERGY
By Bruce Anderson & Malcolm Wells, 1981 edition
Brickhouse Publishing Company...$6.00

LEARN TO BE A GENERAL CONTRACTOR
Build Your Own Dream House or do a Renovation
By Carl Heldmann & Associates, 1989 edition
National Plan Service, Inc.
Carl has been a licensed home builder and a licensed real estate broker for over 30 years and a construction loan consultant to construction lenders for 30 years. He has personally helped thousands of folks like yourself build their dreams. He is also the founder of two schools of homebuilding, a former newspaper housing columnist, and author of several books on building your own home whose aggregate sales are more than ½ million copies.
Be Your Own House Contractor has sold over 300,000 copies and is available in all USA libraries...$6.00

DESIGNING & BUILDING A SOLAR HOUSE
By Donald Watson, 1985 edition
A Garden Way Publication
This apparently was among the first books to be published in the 1970s solar design field, written by one of the original practitioners of the field. (Bruce Anderson's "Passive Solar Home" was another contemporary). It describes the work in solar design in the United States in the early 1970s with many designers who are now widely known (the first solar house by Architect William McDonough). It contains documentation of early solar installations (system researcher/originators such as Maria Telkes, Harold Hay, and George Lof), and both passive solar and active solar systems. The 1970s era applications of solar design and technology curiously have not greatly changed in design principle, although improved by 50 years of development. In its day, this book was a "best seller," promoting approaches to home design that are now widely applied...$15.00

You might want to consult a book, titled "RAISING POULTRY THE MODERN WAY" by Leonard Mercer. Published by Garden Way publication. My copy is old, from 1975. I know there is a newer version by Gail Demarow. In this book, there is a great layout for a coop I built in 2004. I added a grain room that runs the depth of the coop, put up an extra wall between the grain room and main living area. I increased the overhang on the front of the coop to shade the interior in the summer months. I insulated floor, walls & ceiling as well as wiring for electric. The grain room is very useful for keeping broody hens and newly hatched chicks in cold months as well as isolation area (in small dog kennels) for sick or injured chickens. The electric allows for supplemental lighting in winter months after the molt is done. Also, the electric allows using a heating pad should a bird need heat while in isolation.

I used recycled windows and recycled door between the grain room & living area for the birds.I bought an exterior door for the main entrance. All walls in the living area were finished on the interior with shiplap siding and scrap plywood was used in the grain room. I used rigid foam insulation and it needs to be kept away from the birds since they seem to LOVE eating the foam insulation.

I put hardware cloth under the floor (below the rigid foam insulation) and up the sides of the exterior walls before putting up the exterior siding (I used exterior 5/8" plywood, stained with oil) to assure that rodents couldn't chew through to the inside of the coop. No sense in having a grain room full of certified organic grain if the mice/rats can eat it!

The front of the coop faced south, allowing sun to enter the coop in the winter months but shading from the hot summer sun. In winter on a sunny day, the interior of the coop might reach 60 degrees. In summer, the shaded front kept the coop at least 15 degrees cooler than outside. I used two double-hug windows on the front of the coop, one on each side of the coop (one was in the grain room) and covered all the windows on the outside with half-inch hardware cloth, screwed down with battens. I created two, large awning windows on the back of the coop, covered again with half inch hardware cloth. The large awning openings gave excellent ventilation when cleaning out the coop and in summer months.

I sprung for the good roofing...Channel metal. It was worth it in winter months, for the snow slid right off the roof.

I hand-crafted an insulated guillotine door for the birds' entry and exit to the outside. The rope to lower/raise the door was in the grain room with a heavy-duty cleat. Worked well but sometimes got loaded up with wet shavings in winter, so I sometimes had to scrape off any material to prevent freezing just before closing the door at night. This happened only in wet or snowy weather and I didn't feel it was an issue, so I never tried to fix it.

This was a great coop, could house up to 60 birds on the roosts. I used tree branches of different diameters and installed them through the ship-lap siding with hole saws and then fastened them with 3" sheet rock screws to prevent them from turning. Different sized roosts are good exercise for the birds' feet. Do not use pine or any fur for roosts, the sap will cause damage to the birds' feet. I used oak, ash, locust. Pre-drilling the holes in the roosts make it easier to fasten them to the ship-lap siding.

Egg laying boxes must be lower than roosts or the hens will sleep in the egg boxes rather than on the roosts. A habit very hard to break and making for very dirty eggs.  Best to put the roosts up higher in the beginning.

I hope this helps...I have graduated from the SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS.

On the subject of wood ashes in potato beds...wood ashes often cause scab on potatoes. I have had first hand experience, so I can say that my potatoes grown with wood ashes had scab. These were mostly the purple variety, they are prone to scab anyway. But half the row had wood ashes, the other half didn't. The wood ash treated part of the row had a lot more scab than the part that wasn't treated. Just saying...

