Topic of the Week - Kitting out the Coop

[sumi]

Picture by @BY Bob
​

It's the time of year when our flocks spent much of their time indoors, in their coops, so this week I want to talk about coops and what we put in there for our flocks. Specifically...

- What bedding/material works best for the coop floor and the nest boxes?
- How can you keep the coop dry, especially now, over the winter months?
- Roosts and nest boxes - How many do you provide, how much space on the roosts, what do you use as nest boxes and how do you make them attractive for the hens, etc?
- What "boredom busters" can you provide to amuse and distract bored, cooped up birds when the weather is really bad?
- What else do you provide/do to make sure the flock is happy and comfortable in there?

For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

 

[TerryH]

- What bedding/material works best for the coop floor and the nest boxes? 

Pine shavings in the coop and nest boxes and run for us. We do deep bedding in the coop and run. Probably a good 5"-6" in there now. Works magnificently. No smell at all. We do have feed and water in the coop. PVC pipe feeders manage waste extremely well and the horizontal waterer does a great job of limiting leaks and spilled water. Bedding stays very dry.





We use pine shavings in our sliding nest boxes as well. Seems the girls like that fine.



- How can you keep the coop dry, especially now, over the winter months?

The coop is dry year round. We have a large amount of covered ventilation at the top of the north and south walls. The combination of roof overhang and using foundation vents on the exterior does not allow blowing rain to get into the coop.

These opening are covered by the front roof extension...





These opening are on the south side and are the ones covered with louvered foundation vents.



External view.



- Roosts and nest boxes - How many do you provide, how much space on the roosts, what do you use as nest boxes and how do you make them attractive for the hens, etc?

I have sliding nest boxes mounted under the poop tray. They slide back to the wall for privacy and slide out for easy egg access. I have 4 nest boxes. Only 4 hens at this point but prepared for expansion in the future. Most of the time all 4 lay in the same box now.

Slid out.



Slid in. You can see the roosts here as well. We have 18' of roost available. Much more than we need but good to go for future flock additions.



- What "boredom busters" can you provide to amuse and distract bored, cooped up birds when the weather is really bad? 

We have assorted things in the run such as a roost, assorted stumps etc..., dust bath, what we lovingly call the stripper pole which is a 4x4 with 2x3's screwed around it. Also recently added a swing. We're also stockpiling leaves this fall which I'm adding a pile of them into the run from time to time. Pumpkins, weeds, whatever I have to add. WE have an additional area outside the run that is fenced for them to have more space occasionalluy. They don't seem bored.







We also have some stumps, concrete blocks etc... in the coop. Handful of scratch into the deep bedding seems to occupy them for extended periods of time.



- What else do you provide/do to make sure the flock is happy and comfortable in there?

The biggest thing for winter was the sinter curtains on the run. They are 6 mil green house poly that I have attached to 1/23" metal conduit "curtain rods". The poly is secured to the conduit with pieces of 1/2" thin wall PVC that I cut 1/3 off of. The PVC snaps super tightly onto the metal conduit but is still easily removable to remove and store the curtains for future use.

 

[BantyChooks]

It's the time of year when our flocks spent much of their time indoors, in their coops, so this week I want to talk about coops and what we put in there for our flocks. Specifically...

- What bedding/material works best for the coop floor and the nest boxes?
Pine shavings. I provide extra ventilation for the first few days while it airs out. After it gets "old," it's a low-dust solution for winter bedding. I use it in nesting boxes because the hens can't kick a while clump of it out like they could with hay.

- How can you keep the coop dry, especially now, over the winter months?
Don't put water in the coop. Scraping poop off poop boards helps as well.

- Roosts and nest boxes - How many do you provide, how much space on the roosts, what do you use as nest boxes and how do you make them attractive for the hens, etc?
I just stuck four 8 ft long or so roost poles up there, and the hens seem to be happy with it. I have about 21 wooden nest boxes. I make sure the boxes are clean, and not much else.... They're naturally dark, so I don't bother with curtains.

- What "boredom busters" can you provide to amuse and distract bored, cooped up birds when the weather is really bad?
Hanging cabbage heads work great!

- What else do you provide/do to make sure the flock is happy and comfortable in there?

One thing my flock seems to enjoy is climbing on things, AKA playing "the shavings are lava".

Providing boxes or such for them to sit on is also good for reducing pecking order fights.... The big guys sit on top, little guys on the bottom. No disputes.

