converting stall to coop - concrete floor - all input welcome!

[KSH1]

I probably rambled on too long in my intro post with some stuff that is likely more appropriate here. We're expecting chicks in late April, and we haven't yet started renovating the stall that will be the chicken coop. It has a concrete floor, and I'm not sure if I need to do anything special for that, or maybe just fairly deep bedding...?

We're also considering lining the lower parts of the walls with 4' x 8' plastic sheets from Home Depot for ease of cleaning and to make it a little brighter in there. Good idea? Terrible idea?

I have been reading bedding threads all afternoon and I'm still not sure which way to go lol. I've used pine shavings in the past, and tried Koop Clean but I don't remember what I thought of it because that was shortly before we found out we were moving, and I gave the chickens away. Seems like plenty of people are happy with shavings, some swear by sand, and a few like more unusual options like rice hulls or bedding pellets. I will be getting lots of stone and some sand delivered as soon as the ground is suitable for dump trucks, but I also regularly go to feed stores. I like the puppy pad idea for at least the first little bit of time, and I have some of those. I like the idea of sand being low-tracking and low-dust, and I think we'll want some sand in the run. I've ordered some Brahmas, so it seems like sand might be less likely than shavings to get caught in their leg fluff. I'd love more pros/cons from people who have tried multiple kinds of bedding. Thanks!!

 

[sylviethecochin]

Pellets: Nice, but expensive (my sister had them for her guinea pig for a short period.) Probably not great for use in nest boxes.

Shavings: free from our local sawmill. Rather finer than the stuff you pick up at Walmart. Absorbent, easy to rake and shovel. Does not shape well, so kind of inconvenient for use in nest boxes.

Junk hay: Free via my parent's farm. Tendency to moulder on the floor, so frequent cleaning a necessity, but absolutely excellent for nest-boxes. It shapes far better than shavings do, and makes a very good insulated nest for my broody girls.

 

[aart]

We're also considering lining the lower parts of the walls with 4' x 8' plastic sheets from Home Depot for ease of cleaning and to make it a little brighter in there. Good idea? Terrible idea?

Ehhh, might be. Seeing this stall might help garner more viable suggestions/opinions.

I like the idea of sand being low-tracking and low-dust, and I think we'll want some sand in the run.

Sand is not necessarily low dust, many different kinds of 'sand' and none have hard standards of definitions. I would not recommend sand for a run in your climate. IMO, aged ramial wood chippings is the best 'poop digesting' run bedding, never have to 'clean' it-just add more on occasion.

This is about 'cleaning', but bedding depends on how you manage your manure.

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[KSH1]

Thanks aart, I'll look into the ramial wood chippings. Why wouldn't you recommend sand here? I didn't know about poop boards when we built our first coop, but I love the idea and will definitely be incorporating it this time. If I get home in daylight tomorrow, I'll try to get some pictures of the stall. I think it has 2 walls of OSB and 2 of wide (maybe 10") boards.

sylviethecochin, I do remember liking hay for the nest boxes, and the chickens also very much enjoyed rummaging through a flake or two on occasion. We have horses so that's easy.

 

[aart]

Why wouldn't you recommend sand here?

Sand really works best in dry climates...tho a few swear by it in other places.
I don't like sand as bedding because eventually it will be come saturated with pulverized poops and when it gets damp it will reek....then what do you do with it??
I also don't want to clean up poops in the run, much rather let the wood chunks 'digest' them. It will freeze solid in our climate.

 

[KSH1]

We didn't add anything to the run at our last farm. When the ground froze, it froze. We seem to get a bit more mud here though and I ordered some Brahmas, so I was thinking of building up the ground in their run with dirt and then topping with sand to limit pooling of water on the surface. I can always top it with some hay or something if need be in winter. To my knowledge dead wood doesn't actually digest anything, so I'm guessing you just have awesome compost building there with all of that organic material. Definitely something to consider, as the compost would be a lot more usable than soiled sand, as you say. I also have no shortage of wet areas in which I could dump old sand though. Glad I posted now; much to think about in the coming weeks!

 

[cholland]

Pine shavings in the coop. Which gets tossed in the run when cleaned out.
I get sticky mud here when it rains. I use lots of oak leaves in the run. I stockpile a bunch to get through the year. Even uncovered and exposed to rain they don't break down much until the chickens get to them. Just dump more in every few weeks. Keeps the mud down and the chickens happy. Then in the fall I will remove 3-4 wheel barrow loads of the well composted stuff for the garden.

I also have a small covered portion of yard that remains dry where I have added some sand. The dust bathing area.

 

[aart]

To my knowledge dead wood doesn't actually digest anything, so I'm guessing you just have awesome compost building there with all of that organic material.

Decomposing wood(dead wood) absorbs ammonia/nitrogen...basically it's a cold compost.
I should have stated as... 'digests'.

Wood chunks will also balance out mud, as long as you have decent drainage.

 

[KSH1]

Here are photos of the stall. It's a corner stall, so the wall with light coming in only at the top and the OSB wall are both exterior walls.

 

[aart]

Do you have moisture seepage at the bottom of those exterior walls?
I'd be more concerned about that than adding another layer(the white plastic).

I would add a mesh 'ceiling' to coop, keep birds in and pests out.
Check out my coop.