Hey Permies, This is a reply to the "no-dig" potatoes thread. I grew potatoes in STRAW one year. I got the straw from a neighbor who grows it for his strawberries. My planting method was similar, however I put the soil amendments in and tiled prior to planting. I allowed the potato cuts to "cure" for two days in the dark prior to planting. I didn't put any dirt over the potato cuts, just straw. I laid soaker hose over the straw for irrigation, but never needed it. When the plants grew tall, I put another layer of straw. I had thought of leaves but didn't have any put aside that year. I had NO potato beetles, no insects of any kind bothering the potatoes! The best thing was there was no dirt to wash off the potatoes! The skins were tender, not tough. I cured them prior to storing. I was amazed at the size of some of the varieties. They stored well into March before sprouting. The idea of not having to wash potatoes is fantastic! Everyone should give this method a try. I think dry leaves would work better than soggy leaves, but having no experience with leaves, I can only guess...Thanks for sharing this great potato idea!

Deer will jump two fences spaced apart...the trick is to figure out how far apart the fences need to be. There are a couple of ways I have used to keep deer away...

Swiss Chard planted in a wide swath outside your garden fence may deter them with distraction. Deer love Swiss Chard! The trick is go keep the deer from eating the Chard as it grows. Chard needs nitrogen to grow fast, deer hate the smell of blood. So, I have had success with sprinkling blood meal on areas around the garden and on the chard as it grows.

I have used nylon stockings, cut into 8-10" lengths, tie off one end, put about 1/2 cup blood meal in the stocking, tie off the other end and hang these bags on branches of fruit trees and fence posts. This has kept the deer from rubbing bark off newly planted trees. When the blood meal gets wet, it will form a clump in the stocking. To refresh the blood meal, just squeeze the stocking to loosen up the blood meal. The bags will need to be replaced every several months. But his has worked for me.

Blood meal will draw other animals, raccoons, skunks, squirrels, chipmunks, probably opossums. Bunnies don't like blood meal.

If you have a good deal of clover in the surrounding areas outside the fence, deer may go for the clover and leave the garden.

However, good fencing, blood meal, chard planted outside the fence in combination may work.

If you can't keep them out, give them something better on the menu!

Hey permies, After reading some posts on the subject of juglone effects on many plants...and reading that mycelia might help, I found this article. Seems mycelia may enhance the travels of juglone. Am I reading this wrong?


https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S003807171400248X

Allelopathy is a biological phenomenon where plants have harmful effects on growth of surrounding plants through the production of chemical substances. Here we focus on allelochemical processes which operate belowground, can influence plant interactions and therefore potentially affect plant community structure. Soil hyphae of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) may enhance transport processes in the soil matrix by providing direct connections between plants facilitating infochemical exchange.

In a two-component field study we showed that soil hyphae likely play a crucial role in movement of allelochemicals in natural soils and greatly expand bioactive zones by providing effective transport pathways for chemical compounds. First, we tested the effects of Juglans regia leaf litter extract addition in intact or disrupted hyphal networks and simultaneously determined growth reducing effects on sensitive Lycopersicon lycopersicum plants. Second, we analyzed the effect of juglone on tomato by directly adding leaf litter. In both approaches we found an increase of juglone transport if a hyphal network was present, resulting in reduced growth of target plants.

Our results, together with previous work, add to the body of evidence for hyphae of soil fungi playing an important role in the transfer of allelochemicals and effectively acting as transport highways in the field. We suggest that hyphal connections, mostly formed by AMF, increase the effectiveness of allelochemicals in natural systems and can play a crucial role in chemical interaction processes in the soil.

   

Hey Permie folks...of bird interest...

Bluebirds don't often nest in wooded areas. They prefer the "edge" of a pasture or meadow. Sometimes, they may nest in your front yard if you offer them the proper situation. Try searching bluebirds across america website. The Audubon society will offer free plans on acceptable bluebird housing. Bluebirds are pretty fussy about their housing and will reject any that are not made to specs. They are often predated by English Sparrows, Starlings and Tree Swallows. There is a lot of information available online o how to construct and place housing for Bluebirds. But the correct number of houses placed 50 feet apart will be necessary.

The hole in your manufactured house is just too large to protect Bluebirds from Starlings. The proper opening should be drilled to the correct diameter. If you have made the hole too large, you can construct another proper sized hole from a larger piece of wood and screw that over the hole. The thickness of the added wood will offer more protection from predators such as raccoons, other larger birds (such as Purple headed Grackles) from reaching inside the nest and pulling the hatchlings out. Once a nest has been compromised by predators, the Bluebirds won't come back to that site. Ever. And word will travel throughout the Bluebird community that your place isn't safe.

To prevent predators from climbing up any pole to reach the house, you can put up a barrier of sheet metal on the pole. Or a squirrel baffle. If you offer housing, you must be sure you have done all possible to prevent predation.

I walked the Bluebirds Across America trail in Huntington, Vermont in the mid-1990's. There were over 50 houses on a two mile trail. It was interesting to see who would nest in these manufactured houses. There were chickadees, tree swallows, wrens and flying squirrels!

