It's what's on the inside that counts

[kayceb]

Hubby and I are about to build coop for our fast growing baby chicks. Besides the roosting area (with a way to clean under of course) and the nesting boxes, what else belongs inside the coop?

 

[TattooedChicks]

I think it all comes down to how you plan on managing your chickens like are you going to feed and water them inside, will you want to do any future brooding of young chicks, considerations for ventilation and security, all come into play. But as long as you have covered the basics of safe, secure, roosting, and nesting, there isn't much else they truly need in there.

 

[kayceb]

I think it all comes down to how you plan on managing your chickens like are you going to feed and water them inside, will you want to do any future brooding of young chicks, considerations for ventilation and security, all come into play. But as long as you have covered the basics of safe, secure, roosting, and nesting, there isn't much else they truly need in there.

Plan on using it more just for housing and then let them walk around most of the day. So thank you that helps. And on a side note, love your username.

 

[ChickNanny13]

You NEED a Poop Board under the roosting area, there's a thread about it. I learned about it after we built our Chicken House, added it under the highest roost. Hubby felt the girls needed roost of variety levels I put PDZ (use for horse stalls, absorbs odor & moisture) in it, just scoop the poop in the mornings done.....Like a cat litter box for chickens. Saves alot of cleaning.

You're also will need to figure what you want to use for ground cover, I thought of sand but due to the rain & humidity here, glad a BYC member recommended DLM, there's a thread about it too. I just add shavings as needed, the girls move it around & when you have "old stuff" you use in the compost bin.

There's so much ideas in BYC, have fun and know you'll end up "improving" as you use & go about raising you chickens.

 

[Crooked Chicken]

Hubby and I are about to build coop for our fast growing baby chicks. Besides the roosting area (with a way to clean under of course) and the nesting boxes, what else belongs inside the coop?

Plenty of ventilation. I used 1/4-inch hardware cloth and window screen over the vent holes to prevent critters/insects. Since you are building a coop, decide if your feed storage will be in the coop or elsewhere. Same for cleaning supplies. Electric, if possible, for heat lamp, light, shop vac, heater waterer for wintertime.