New to BYC - *NEW* Chick owner

[RJM1109]

Hello All,

I am new to BYC!
I am in the process of building a Coop/Run Combination (Photo shown below on what the finished product will look like).
I am in NJ, so weather changes drastically throughout the year, so please take that into consideration when providing your responses please.

The goal is to finish the coop/run in the next few days and to start gathering everything I need prior to getting a few hens.

Please note, i am building the run a little bigger/longer than what is shown in the photo to give my chickens more outdoor roaming space. I am looking to start with 6 hens and add more as time comes.
Coop = 7x6 (with 6 nesting boxes)
Walk in Run = 7x20
Total run = 7x26

I have read dozens upon dozens of forums and posts on this website and I know everyone has their own way of doing things, but im trying to learn as much as possible. Any comments are much appreciated and I look forward to reading/responding to all of your helpful insight!!

My questions are:
1. How should I finish the interior of the walls and floor inside the coop? Do I Prime and use a Gloss Paint? or do you have other recommendations on what to do?
2. How many inches of bedding do I need on the floor of my coop? Also, what is recommended for the material of the floor? I have seen everything from people using either Sand, Pine Shavings, Wood Chips, Hay, etc.
3. Same as question 2, how many inches of bedding do i need on the floor of my run? (The area i am putting the coop doesn't really have to much grass growing). So I figured instead of the hens being right on top of the soil, that i would put something down for them to dig and roll in.

 

[MontanaChickDoc]

I use a combination of pelleted horse bedding and fine flake shavings inside my coops. The pellets break up and become fine sawdust which is very absorbent - they are especially good for ducks. The shavings are easier on their feet though, and less treacherous for me to walk on, as the pellets can be like walking on ball bearings. I learned through trial and error that a single layer of pellets is more than enough, with the thinnest layer of shavings on top of that. Any more than that and the top layer of poop forms a crust and a lot of clean bedding is wasted underneath. A lot of people do deep litter method but I prefer to remove all bedding and replace every 2-3 weeks. Something about putting clean bedding on top of dirty bedding just doesn't appeal to me. The pelleted bedding turned sawdust also breaks down faster in the compost pile.

 

[RJM1109]

I use a combination of pelleted horse bedding and fine flake shavings inside my coops. The pellets break up and become fine sawdust which is very absorbent - they are especially good for ducks. The shavings are easier on their feet though, and less treacherous for me to walk on, as the pellets can be like walking on ball bearings. I learned through trial and error that a single layer of pellets is more than enough, with the thinnest layer of shavings on top of that. Any more than that and the top layer of poop forms a crust and a lot of clean bedding is wasted underneath. A lot of people do deep litter method but I prefer to remove all bedding and replace every 2-3 weeks. Something about putting clean bedding on top of dirty bedding just doesn't appeal to me.

Thank you for your response and your help! I appreciate it!

 

[OrpingtonManiac]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[gtaus]

I have read dozens upon dozens of forums and posts on this website and I know everyone has their own way of doing things, but im trying to learn as much as possible. Any comments are much appreciated and I look forward to reading/responding to all of your helpful insight!!

That looks like a great setup. Assuming that it is a stock photo of what you want to build, I will offer a few suggestions that might be helpful.

My setup is similar, with a coop and attached run. As much as I like my setup, if I had to rebuild my coop again, I would add a cleanout drop down panel that goes directly into the chicken run. That way, I could just shovel or broom the old, used coop bedding directly out into the chicken run where I would let it compost in place.

My questions are:
1. How should I finish the interior of the walls and floor inside the coop? Do I Prime and use a Gloss Paint? or do you have other recommendations on what to do?

I left my walls open. At one time I had considered insulating and putting walls on the inside. None of that is required unless you plan on heating your coop. I was not going to heat my coop - due to the high cost - so I had no need for insulation or interior wall panels.

I bought some inexpensive vinyl linoleum on sale and covered my floor and up one foot on the walls. My idea was to have dry deep bedding in the coop up to one foot deep. My linoleum has lasted 4 years, but it needs to be replaced now. For the price I bought the linoleum on clearance, it was less than $50, I think I got my money's worth out of it. But now the linoleum is ripping and cracking.

I have not decided what I will use to redo my coop flooring, but many people have commented on how much they like Black Jack #57 rubber coating...

2. How many inches of bedding do I need on the floor of my coop? Also, what is recommended for the material of the floor? I have seen everything from people using either Sand, Pine Shavings, Wood Chips, Hay, etc.