Houses must be cleaned out each spring, after the worst of the winter is over. Bluebirds will scout for acceptable housing in late winter. I have heard they are already scouting in my area (south coastal Mass). If nesting material is left from the previous nesting season, parasites may linger and infest the new hatchlings. Mites is the largest killer of newly hatched birds. But the previous season's nesting material should be left in winter. In severe storms, Bluebird families will seek shelter in nest boxes. The left behind nesting material will offer some insulation from the harsh winds and heavy snow.

All constructed houses should have the proper opening size. All houses should be easily opened for yearly clean out. Roofs should be water proof. Do not paint houses. Use rough-cut lumber for construction of houses.

More information is available online. I hope this helps.

I would remove the stick, clean the wound out and apply RAW honey to the open wound. Keep the bird in a confined space (sounds like a dog kennel is a great idea) with towels on the bottom. Other bedding will attach itself to the open wound. Change towels daily. Feed high protein foods (small pieces of raw meat is good, hard-cooked eggs also) along with regular feed. Re-examine the wound twice daily for several days to check on healing. RAW honey has antibacterial properties and will assist healing as well as reducing pain. Don't use hydrogen peroxide other than to clean the wound initially for it inhibits regrowth of new flesh.

Be sure the bird doesn't have any lice or mites. Collect eggs promptly to prevent egg eating.

I had a pullet who was hawked on her head, completely exposing the skull. I thought she was done, but applied RAW honey to the open wound, confined her for several months. The wound healed and she went out with the flock in a few months. She laid her first egg before the wound was totally closed. It seemed that the torn-away flesh grew up her skull as time went by. The honey became solid, almost like a helmet over the open wound. It was quite amazing!

Offer treats, cut into small pieces of any greens you have available. The most important issue is to keep the open wound clean and hope that the wound heals from the inside out and not close up before the wound has a chance to close from the inside out, preventing infection.

Good luck!

The Chicken Guru

I am new to this forum, but I was looking at some pix of small insects that seem to be bothering some chickens. There was a pix of some bugs on a lid of some type, I guess. First, where is this chicken? In what part of the country? In the USA? No location is given with posts, so I am in the dark. However, these blood-sucking insects look a lot like nymph ticks. Has anyone thought to take some of the bugs to your local extension for correct ID? If they are in fact ticks, they can do severe damage to poultry due to blood loss. The loss of feathers is probably due to the bird scratching in an attempt to remove the ticks. I assume the birds are free-range?

I would try Neem oil in a carrier oil...olive, grape, corn, canola oil. 25% Neem to 75% carrier oil. Mix well Neem oil goes solid at temps below 74 degrees, so keep the mixture warm prior to application. If you can, spread the oil on the affected area. Try to remove any ticks (?) attached to the skin. There are also something called "stick tight fleas" that might be the infestation. I have not personally seen these bugs, so I can't ID them, but they will also make birds sick due to blood loss. Seems ducks don't have so much of a problem if they have access to swimming areas. There are several diseases that affect chickens, you might want to find a good book at the library and check out the symptoms to see what is the issue rather than to try to treat them before you know what the issue is. DE is good for keeping vermin off birds, but not so great if there is already an infestation. Neem oil will work best for removing any lice, mites. I have never seen a tick on any of my birds and I had many turkeys, ducks and chickens.

If you suspect an infestation of vermin in the coop, completely clean out the coop, nesting boxes down to bare. Scrape roosts, a wire brush works well. Clean any areas of heavy build-up. Sweep clean. I have used a shop vac to clean out corners and crevices. This is a serious house-cleaning job. If you have any questions regarding disease in the house, use white vinegar and hydrogen peroxide...after a good housecleaning, spray vinegar to the point of drip, the follow with a spray of hydrogen peroxide. Do not mix the two together, it is similar to mixing bleach and ammonia and will give off killer gasses. I used a one gallon pump up sprayer. Be sure to get under roosts and inside nest boxes. Allow to dry. The spread DE on the floor and bottom of any areas in the poultry house. Sweep the DE into cracks. Use clean bedding on the floor and nesting boxes...sprinkle some DE on top of the clean bedding.

If you have lice or mites, you have to PAINT THE ROOSTS AND WALLS WITH OIL to smother the insects. Old veggie oil (DON'T USE RECYCLED COOKING OIL!!!) painted on all surfaces will smother any insects. Then spread DE as I have suggested. Be sure you have FOOD GRADE DE, pool grade is not the same.

Set up some dust bath areas that are protected from rain or wetness. Add plenty of DE to the dust bath. I have found that elemental sulfur, wood ashes and DE make a nice dust bath with clean sand. The dust baths should stay dry or they will become ineffective.


BTW, DE is very good for intestinal parasites. I have been very successful at worming my flocks with DE in their foods. Internally, it doesn't have to be dry. I have mixed about 1/3 cup DE into four quarts of layer pellets as a remedy. Feed this mix for several days (3-4 days), then wait two weeks and feed the mix again. If you are not feeding dry feed, you can mix it in with any foods. wet or dry.

I was Certified Organic for poultry, grains and garlic for nine years. These remedies in this post are all organically accepted and will not harm poultry.