And, perhaps the biggest thing of all... Provide extra space!! IMO the 4ft minimum is just that, a minimum for birds to exist. I'd prefer to have 10 square feet per bird, and I did last winter, but as I've doubled flock size they're only getting about 5-6 square feet. Not happy about that.... (I've tried to sell a few, but no dice)

 

[rlvellenga]

My coop is open all day while girls free range so any toys I've tried have been greatly enjoyed by squirrels. I did think my girls needed some culture though so I hung artwork. They didn't care but coop visitors think its funny Here is the chicken version of sistene chapel.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I'm in Delaware, USA, Mid Atlantic, east coast, humid area. We get 100+ degree days in July & lows in the single digits January, also very wet springs & drought in Aug, then an occasional hurricane or tornado to shake things up. For the most part it isn't that bad weatherwise, but when it is, it can be extreme...luckily not for very long.

That being said, my goal is to always provide dry, clean, ventilated shelter that also is safe from constant predators...& I do mean constant. This was their home before I moved here & I have come to appreciate the balance. Foxes, hawks & owls are fantastic rodent control & I witness them working. I'd rather have a yard full of foxes than a yard full of rats! My flock is safe, took some prep to dig down several feet then build rodent proof & predator proof pens, but it is well worth it. No one has even dug holes to attempt having chicken dinner.

In the coop, I use wood flake chips. I've tried other methods, but this stays clean & dry the longest. I do sprinkle some PDZ & some compressed wood pellets 1st & I do scoop poop under night perches, where 99% of the poop is anyway. 20 min of scooping wet poo into the bucket that gets dumped at the compost heap keeps the moisture content down.

Nest boxes...each section has 2 nest boxes with fluffy wood flakes. I tried straw before but they kicked it all out every time. I also had more boxes, but found they mostly use 1 or 2 boxes...the other boxes were ignored.
My Roosters go into the nest boxes sometimes & make the sweetest sounds. My oldest "Old Man" Roo sleeps in one while the hens perch, too funny.

I have sliding windows with screens on all 4 sides of the coop, so I can slide open alot or a little & I take notice of which way the wind blows & adapt. I was going to install more ventilation but so far, this has worked perfectly. 99% of the time weather blows in from the west. Unless we have a bad storm forecast, I can pretty much leave the windows cracked open as they are & not worry. I never get rain or snow blowing in.

The pens...well, I was doing sod & it worked great til July heat killed it, then Aug & Sept I had dirt pens, & would lay more sod in Oct or Nov. Muddy pens are bad, I don't want my flock getting bumblefoot & I don't like busting my butt slipping. This past October, I got bags of large natural pine bark chip mulch & so far so good. We've had rain & a foot of snow. I did need to add more bark where I have 20 chickens, but I expected that.

This spring I'm going to add a few raised beds with chickweed & other delicious things to peck at & cover with screen they can stand on & peck what grows through, but not tear up roots. I did this as an experiment on the ground & it did very well last year, so I will build larger ones in April.

Boredom busters...hanging cabbage, corn on cob & the seed mealworm cakes. They enjoy pecking at the mural flowers I painted inside & some enjoy making music on the xylophone.

Each section has a Roo & his hens. I know I have too many Roos, but they are all very sweet & lovable. I can hug each Roo! Even the grumpy Barred Rock...he gives me stink eye, but once on my lap he actually purrs in contentment & closes his eyes. So...yeah, my 1st coop...quickly became 1 of 2, & the #2 coop is a 12x20 with sections, so each Roo has his own "mini coop" for privacy. As I was still fairly new to the poultry world, even I was surprised how well my design has worked out. The only revision needed...don't provide even a few inches of a window sill...someone will undoubtedly be acrobatic enough to perch up there at night & proceed to poop! Note to self...no window sills inside chicken area Lol.

Heat...I thought I may need to heat the coop a bit when it dips down into the teens, or at least have their water heated so it won't freeze solid. I keep water inside the coop & I've used large jugs. I do add outside waterers, but they freeze in winter & I find they need daily bleach cleaning in summer. The main waterers inside the coop are elevated so they don't get dirty or get wood flakes. Even as cold as it gets in winter, I have found that the chickens put off heat. It is enough to actually heat the coop to the point that their water jugs have not frozen! If I lived further north or a higher elevation, I may need water heaters, but so far I haven't. I did buy a few, just in case...only set 1 up outside a few winters ago. Well, it's there if I need it.

