Authentic Woods KD (Knock Down) 10' by 16' Coop Build

[Conan]

I like it dry inside, so go with the bagged kiln dried large shavings(white bag at TSC).
Even those can get damp with the humidity here, especially during thaws.
I do toss in some straw once in a while, but very little as it is not absorbent but can add some insulative properties.

Couldn't agree more. I always go with the pine shavings underneath, and straw on top. I have found that the red wigglers like the pine shavings too, which is a nice bonus.

 

[aart]

red wigglers

Worms?...in your coop shavings?

 

[Conan]

Worms?...in your coop shavings?

Not the chicken coop, no. Should have clarified. The duck pen. I get amazing wiggler colonies from their poo over shavings in spring. Part of why I like to use pine shavings first, then straw. I try to steal the wigglers and move them to my garden before the ducks find them and eat them.
The shavings stay dry in the chicken coop, though the "floor" is dirt covered in pine shavings, leaves, alfalfa hay, and straw. The worms do tend to prefer the shavings once the compost is moved into the garden.

 

[aart]

Not the chicken coop, no. Should have clarified. The duck pen.

Oh, I was confused because the discussion was about @Ted Brown's chicken coop bedding.

 

[Ted Brown]

This morning I woke up to 1/2" of snow on the ground and -1C temperatures. Nothing serious but a sharp reminder that winter is close.



We completed the exchange of bedding inside the coop and a massive buildup underneath using mulch, the old bedding from inside, leaves (laboriously raked back into piles so that the mulch was on the ground) and a bale of straw; the ladies will have a blast mixing and spreading. Also appears that they have accepted the additional nest box which the chicks also love as it gives them a great escape location while integration is going on. Received the pipe wrap heater cord yesterday and will install below the HC on the the front part to prevent eggs from freezing. Thanks to @MiaS for bringing this to my attention.

I closed the monitor windows yesterday but still have to build the frames and get glass for the side windows. Trying to find out when I should close them up for the winter, any suggestions?

 

[aart]

minus temperatures

Minus C or F?

Trying to find out when I should close them up for the winter, any suggestions?

Probably pretty soon....tho don't think there's a critical temp to do so.

 

[Conan]

Oh, I was confused because the discussion was about @Ted Brown's chicken coop bedding.

Shavings in the chicken coop too. When I pull the shavings out, and let them compost in the garden, the worms seem to prefer them to straw. If @Ted Brown gardens, this is a nice bonus. If not, .

 

[Conan]

This morning I woke up to 1/2" of snow on the ground and -1C temperatures. Nothing serious but a sharp reminder that winter is close.

View attachment 1949828

We completed the exchange of bedding inside the coop and a massive buildup underneath using mulch, the old bedding from inside, leaves (laboriously raked back into piles so that the mulch was on the ground) and a bale of straw; the ladies will have a blast mixing and spreading. Also appears that they have accepted the additional nest box which the chicks also love as it gives them a great escape location while integration is going on. Received the pipe wrap heater cord yesterday and will install below the HC on the the front part to prevent eggs from freezing. Thanks to @MiaS for bringing this to my attention.

I closed the monitor windows yesterday but still have to build the frames and get glass for the side windows. Trying to find out when I should close them up for the winter, any suggestions?

View attachment 1949793 View attachment 1949827 View attachment 1949794 View attachment 1949795 View attachment 1949796

Looks like a flock of happy birds. What is the metal tub thingy in the photo with the bale of straw?

 

[Ted Brown]

@honanbm Do I garden, interesting question? I have tried without great success to grow both flowers and vegetables but the soil is a combo of thin topsoil on top of sandy gravel. Provides great drainage but that is a two way street. Gravel of course is not "fertile ground".

As part of the coop build I had to move a load of topsoil that has been here for 20 years and also anticipate where I would dispose of the coop and run bedding excess. I therefore built the 1st of multiple raised gardens (12' by 6') and moved the topsoil to fill it (12+" deep); my sister emptied my compost box and then acquired a load of manure that she dug into the topsoil. She then planted arugula and garlic cloves as a test of how well the bed will perform. Plan is to move any coop/run waste to a composing area for six months then use it on the beds. Fingers crossed that this will solve my poor soil conditions.

 

[Ted Brown]

Looks like a flock of happy birds. What is the metal tub thingy in the photo with the bale of straw?

The "metal tub thingy" is actually the bottom of a 55 gallon plastic food barrel that I cut with a jig saw, complete with handles, as a dust bath for the flock. I will probably make another for the run outside. It is filled with clean construction sand and pure wood ash from my wood stoves. The ladies simply love it and often one can see clouds of dust rising up, both when they use it and when they shake themselves off after use.

A BTW, a few days back I noticed a light grey patch under the open monitor windows, thought it was frost from overnight. I went up on Wednesday to close the windows and discovered it was ash dust. Proved that the ventilation premise of a Woods coop works as advertised and also that ash dust is lighter than air.