Let start a question of the day or week. I do not have any chickens or livestock but I am very interested in learning more. And yes it would also a ok site for y'all to run wild on.
I will start as It might be possible for me to have doves. Starting with the housing (and I do not mine at all if this thread is hijacked. )
Wren
Let start a question thread
My chickens are housed in a hoophouse with a tarp over it since it doesn't get very cold here..lol..will post a pic soon as I get it decent to look at..Hurricane Ike was not nice to me...have to redo it all over..
My question is....Can I add shredded bark mulch to the dirt and sand floor? I get in there and use a rake to level out the floor since they like to take dirt baths in the front part of the hoophouse which is in the sun while cooped up...I don't want to step off in holes anymore..there are other dirt bath places they do it in..just don't want them in the front part of the hoophouse.
edit for spelling
This message was edited Dec 7, 2008 10:04 AM
ok please can some one step forward and answer this question. And remember a good laugh is as important as the info.
Wren
Wren-
I don't know anything about housing doves. I haven't ever had doves. Harmony should be able to answer the dove question when she gets on here.
Moodene-
I think bark mulch would be okay. I do know that cedar anything is poisonious to chickens, so nothing with cedar. Also I would be careful to put bark mulch in with them. I am thinking that the bark would have lots of splinters and if they are scratching around in it they might end up with splinters in their feet. I use pine shavings on the floors of my hoophouses and coops. you can get about 5 cubic yards for about $5.79 and if you use the deep litter method (litter about 4 -5 inches deep) they seem to rototill their own poo in and then it takes little effort to keep it clean.
sorry no humorous comments, to early in the morning.
Sheila
Thank you.
Wren you can have and aviary or just a large cage with a pair. Most aviarys i have seen are like small screen rooms but with wire. My friends has an inclosed back where he has his nest and the front is open for flying. Right now mine are all together in a 3ft x 10ft pen the pen its self is 3ft tall and on legs 3ft off the ground and i have 5 long perches for them to sit on. They can fly the full lenght of the 12ft pen with ease and it's scary to open the door and they fly towards you.I'm so afraid one will not stop and fly over my head.
If you just want a pair or two a good pen wouldn't have to be that big some have them on their patio's.
Here's a good site for Doves and Houseing i go here all the time http://www.dovepage.com/care/housing.html
I don't know anything about doves, but I know the dust baths are good for chickens to keep the parasites off. I believe they are healthier when they get to be in the dirt.
Maby you could add that mulch, but it might not stop them if it's a favorite place. Good luck!
Yes you are right ZZ the dust baths keep alot of the mite's away.
Thank you very much I have bookmarked the page and will study it.
Wren all the breeds and colors are on there it should help you with anything you want to know.
I have been drooling over the pictures. Lot to study before I decide on doing it or not. Like the laceneck doves.
Doves are great pets and they are not loud like a rooster most people like the sounds they make.
I will say though if you do get doves don't have a lone male he will coo constantly for a female and it gets annoying.
Get a pair and then he won't be inclined to coo so much. Do you want them to have babys?
About mulch in the chicken run, some are treated so you need to know what kind you are using.
I have mulch in my pen. The chickens love it. They dig all day, like its a playground.
There are always good bugs under the mulch. It holds in moisture and the bugs and grubs love it.
They dig in the landscape all the time, which is why I chose to put it in their area. ;)
This message was edited Dec 7, 2008 3:21 PM
Harmony I do not know yet there is a lot to learn first. It will probable be some of the small doves, if I get them or maybe some quails. I was thinking earlier that I might be able to combine my epies and a couple doves in a shade house/cove house. Just thinking about it now. I will let you know.
Earlier I saw a sign about a hatchery south of here, did not get the whole name-off to do some investigating
I use wood chips from a local tree trimmer in my chicken run. I also toss in a bale of hay once in a while. Unfortunately, the chickens will still dig down to take dust baths wherever the mood hits them. The only way you could prevent it is with patio blocks, cement or rocks.
Harmony, I had a dutch door on my dove pen. When I went in, I only opened the bottom half. When they fly towards the door, they are higher than the opening. When the doves were not in it for cleaning or restyling, I could open the whole door.
Later, whenI added button quail, could feed and water with the top half of the door as they tend to run rather than fly.