Any suggestions for coop bedding?

[shelbyw]

We are still working on the bottom part. I am thinking about replacing the mesh with wood boards

 

[shelbyw]

I am also still moving their big perch around that is in one of the nesting boxes. I am thinking about hanging it.

 

[aart]

. What would be the best way to keep the drafts out?

Put some solid walls up?

Is that roof the only shelter they have?

 

[shelbyw]

For right now, yes. They mostly free range. I have wood that I can put up for them, I just haven't had time to put it up.

 

[shelbyw]

The coop is still being improved

 

[shelbyw]

I took my pictures of my coop down for now since it is not done yet.I am a little embarrassed of it because it doesn't look like what most people have on here right now. It just looks a little odd right now. I am going to fix the doorway, but that probably won't happen until later. I am going to make it more into a coop. The only reason that it is slowly being built into a better coop is because my dad has to help me and he isn't here all the time and he is busy a lot. He won't let me build it without him there with me.

 

[jennyf]

You shouldn't be embarrassed!

Lots of people have coops in progress!

 

[Chipper Chicken]

Hello you guys! So today I was finishing mending to my chicken's coop and I was thinking about how to prepare for winter here in Georgia. It doesn't really get cold here to the point of where it is in the negatives but it does get down to the twenties or so. I was wondering if I could put hay down, but it wouldn't be a lot only a little bit. I would scatter it around and stuff. Also I have this metal pole in the coop that I can't really get rid of because it is holding up part of my chicken coop, and my little chickens use it, so I was wondering maybe if I covered that up with fabric or maybe some of the old feed bags if that would keep it from freezing. I could try to cut up some of the feed bag and possibly stitch it together if the fabric won't work. Any suggestions? 

Regarding the metal pole they roost on. Do you live near or can get to a bicycle shop? If yes, maybe call first, but ask them for some of their discarded bike Innertubes, split them open lengthwise and wrap them tightly in an overlapping spiral around the metal pole. This will give them both a softer perch and warmer too. I will be wrapping my roosts (wood) with tubes. Here is a study published June 1, 2015 that explains the benefits....

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4131/abstract

Please don't worry about what your coop looks like, the chickens don't care, it just needs to be predator safe and well ventilated but dry. I think most people who have lost chickens to predators would, in hindsight, rather it had been safe than pretty. And big enough for the number of chickens you have too oh, and in Georgia it isn't cold enough to bother them, again, it's more a problem of having enough ventilation so the ammonia their nighttime pooping gives off is vented out before it sickens them.

Chipper

 

[shelbyw]

Regarding the metal pole they roost on. Do you live near or can get to a bicycle shop? If yes, maybe call first, but ask them for some of their discarded bike Innertubes, split them open lengthwise and wrap them tightly in an overlapping spiral around the metal pole. This will give them both a softer perch and warmer too. I will be wrapping my roosts (wood) with tubes. Here is a study published June 1, 2015 that explains the benefits....

http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4131/abstract

Please don't worry about what your coop looks like, the chickens don't care, it just needs to be predator safe and well ventilated but dry. I think most people who have lost chickens to predators would, in hindsight, rather it had been safe than pretty. And big enough for the number of chickens you have too

oh, and in Georgia it isn't cold enough to bother them, again, it's more a problem of having enough ventilation so the ammonia their nighttime pooping gives off is vented out before it sickens them.

Chipper

It is very well ventilated right now. I am going to re do the front entrance soon, but I don't think it will be done this year, but maybe February

I also have a couple bikes that no longer are usable and I could get my dad to help me get the inner tubes out. I can fit at least 6 more chickens in my coop and I plan on getting at least 3 or 4 more chickens next year

I think I have a chicken obsession. hahaha

i am hoping to redo the front so my dad can enter the coop also lol. He is 6 ft 3in. and can't exactly fit in the door way, but really no one can unless you crouch down. I have a lot of wood ready to be built into a taller doorway and a better bottom for the sides. I am keeping the wire that is the top half of the coop because my EE likes to be up high and she is very curious.

 

[shelbyw]

Do you know by any chance how to get my hens to sleep on the perch?? I go up to the coop in the morning while they are still sleeping and I find my 2 hens in the nesting boxes and the pullets on the metal pole

I would like the hens to sleep on the perch, but they only sit on them when I feed them again in the afternoon. lol