I advocate using any free resources for coop litter that you can get. I have used free wood chips from our local county landfill, dried grass, leaves, and now paper and cardboard shreds that I make at home. I have not paid for coop litter in many, many years.

I clean out my coop twice a year. In the fall, I start off with about 4 inches of new paper shreds and add a thin fresh layer of shreds maybe twice a month. Over the winter, that builds up, which is good. My coop was designed to hold as much as 12 inches of deep bedding. Last year, I think I had about 8 inches deep by springtime cleanout.

3. Same as question 2, how many inches of bedding do i need on the floor of my run? (The area i am putting the coop doesn't really have to much grass growing). So I figured instead of the hens being right on top of the soil, that i would put something down for them to dig and roll in.

I started off with a chicken run full of beautiful grass. It only took a few months for the chickens to eat and dig up all the grass, leaving bare dirt that would turn to mud after a rain. I got a free load of wood chips from the local county landfill and dumped it into the chicken run, maybe 2 inches thick. That kept the girls up and off the bare dirt, or mud when it rained.

I soon evolved into the idea of using my chicken run to make chicken run compost for my gardens. I then dumped all my grass clippings, weeds pulled from the garden, and all my leaves into the chicken run. All that, plus used bedding from the coop gets mixed together out in the chicken run to make Black Gold compost for my raised bed gardens. It's really great compost.

If you only want a minimal floor run, then maybe 2 inches of wood chips would suit you fine. Since I converted my entire chicken run into a chicken run composting system, I have anywhere from 12 to 18 inches deep of organic material composting down, depending on the season.

I imagine some people would prefer to see a nice chicken run filled with wood chips, and that's OK with me. I prefer looking at my 12-18 inches of organic material in the run knowing that I will be harvesting hundreds of dollars' worth of compost twice a year!

Coming full circle, my used coop deep bedding is valuable material for composting. I built my backend of the coop to drop down so I could shovel, broom, or push out the used bedding into my wheelbarrows or wagons. Then I haul them around to the chicken run door and dump everything inside the run. I had not considered building a drop down clean out panel that goes directly into my chicken run. That is the number one change I would make if I had to do it again.

Since you plan on having your chicken run attached to the coop, I would suggest also adding a cleanout panel directly into the chicken run if you ever think you would like to compost material in the chicken run. I had not considered that when I built my coop. But now I get more value out of my chicken run compost than selling our excess eggs.

Good luck on your build. Have fun.

 

[User690263]

Welcome to BYC!
I also use a combination of bedding pellets and shavings

 

[gtaus]

A lot of people do deep litter method but I prefer to remove all bedding and replace every 2-3 weeks. Something about putting clean bedding on top of dirty bedding just doesn't appeal to me. The pelleted bedding turned sawdust also breaks down faster in the compost pile.

I think it needs to be mentioned that the deep litter method is actually an active, moist, composting system. It would probably work best if the deep litter had direct contact to earth. In your setup with an elevated coop, I think it might be hard to create a true deep litter system.

I use a dry deep bedding method, which is not an active composting setup, but it does use new litter on top of old litter for months at a time. I have found that in non-snow months the chicken poo automagically disappears into the deep bedding, so the coop almost always looks clean. In the wintertime, the poo freezes on top of any bedding. That's why I add a thin fresh layer of bedding in the coop about twice a month, covering the old litter that has frozen chicken poo on top. In that way, it looks clean. Frozen chicken poo does not smell. So, I am able to get through an entire winter with that system, only needing to do a good cleanout in the spring after everything thaws out.

I have never used pelleted bedding. Since I compost all my coop bedding, it's good to hear that pelleted bedding composts fast. I have used many different kinds of free material for bedding, like wood chips, grass, leaves, etc... but my current favorite is paper shreds. The paper shreds compost faster than my other materials I have used.

Whatever litter a person uses in the coop, I love hearing that they compost it later.

 

[RJM1109]

That looks like a great setup. Assuming that it is a stock photo of what you want to build, I will offer a few suggestions that might be helpful.

My setup is similar, with a coop and attached run. As much as I like my setup, if I had to rebuild my coop again, I would add a cleanout drop down panel that goes directly into the chicken run. That way, I could just shovel or broom the old, used coop bedding directly out into the chicken run where I would let it compost in place.


I left my walls open. At one time I had considered insulating and putting walls on the inside. None of that is required unless you plan on heating your coop. I was not going to heat my coop - due to the high cost - so I had no need for insulation or interior wall panels.

