Coop and Run and Compost.

[montugirl]

So my boyfriend and his brother will be building my coop this week, I think it's going to be 4x10 coop and run. The coop will be closed up tight at night with vents for air and the run will be animal proof with wire all the way around it and under it. The roof will be covered with some tin that I was able to get off an old garage. This is my question, do I put pine shavings in the coop and run or what? I would like to know or learn more about doing pine shavings into compost. I understand the chickens do the work for you, but what do I start with how much shavings, and should I put a small layer of sand down first? Do you do the compost in the coop or just in the run or both. I'm very new to this, my babies are going on 3 weeks now still inside the house. If they get it built this week, I plan to paint in and start getting it ready for my little ones.

 

[JanetS]

We use sand in both the coop and run. We have used pine shavings in the coop but found the sand works much better for us. It's so
much easier to clean. We compost all their poop (in a separate bin) and use it in our vegetable garden.

The best wire to use on your coop is 1/2" hardware cloth. Good luck with your chicks and enjoy!