Another Newbie with a used horrible dirty coop

[Athena116699]

Hello all, just to start I'm going to get my babies soon

...won't be putting them in the coop till about Oct. We are renting and the lady had 37 chickens in the coop and left it in really bad shape.

She took the run so I will have to replace that for my girls when they get big enough. The coop is just an approx 12x12 maybe 15x15 square plain boxed building with a really high ceiling covered with thick cobwebs and a dirt floor. She just took her chickens out a couple days ago,(and I noticed she was picking them up by their feet and THROWING them in the cage she was transporting them in), I thought that was weird.

So this was the first time I went in and looked around...scary.

I started cleaning and found its going to be a huge job. Starting with the smell...I left the doors open for the last two days since she took them out. I used a hoe to 'sweep' the floor and boxes out. she has stuff in there too, like an old fridge, filthy, scared to open it, and a medal barrel..same thing...with a lid.

the floor is dry...so thats a good thing.

It looks like she has straw layers on dirt over straw and more dirt packed down. The smell is much better since I aired it out, thank goodness. I am going to try to scrub it down with vinegar and water mix..which should help some of it. No, she won't tell me anything about raising chickens or the coop...BYC is a great place to learn...

But what should I do with the floor? When it rains here there are puddles all over the place...more like a bog, but the the coop stays dry inside.

Wondering if I should try to clean the floor all the way down or just add straw and DE and maybe hydro lime to it?

I am going to get babies and keep them in the house till they are big enough to move them out to the coop...so I have some time...but what to do is the question. BTW she is my land lady...and I've been renting here for two months waiting for her to move her chickens so I can use the coop...she left a mess. Also, I was wondering if I don't have a run could I let them free range and put them in the coop at night...how would I start that? Let them stay in the coop for awhile, couple weeks, before I let them out? Can they free range in the winter?

Sorry about all the questions this will be my first time with chickens...been researching for 6 months and I am soooo jazzed!

 

[CityFarmer202]

Welcome!! I can't answer all your questions, but i will try to hit as many as i'm knowledgeable on.
I would try to clean the floor as much as you can and disinfect the coop. After you move them into the coop, let them be in there for a little while so they get familiar with their new quarters and recognize it a their home (maybe 2 weeks....) then start letting them out in the morning and feeding in the evening so they have a reason to come home Yes, they can free range in the winter, but they won't be able to find much food, so you will have to feed them more of their food. Sorry i coudn't help with the clean question as much DE is great to kill the bugs, especially if you have a little time to let it air out. That previous lady sounded like she needed to treat her chickens better

Good Luck with your new chickens!!!

BTY, i had a lot of fun reading your post very entertaining...good job!

 

[Athena116699]

Thank you...I will probably be asking loads of questions...But It will be so much fun and I'm so excited...

 

[CityFarmer202]

your welcome I ask a lot of questions too, and people here are super helpful

 

[greasemonkey88]

I usually handle my birds like footballs keeping them from flapping and risking hurting themselves.
From my experience so far, here's some good and not so good things to do.

Always have fresh water. Chicks poop in their water. A lot. Always change it every day maybe even twice a day. Or better yet, invest in some water nipples they save so much hassle and can be switched to different containers and reused.

On the subject of water, adding apple cider vinegar can help prevent pasty butt. Look up the ratios of cider to water as I cannot remember off the top of my head. Do NOT use a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water in a galvanized container. It removes the chemicals on the metal from the galvanizing treatment and will spoil the water and your day.

If you don't want timid birds, pretend they are dogs and handle them a lot. They will get used to your hand and handling them will be easier down the road. I read on here while having them in a brooder, this lady would read and have her chicks climb all over her to get used to her. Caveat to this is some birds will tolerate handling less then others no matter how often you hold them.

Birds poop. A lot. Often. They eat and poop and while eating they think about where to poop next and it will smell. Pine shavings are my favorite because they smell great and absorb the moisture from the poop, reducing the smell. Speaking of shavings, cedar shavings are said to cause respiratory issues so steer clear of them.

I have a.d.d. So forgot

Check out the other threads on the deep litter method and other styles of coop bedding methods. Deep earth is good for mites and the smell. If you can find it sweet PDZ (found in the horse supply isle) acts like deep earth but can be put in a tray under the roost and acts like that scoop able kitty litter. You can sift out the poop off a "poop board" that's under the roosts.

Ventilation is key no matter what time of year. Birds release ridiculous amounts of humidity in their breath and feces, so proper ventilation is important. Mold loves high humidity. I have a long hardware cloth covered 8 inch tall window running the length of my coop facing east( rain doesn't usually blow in from that side) that isn't covered, like ever. Not even in winter.

I am trying out fermented feed right now but here is a cool link about that if you want to try it.
http://tikktok.wordpress.com/2014/04/13/fermented-feed-faq/
On the subject of feed chicks poop in their food too. Yay! If you get chicks that are from a hatchery, see if they were given shots for different diseases. If not you can go with medicated chick starter to help reduce chances of them. Don't forget grit! They need grit for proper food digestion. Did I mention fresh water? lol.

I think you mentioned having to build a run. If so, don't forget about digging predators such as dogs, ferrets, minks, skunks, and so on. Also, aerial predators are very efficient in what I like to call, "grab and go" meals. Beautiful to watch a hawk swoop down silently on a field mouse or squirrel, but not my Rhode Island reds.

That's really all I can remember at the moment, but there are great threads on here on almost every topic about raising chickens so ask away.

 

[Mrs. K]

I would not wash the walls and stuff, whew! Take a broom, ans sweep off the worst, if there is some glass, I would give that a wipe. Take a stiff brush, and clean the roosts. Pull the bedding out of the coop, getting the worst of it with a rake or a pitchfork. Keep airing it out. That it is dry in there, that is a good sign, dry is healthy for birds. When you have it as empty as possible, nests included, I would spray for mites, and let it air out some more. Follow the directions on the label, more is not better with pesticides.

I would leave it bare and open until right before I was going to add the new chicks, then I would cover the floor with hay, or some other bedding. I use old hay, cause we are on a ranch and I have old hay. Personally, I like having a run attached to my coop. I don't like the idea of the birds not being outside during the day, but sometimes, you do need to confine them to keep them safe. You let them free range, and there is a good chance something is going to kill them. EVERYthing likes chicken to eat.

Mrs K

 

[Fancychooklady]

Hello and
The first thing you should do after removing all of the poop and litter from the coop is wash the walls down and spray the entire thing with an insecticide garden spray. If you can , replace the the perches and provide new waterers and feeders. BIOSECURITY for your new flock is essential and lord only knows what the previous occupants were carrying. Some of the nastier diseases can hang around long after the host is gone, so remove every feather and get it back to dirt.

 

[Athena116699]

Thank you very much...could you explain a little more about the board under the roost...can't get a picture of it. thank you again.

 

[Athena116699]

Thank you. I do leave the door open, but afraid to leave it open all the time because I don't want wasp or other critters to go in there....tons of wasp around here. The ceiling is too tall to reach with a broom...its going to take tall ladder just to try to sweep it down. thank you again...

 

[Athena116699]

It is dirt now on the floor, but seems to have I don't know how deep dirt and (hay)? I'm afraid to dig it out because I really don't want these rains to leak in there. As of now it is dry, but I don't want any problems with my new babies either...something to think about.

Thank you much