So far so good, I really enjoy my flock. I have 40 egg layers, RIR, Barred Rock, Copper Maran, Wyandotte, EEs, Buff Orpington, ISA Brown & a few Mixed...love them ALL & no, I'll never eat them, they'll die of old age. They bring me very much joy & laughter, hatch adorable chicks, make me breakfast, nourish my garden soil, eat bad bugs & I sell their gorgeous eggs. Can't imagine life without them!

 

[kiraboo]

I have a mixed flock of 15 in southeast Texas, where winters are pretty mild with occasional freezes. The raised coop is 6'x8' and enclosed covered run is 10'x 20'.

- What bedding/material works best for the coop floor and the nest boxes?
Our coop is 6x8 and raised up and deep litter never worked well for me like it did over a dirt floor. The plywood floor is painted with a thick coat of roof sealant (Blackjack Rubr-coat #54) to keep it waterproof and durable. There's 2-3" of coarse sand mixed with sweet PDZ on the floor, which gets raked and scooped every morning. Dry as a bone and absolutely no smells, plus their feet and thus eggs are cleaner because of the sand. They don't hang out in the coop at all, only to sleep and lay so I don't worry about it being too cold on their feet. I have 2 communnal next boxes (size of 4 singles) and have a roll out floor covered in plastic nest pads. I added straw at first to to cozy it up... they no longer need it. Those stiff gray pads don't seem comfy to me but they all use it just fine and the eggs are super clean and never broken.

-How do you keep the coop dry?
The coop is raised up and windows are well covered by eaves. There are plexi windows I can put in when wet/cold. I only have a small container of water in the coop with a horizontal mount nipple (they never leak!) in case they get locked in the coop by accident. The pop door is always open since the run is predator proof. The run is covered and I use deep litter method with straw and leaves. During our frequent torrential rains, I add more straw to cover any muddy spots. In hindsight, the entire run should have been up higher a couple inches, so I had to put a drain in the lowest corner to help water out of the coop.

- Roosts and nest boxes - How many do you provide, how much space on the roosts, what do you use as nest boxes and how do you make them attractive for the hens, etc?
I have two 8' long 2x4s for roosts and two 12x24" communal style nest boxes for 15 hens. The boxes are painted a dark color and have privacy curtains with plastic nest pads in the bottom. They liked the hay but it keeps the eggs from rolling out so I only give them hay occasionally or when it's cold. I had to make the boxes "handicap accessible" and added a step for my silkie since she can't jump as high.

- What "boredom busters" can you provide to amuse and distract bored, cooped up birds when the weather is really bad?
Pulled weeds, hang up heads of cabbage/romaine, ears of corn, old fruit, squash/pumpkins, scratch in the run, new flakes of hay or straw- don't spread it, they LOVE that part. I try to let them out to forage for a couple hours a day. They have a natural branch jungle gym and swing, perches at all heights, dust bath, and get occasional empty boxes to poop and perch in/on.

- What else do you provide/do to make sure the flock is happy and comfortable in there?
I have huge coop windows for much needed ventilation over the summer. In the winter, We put in plexiglass windows to keep the drafts out. My kids and I go in the coop daily to dole out treats and love. My Easter egger and Banty cochin actually love to be held and pet. Half of them jump up to be in our laps. They're all going to be freeloaders in a few years, but I'm ok with that. They're my babies.

 

[woodbootcher17]

This is the inside of our run and it was treat time this morning. Run is 16x8.

 

[crealbilly]

I leave holding to my granddaughter

 

[woodbootcher17]

This is our first winter with chickens so I will be following this thread. We are in Michigan.

 

[junkman56]

I use pine needles, leaves, and pine shavings for bedding in the coop and the run. I do not have my nesting boxes set-up yet,
( chickens are not laying yet )

inside the coop I have two roost for 7 hens, made out of 2x4s six ft. long
I keep their feed and water in the coop all the time.

my run is enclosed except for an area under the overhang of the coop for ventilation, so my chickens can go out to the run or stay in the coop if they wish.

I hang a treat block from a chain in the run for them to peck at, and I will give them cabbage, pumpkins and I hang those also.

I throw a couple handfuls of dried meal-worms in the run to scratch for along with scratch, and sunflower seeds

so far I have not seen any pecking or feather pulling... knock on wood

I also have stumps, large rocks and a couple roost out in the run for them to climb on, along with a dirt bath area. and a couple bales of straw under the coop, they seem to enjoy pulling straw out of the bales.