Lee-Anna
In the Brooder
So attached is a few pictures to help with our coop/chicken situation. My mom purchased us a pre made coop for our family. (Yes I learned a little to late that they are usually terribly made). But our plan was that they will free range all day and we built a run that if for some reason they had to be locked up they would have room. So it shouldn't be a huge deal if there isn't much room while they are sleeping. Here is the coop and run, they are together now.
Everything was going great they played around the yard and are just great to watch. At sunset they put themselves to bed and we would lock them up. We had a great thing going. Until recently they decided this was where they want to be every night.
So now we have to climb up the play set and grab them one by one and take them home. So we need to make some changes to their coop. Maybe it's too warm, cramped? There are no mites. So I want to run through what we are thinking about doing.
1. The actual coop and the little run that us with it, not the additional run added on, we are thinking of opening up the wall that the stairs lead to and completely enclosing that and adding roosting bars. That would double their space they have and we and we can add plenty of ventilation.
2. If we do that should we leave it a dirt floor, I really want to do deep litter method for compost and add the apron around the outside? Or should we make it a wood floor, can I still do deep litter with a wood floor successfully?
3. The grass is mostly gone in the run and I would like to skip sand and instead use leafs, grass clippings, twigs. Will that keep the uncovered run from being smelly and dry quick? It seems to drain well we have never had standing water.
I have read all the blogs I can find about DLM and it seems to have so many variables like climate, and covered vs uncovered. So if it helps to know I live in southern Indiana. Cold winters, hot summers. Thanks!
Everything was going great they played around the yard and are just great to watch. At sunset they put themselves to bed and we would lock them up. We had a great thing going. Until recently they decided this was where they want to be every night.
So now we have to climb up the play set and grab them one by one and take them home. So we need to make some changes to their coop. Maybe it's too warm, cramped? There are no mites. So I want to run through what we are thinking about doing.
1. The actual coop and the little run that us with it, not the additional run added on, we are thinking of opening up the wall that the stairs lead to and completely enclosing that and adding roosting bars. That would double their space they have and we and we can add plenty of ventilation.
2. If we do that should we leave it a dirt floor, I really want to do deep litter method for compost and add the apron around the outside? Or should we make it a wood floor, can I still do deep litter with a wood floor successfully?
3. The grass is mostly gone in the run and I would like to skip sand and instead use leafs, grass clippings, twigs. Will that keep the uncovered run from being smelly and dry quick? It seems to drain well we have never had standing water.
I have read all the blogs I can find about DLM and it seems to have so many variables like climate, and covered vs uncovered. So if it helps to know I live in southern Indiana. Cold winters, hot summers. Thanks!