Coop in progress/ pine shavings for floor?

[Getrdone]

worked on the new coop this evening. decided to lower my nest box and put a full plywood floor in to keep the chics dry. was goin to leave part of it dirt floor but after the rain we've been having changed my mind. does everyone use pine shavings for their bedding/litter? Also is 3 nest boxes adequate for 7-8 hens? Thanks i'm new to the chicken business!

 

[HEChicken]

Pine shavings will be fine - many people use and prefer them. Personally I use and love straw - to each their own, I say. Do you plan to seal the plywood somehow so it doesn't rot over time? That number of nest boxes is probably 2 more than you need in reality. The recommendation is usually 1 per 4 hens but I've found no matter how many I have there is always the favorite that everyone will queue up to get in. If you already have 3 built, it can't hurt a thing though.

 

[Getrdone]

thanks hechicken.....i didnt think about sealing the plywood i will throw a coat or two on before i put the shavings. worked on it some more this evening, just have to build my door and shutters for the windows! what do u think about the auto opening doors?

 

[HEChicken]

Love, love, love them! If you look at my "My Coop" page, I go into more detail but long story short, I have the Pullet Shut door and wouldn't want to be without it. It was a big investment - the single most expensive part of my coop - but worth every penny for the peace of mind, and the ability to go out of town for a couple of days and leave them to take care of themselves. Our longest trip was 5 days, and though the eggs built up while we were gone, I was able to leave out enough food and water for that amount of time, and knew that they were out foraging in their yard during the day, and tucked up safe at night. Although I have electric at my coop, I opted for the solar panel to charge it - that way I don't have to worry about it not opening or closing if there is a power outage. Also, I got the light sensor so I don't have to adjust the open/close times throughout the year as the light changes - it senses the light and adjusts accordingly.