Coop bedding & DE usage

[Baumshell28]

I sill have a few weeks before the girls will be moved outside, so I’m about to clean up an old coop left by previous owners and use it for my new flock. I don’t know how many years it’s been since it last housed chickens and I don’t want anything left behind to infect or infest my hens. I was thinking I’d rinse off the inside & try to get out as much as I can of the old dirt, etc left behind. Then I was thinking I would “paint” or “puff” the whole of the interior with DE. My thought was to then cover the coop floor as well as one/two feet around the outside of the coop with DE. Would this be a good idea, or should I use bleach or other chemical to clean the coop out?
Also how should I bed the coop for the first time to create a good base? I was thinking maybe a sand & DE followed by some type of shavings? I was thinking sand would promote some “drainage” between dirt & shavings so the shavings might not hold as much moisture & provide a drier environment during our daily Louisiana showers. The coop has a roof for protection from the elements, but that’s not to say that some water won’t leak in from the base of the walls or blow in through the door that’s only covered with hardware mesh for ventilation...
Thanks in Advance for all the Shared Wisdom! MUAH!

 

[DobieLover]

I sill have a few weeks before the girls will be moved outside, so I’m about to clean up an old coop left by previous owners and use it for my new flock. I don’t know how many years it’s been since it last housed chickens and I don’t want anything left behind to infect or infest my hens. I was thinking I’d rinse off the inside & try to get out as much as I can of the old dirt, etc left behind. Then I was thinking I would “paint” or “puff” the whole of the interior with DE. My thought was to then cover the coop floor as well as one/two feet around the outside of the coop with DE. Would this be a good idea, or should I use bleach or other chemical to clean the coop out?
Also how should I bed the coop for the first time to create a good base? I was thinking maybe a sand & DE followed by some type of shavings? I was thinking sand would promote some “drainage” between dirt & shavings so the shavings might not hold as much moisture & provide a drier environment during our daily Louisiana showers. The coop has a roof for protection from the elements, but that’s not to say that some water won’t leak in from the base of the walls or blow in through the door that’s only covered with hardware mesh for ventilation...
Thanks in Advance for all the Shared Wisdom! MUAH!

The DE won't do anything. If you haven't purchased any yet, don't waste your money.
With no critters living in the coop for a while, there is likely no mites or lice because they need critters to live off of. But if and when you cross that bridge, you want to use permethrin. You can purchase it as a concentrate then follow the dilution instructions for spraying out the coop and spraying the birds. It only kills adult lice and mites so if you ever run into it, you have to do a complete coop clean out and spraying of the coop/birds twice to eliminate the infestation.
I'd just give the coop a good scrub down with mild bleach water, rinse it and get a fan on it to dry thoroughly.
For bedding, I'd go with a very thick layer of pine shavings and try DLM seeing as you have an earthen floor. I would try to do something to keep the water out.
Can you post pictures of the coop, exterior and interior?

 

[Baumshell28]

Don’t mind the current door or the run. We are building the new coop door today and will be re-fencing the run with new posts and better fencing by the time the chicks get to try it out. I will also be reconfiguring the inside to accommodate 3 more nesting boxes and better boards for flat footed roosting. I think I read somewhere here they need boards wide enough to roost flat footed, as opposed to trying to grip the roost as a raptor would...?

 

[DobieLover]

Don’t mind the current door or the run. We are building the new coop door today and will be re-fencing the run with new posts and better fencing by the time the chicks get to try it out. I will also be reconfiguring the inside to accommodate 3 more nesting boxes and better boards for flat footed roosting. I think I read somewhere here they need boards wide enough to roost flat footed, as opposed to trying to grip the roost as a raptor would...?View attachment 2103684View attachment 2103687View attachment 2103688View attachment 2103689View attachment 2103684View attachment 2103687View attachment 2103688View attachment 2103689

What are the dimensions?
How many chickens do you have?

 

[Baumshell28]

Shed/coop dimensions 7’ x 7’; I think the height is around 8’. I currently have 12 chicks, since all are thriving and I did not end up needing the 2 extra “just in case” chicks! My mother’s neighbor will probably take 4 to add to her flock and my nurse is thinking about buying a backyard coop and taking two chicks for her & her daughters. My stepdad raised chickens MANY years ago and told me I had “plenty of room” and it “would be fine”. But the more I read & learn, the more I feel I may be doing my girls a disservice by putting 12 hens together in that coop every night

 

[DobieLover]

Shed/coop dimensions 7’ x 7’; I think the height is around 8’. I currently have 12 chicks, since all are thriving and I did not end up needing the 2 extra “just in case” chicks! My mother’s neighbor will probably take 4 to add to her flock and my nurse is thinking about buying a backyard coop and taking two chicks for her & her daughters. My stepdad raised chickens MANY years ago and told me I had “plenty of room” and it “would be fine”. But the more I read & learn, the more I feel I may be doing my girls a disservice by putting 12 hens together in that coop every night

It looks smaller than it is.
It's enough room for 12 hens.
If you got two "extras" count on them being cockerels and be surprised if they're not.
Are you going to be free ranging or building a run?
You only need 2 nest boxes. I would attach them to the lumber running at around 30" and install a landing perch in front of the boxes so they can walk along it and pick a box not occupied. There's nothing worse than having an irate hen screech in your face because you just jumped up the box she was settled in trying to lay her egg.
I would make an L-shaped roost that runs along the 7' wall opposite the door and down the wall with the current nest box on it. I personally would also add poop boards under but that is up to you.
The roost should be kept at least 12" away from the wall.

