BUGS IN COOP BEDDING? GUH-ROSS!

[Sugar Sand Farm]

I have a grow out coop that needs windows right now and we have been toying with different ideas. Today I saw something that might work in Wallyworld. Back by the fans and air conditioner filters they sell metal vent covers that are slotted. Coundlnt you use a couple of them. they would give ventiataion and you wouldn't have to worry about predators coming in. Seems to me if you cut a rectangle hole the same size you could just slide it in or silicon it in. idk I am not a builder but its a thought.

 

[Fruit Juice]

my coop is three by four and has two 3 in holes covered with hardware cloth for ventilation? Is that enough?

 

[chellyroo]

My husband has decided we are going to do two things to help with this problems; one, cut out two holes on each side of the coop and put hardware cloth (or something comparable) on the inside, and attach a piece of tin or something above the holes on the outside to keep rain from entering. This is going to be trickier than it sounds, becuase the cedar boards in our coop run horizontally rather than vertically, so he says he'll have to cut the holes with a jigsaw and keep them within the width of each board, so one 6 in board , second from the top, will have two 4 in (approx) holes. That kind of hard to describe but anyhoo--

Secondly, he is going to take the whole front of the coop and put it on hinges. The way it was built, there are 4 huge wood screws holding the front piece on; I had asked the guy who built it to make one side removable so that I could clean it oout easily; his solution was this, which is ok, but everyone knows the more you remove wood screws the less traction they have to fit back tightly and eventually they don't hold at all. Hopefully this hinge idea will work and makeit easier for me to clean the coop out.

I will say that since I posted this thread, the problem with bugs and hardened litter has lessened. I think part of the problem was that I waited too long to really get to the litter on the bottom and bring it to the top to dry out. Since I did that the first time (after which I posted my thread), I noticed when I took my dustpan a couple of days ago and mixed all the layers up, there was almost no clumped up shavings, and I didn't see any of the little bugs (just the usual flies flying around). I also gave everything another good dusting of DE. So I'm thinking, though more ventilation is still a need, mostly the problem was me not keeping the bedding turned really well that first few times. You guys have posted some great idea! I appreciate it!