A Few Coop Questions

[Mommy2Blaze]

I am wondering what is the best flooring to use in the coop itself. I thought about the peel and stick vinyl tiles. Would those work or do I really need the full sheet vinyl? Also what type of paint do I need to paint the interior of the coop. You paint it to make it easier to clean right? Also, for nest boxes, is it better to build them or use milk crates or does it really matter? And I read on a thread not to put the nest boxes in till it is almost time for the hens to lay. Why? Sorry if the questions seem dumb, I am just so new to this and want to do the right thing.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
They tend to become peel-off and un-stick. You can try it if you want but expect to have to replace it soon, certainly within a couple years and sometimes much sooner.

Frankly just plain ol' primed-and-painted plywood is just as good.

Also what type of paint do I need to paint the interior of the coop. You paint it to make it easier to clean right?

Whatever. Exterior type paint is better, but interior will last 'reasonably' unless your coop is unusually wet or you hose it out. Mistints or remnants are fine. Yes, that is the main reason to paint.

Also, for nest boxes, is it better to build them or use milk crates or does it really matter?

Doesn't matter. Whatever floats your boat

And I read on a thread not to put the nest boxes in till it is almost time for the hens to lay. Why?

So they don't get used to sleeping (--> pooing) in them, which if they're still doing it when they start laying will cause radically-messy eggs.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[columbiacritter]

Peel and stick just don't work long term. Sheet vinyl is ok, but several thick coats of paint on plywood will last longer.

Paint helps seal cracks and crevices so if you get, heaven forbid, a mite infestation it's easier to get rid of them.

Remember it's a chicken coop and that means poop, lots of poop not all of it nice little mounds. Your coop will not stay pristine for long unless you have the time and tolerance to scrub it completely several time s aweek which I think is over kill. Chickens have an amazign ability to poop in the strangest places. I am constantly amazed at where I find poop spattered in my coops. Sometimes I think they are practicing some kind of chicken yoga to get poop where they do.

They are chickens a little poop won't kill them.

I use prefer dishpans that can be scrubbed out. For my LF I use dishpans to line their nest boxes. Easy to take and out scrub or replace, plus I can put DE under them so only mites not hens come in contact with it.

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

Quote:
They tend to become peel-off and un-stick. You can try it if you want but expect to have to replace it soon, certainly within a couple years and sometimes much sooner.

Frankly just plain ol' primed-and-painted plywood is just as good.

Also what type of paint do I need to paint the interior of the coop. You paint it to make it easier to clean right?

Whatever. Exterior type paint is better, but interior will last 'reasonably' unless your coop is unusually wet or you hose it out. Mistints or remnants are fine. Yes, that is the main reason to paint.

Also, for nest boxes, is it better to build them or use milk crates or does it really matter?

Doesn't matter. Whatever floats your boat

And I read on a thread not to put the nest boxes in till it is almost time for the hens to lay. Why?

So they don't get used to sleeping (--> pooing) in them, which if they're still doing it when they start laying will cause radically-messy eggs.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​

Oh thank you so much for all the help. great answers. I told my husband tonight that we should just put several coats of paint because I thought the peel and stick would do exactly what you said lol.


The dishpans are a good idea too! What is DE?​

 

[happymom99]

Quote:
What a great idea. What is LF?

I see ETA a lot on this board as well and don't know what that means either.

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

Quote:
What a great idea. What is LF?

I see ETA a lot on this board as well and don't know what that means either.

I wondered what lf was also haha.

 

[sherrydeanne]

LF -- large fowl (as opposed to bantams)

ETA means edited to add (so they came back and added it later).

HtH <----------------------------------------- hehehehe Hope that helps

 

[7L Farm]

I built my nest box's when I built the coop. I'm glad I did. I have fake eggs in them as well. They never slept in them but they inspected them every now & again. Mine free range & have always layed all their eggs in the box's. Mine are around 3 feet off the

ground. It makes it easy to collect eggs. I also use hay in the box's.

 

[Mommy2Blaze]

Thanks so much for the abbreviation help haha!!

So I can build my nest boxes (and by me I mean my husband lol) now but put some fake eggs in them. Just like the plastic easter eggs will work? I guess that would make them understand that the boxes are for laying not sleeping and pooping huh? So when chicken lay eggs do they not ever poop in the nest boxes? I have so much to learn.

 

[jimz1]

I was at Menards,like Home Depot, Lowes,ect... for those of you who don't have one, and I found thin plastic 4x8 sheets. My wife suggested we could use them for a floor covering. They are about $16 a sheet. We could tack them to the floor then lift them out when they get really bad , fold them in half, and slide them out the door. Then hose them down and put them back in place. That way there would be no water inside the coop.