I'd make a new door with the bottom 18" solid and the top 1/2" hardware cloth. A couple of high up windows would be great too. Everything backed with 1/2" hardware cloth.

If you don't already have it, I'd also install a predator apron. You'd have to attach it to the lowest horizontal framing member and go through the metal siding from the outside. I'd start by digging down maybe 2 inches all the way around the coop and out about 2 feet, attach the hardware cloth to the exterior of the coop then run it straight down to the ground and out the 2' and pin the edges with landscape pins. Cover it with the soil you removed. Then rip deck boards in half and screw it over the top of the HC where you attached it to the shed to really secure it and cover any sharp points.

 

[Baumshell28]

It looks smaller than it is.
It's enough room for 12 hens.
If you got two "extras" count on them being cockerels and be surprised if they're not.
Are you going to be free ranging or building a run?
You only need 2 nest boxes. I would attach them to the lumber running at around 30" and install a landing perch in front of the boxes so they can walk along it and pick a box not occupied. There's nothing worse than having an irate hen screech in your face because you just jumped up the box she was settled in trying to lay her egg.
I would make an L-shaped roost that runs along the 7' wall opposite the door and down the wall with the current nest box on it. I personally would also add poop boards under but that is up to you.
The roost should be kept at least 12" away from the wall.

I'd make a new door with the bottom 18" solid and the top 1/2" hardware cloth. A couple of high up windows would be great too. Everything backed with 1/2" hardware cloth.

If you don't already have it, I'd also install a predator apron. You'd have to attach it to the lowest horizontal framing member and go through the metal siding from the outside. I'd start by digging down maybe 2 inches all the way around the coop and out about 2 feet, attach the hardware cloth to the exterior of the coop then run it straight down to the ground and out the 2' and pin the edges with landscape pins. Cover it with the soil you removed. Then rip deck boards in half and screw it over the top of the HC where you attached it to the shed to really secure it and cover any sharp points.

Ok, everyone was out of the 1/2” hardware mesh. We got a roll of 1/4” hardware mesh for the door. I thought that was a safe bet, but also have a roll of 1” chicken wire if needed. I’d like to keep the door all mesh for ventilation. I’m not savvy enough to confidently add windows, but think I could take a few inches off below the roof and frame in some more hardware mesh up there.
I have some of the plastic nesting boxes ordered & they each have a perch (hopefully the perches will hold up for a while)! Since I am in a wheelchair and they are easily removable for cleaning, I figured that might be a better option for me.
Roosting area: I was thinking about making some type of ladder roost on that wall opposite the door. They have their walkway up to the level of the current box & roost bar. I was thinking of a ladder type build secured at the top to the horizontal 2x4 and then securing the bottom to the current roosting bar that is roughly 18”-20” out from the wall...? I’m trying to make them comfortable, but I also need to leave enough ground space to get the wheelchair in and be able to turn it left towards the nesting boxes.

 

[Farmgirl1878]

I’d go with natural, coarse river sand because it’s easiest to keep clean and won’t harbor mites. Mix in a couple of big bags of Sweet PDZ once or twice a year and sand will last for as long as you have chickens. Plus, our soil is mostly clay, so the composted poop/sand mix is helping to break up the soil.

I use a long-handled wok scoop to clean up a couple of times a day. Takes me about ten minutes with eight hens clamoring for attention.

 

[Baumshell28]

It looks smaller than it is.
It's enough room for 12 hens.
If you got two "extras" count on them being cockerels and be surprised if they're not.
Are you going to be free ranging or building a run?
You only need 2 nest boxes. I would attach them to the lumber running at around 30" and install a landing perch in front of the boxes so they can walk along it and pick I

I’d go with natural, coarse river sand because it’s easiest to keep clean and won’t harbor mites. Mix in a couple of big bags of Sweet PDZ once or twice a year and sand will last for as long as you have chickens. Plus, our solid is mostly clay, so the composted poop/sand mix is helping to break up the soil.

I use a long-handled wok scoop to clean up a couple of times a day. Takes me about ten minutes with eight hens clamoring for attention.

When you refer to the Sweet PDZ...do you mean the bags of bedding/hay? Or just the Sweet PDZ deodorizer powder?

 

[DobieLover]

When you refer to the Sweet PDZ...do you mean the bags of bedding/hay? Or just the Sweet PDZ deodorizer powder?

Sweet PDZ GRANULES. The powder is too dusty. I use it in my poop boards and sift them daily with a metal kitty litter scoop.