Am I missing anything for my coop plans?

[Welshies]

If you don't want to fool with deep litter, just make your new pen easy to clean and be done with it.

Consider poop trays that slide out if you don't want deep litter.

 

[lazy gardener]

I can't consider anything to be easier to manage than deep litter. In the run, I NEVER have to clean it, and NEVER have any odor. As for the coop, everyone eventually has to clean it if using standard bedding. When Using DLM in the coop, it's simply a matter of adding fresh bedding materials to top things off. Remove finished compost now and then. What could be simpler???

 

[Welshies]

I can't consider anything to be easier to manage than deep litter. In the run, I NEVER have to clean it, and NEVER have any odor. As for the coop, everyone eventually has to clean it if using standard bedding. When Using DLM in the coop, it's simply a matter of adding fresh bedding materials to top things off. Remove finished compost now and then. What could be simpler???

Totally agreed. I switched to DLM and have never looked back. This winter (not this one, the one coming up) I will even be adding leaves and other compostable materials instead of just shavings and hay. In the summer I only use shavings, because it gets so warm here, but it really is an amazing method. I only completely clean once or twice a year. My coop never smells- I get comments like "wow" or "this is a first" on my coop smell all the time.

 

[Cryss]

I haven't read through all the comments yet but...don't scrap thw veggie boxes idea. Just build a wire cage around the top, kinda like tomato cages but with holes the chickens can't get their heads into. I'd even close the top about a foot high with the wire. This way they can only eat what grows through the wire. It's actually something have planned for this spring.

 

[Rick&chickTampa]

I will have to agree with some of the other posters. I built my coop about 4 months ago and it is raised about 3 feet above the ground. It's hard to clean the back corners. Yesterday I scrubbed the interior and had to crawl inside. If you decide to make it raised make sure you can get your wheelbarrow under the clean out door. I could have used a couple of more inches.

 

[Lollipopchiki3]

Hello, and welcome to chickens! You'll find lots of great people here that will give you great advice!

You'll never regret making it a walk in. Bigger is always better, especially when it comes to chicken math.

In your area, with the heat, ventilation is very important. You're going to want at least 1 square foot per bird, and more is better. Make sure all vents are covered with hardware cloth, not chicken wire. Chicken wire won't keep predators out. Maybe check out a Woods coop - there are a lot of people that love them.

Also, plan on at least 4 sq feet of coop per chicken in the coop, and 10 square feet each in the run. Build bigger than what you will need for what you are planning on getting now, to give you room to add more later.

I have been looking at open air coops and I'm planning to revamp my coop

 

[Lollipopchiki3]

Revamp idea: I am planning to make a walk in coop 8ft 8inches wide by 7ft long and 6ft by 8inches high.
With 5 external nest boxes (so some could lay and some can go broody) and raised maybe a foot off the floor. I am gonna put 3-4 different level roosts. We are seriously thinking of deep litter for the coop as gran wants a small garden and some citrus trees now (what gran wants she gets!!!)
For ventilation I plan to put one big vent (window) above the nest boxes, and one on the back...with shutters I can latch during winter. I also saw someone use a screen door for access to the coop (the "screen" was hardware cloth) and a solid door to latch for winter. And of coarse a pop chicken door that I can lock at night.
Hardware cloth covered run with a roof and a door to access the run and coop... I forgot to mention that their are trees all along the back of the space I plan to use for my coop and run so the chickens will have a good bit of space.
I think I have a good working plan now and I am so thankful for all of your help!

 

[Lollipopchiki3]

Welcome, there is a lot of great advice her on BYC. I recommend browsing the other coop and run setups for some great ideas.
As for the smell, also think about free range space or run space. Deep litter can definitely work too.
We live in Australia and have 7 girls..... smell isn’t an issue for us in the heat. It is really if you let the worst build up too much. We do a scoop once a week out of the coop, General scoop of any large areas in the run and drop it into the compost (also located within the run area). We follow with a top up of hemp, straw, pine shavings or dry mulch.
Complete clean and refresh we do in Autumn and Spring.

thank you for your advice...I'm still thinking on the deep litter method

 

[Lollipopchiki3]

I haven't read through all the comments yet but...don't scrap thw veggie boxes idea. Just build a wire cage around the top, kinda like tomato cages but with holes the chickens can't get their heads into. I'd even close the top about a foot high with the wire. This way they can only eat what grows through the wire. It's actually something have planned for this spring.

oooh...that could work thank you

 

[Lollipopchiki3]

I will have to agree with some of the other posters. I built my coop about 4 months ago and it is raised about 3 feet above the ground. It's hard to clean the back corners. Yesterday I scrubbed the interior and had to crawl inside. If you decide to make it raised make sure you can get your wheelbarrow under the clean out door. I could have used a couple of more inches.

yeah walk in will decently be my plan now