I bought some inexpensive vinyl linoleum on sale and covered my floor and up one foot on the walls. My idea was to have dry deep bedding in the coop up to one foot deep. My linoleum has lasted 4 years, but it needs to be replaced now. For the price I bought the linoleum on clearance, it was less than $50, I think I got my money's worth out of it. But now the linoleum is ripping and cracking.

I have not decided what I will use to redo my coop flooring, but many people have commented on how much they like Black Jack #57 rubber coating...

View attachment 4047294


I advocate using any free resources for coop litter that you can get. I have used free wood chips from our local county landfill, dried grass, leaves, and now paper and cardboard shreds that I make at home. I have not paid for coop litter in many, many years.

I clean out my coop twice a year. In the fall, I start off with about 4 inches of new paper shreds and add a thin fresh layer of shreds maybe twice a month. Over the winter, that builds up, which is good. My coop was designed to hold as much as 12 inches of deep bedding. Last year, I think I had about 8 inches deep by springtime cleanout.



I started off with a chicken run full of beautiful grass. It only took a few months for the chickens to eat and dig up all the grass, leaving bare dirt that would turn to mud after a rain. I got a free load of wood chips from the local county landfill and dumped it into the chicken run, maybe 2 inches thick. That kept the girls up and off the bare dirt, or mud when it rained.

I soon evolved into the idea of using my chicken run to make chicken run compost for my gardens. I then dumped all my grass clippings, weeds pulled from the garden, and all my leaves into the chicken run. All that, plus used bedding from the coop gets mixed together out in the chicken run to make Black Gold compost for my raised bed gardens. It's really great compost.

If you only want a minimal floor run, then maybe 2 inches of wood chips would suit you fine. Since I converted my entire chicken run into a chicken run composting system, I have anywhere from 12 to 18 inches deep of organic material composting down, depending on the season.

I imagine some people would prefer to see a nice chicken run filled with wood chips, and that's OK with me. I prefer looking at my 12-18 inches of organic material in the run knowing that I will be harvesting hundreds of dollars' worth of compost twice a year!

Coming full circle, my used coop deep bedding is valuable material for composting. I built my backend of the coop to drop down so I could shovel, broom, or push out the used bedding into my wheelbarrows or wagons. Then I haul them around to the chicken run door and dump everything inside the run. I had not considered building a drop down clean out panel that goes directly into my chicken run. That is the number one change I would make if I had to do it again.

Since you plan on having your chicken run attached to the coop, I would suggest also adding a cleanout panel directly into the chicken run if you ever think you would like to compost material in the chicken run. I had not considered that when I built my coop. But now I get more value out of my chicken run compost than selling our excess eggs.

Good luck on your build. Have fun.

Wow, thank you for all that info!! I really appreciate it!

Yes the photo is just a stock photo I found online - however - the structure i am building will resemble that photo (mine will just have a much longer run). I had a ton of Plywood & 2x4's laying around the house after doing some major renovations so the cost on material wasn't anything expensive.

I planned on doing the same - in regards to using everything as a compost for my garden!

I also have a friend who has a land scaping and tree removal business - so i know i can get woodchips either for free or at a very low cost. So i was planning on using woodchips as the bedding for my coop and run! but just wanted to make sure that was okay, like i stated - everyone has their own way of doing things and im trying to learn what would be best for me

 

[RJM1109]

I bought some inexpensive vinyl linoleum on sale and covered my floor and up one foot on the walls. My idea was to have dry deep bedding in the coop up to one foot deep. My linoleum has lasted 4 years, but it needs to be replaced now. For the price I bought the linoleum on clearance, it was less than $50, I think I got my money's worth out of it. But now the linoleum is ripping and cracking.

I have not decided what I will use to redo my coop flooring, but many people have commented on how much they like Black Jack #57 rubber coating...

View attachment 4047294

Ill have to look into that. Ive seen most people either use Vinly Sheets or just paint with a Glossy white to help with cleaning. But i will be sure to look into the Rubber Coasting

 

[gtaus]

I planned on doing the same - in regards to using everything as a compost for my garden!

Chickens and gardens go together well. Check out the fourm for many threads on composting with chickens. Lots of good info.

like i stated - everyone has their own way of doing things and im trying to learn what would be best for me

Yes. Do what works for you. Enjoy the journey. I do things a bit differently now than 4 years ago. But I'm still learning new things and make changes along the way. Best wishes.