Coop is coming to life! Please let me know what I’m missing!

My run started as grass, and that lasted about 2 days. I hauled in lots of leaves in the fall, and they're scratched down now too. I have some pieces of bark in one corner; hoping to turn over bugs in the spring. When I replace the coop bedding in the spring, it'll go into the run as well.

If we get a couple dry days, I'll see about adding some more leaves. They were afraid of the "big piles" for... about 5 minutes. Then they found out how much they liked scratching through them. They're free too, which is good!

Hubby got a 40 ton wood splitter, so no log he can move is "too big to split," but I'm going to bat my eyes at him and see about a log or two to put in the run.

Really, really nice job, Mfranks. What a great chicken space.
 
My run started as grass, and that lasted about 2 days. I hauled in lots of leaves in the fall, and they're scratched down now too. I have some pieces of bark in one corner; hoping to turn over bugs in the spring. When I replace the coop bedding in the spring, it'll go into the run as well.

If we get a couple dry days, I'll see about adding some more leaves. They were afraid of the "big piles" for... about 5 minutes. Then they found out how much they liked scratching through them. They're free too, which is good!

Hubby got a 40 ton wood splitter, so no log he can move is "too big to split," but I'm going to bat my eyes at him and see about a log or two to put in the run.

Really, really nice job, Mfranks. What a great chicken space.
Thanks! I am very eggcited for the girls to move into their new space...and admittedly move out of my garage! Thanks for the ideas for run material. Hopefully this slop won’t stick around long:)
 
That is looking GREAT!!

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture
-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of PDZ, 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.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-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 7 years.
Thanks for the info! All good stuff
 
I appreciate everyone’s information and help. It feels like I’ve been talking about this project FOREVER and want to do my best to get it right the first time.

Heading out to paint trim boards now and chill with the ladies in the garage...they have been troopers through the move and never stopped laying. I imagine that might get disrupted when they go into their “big girl coop”. We are going to detach the run and place their little coop inside of the new run so they can get used to the new space and still have their old digs for a few days to get used to the space. That will likely happen next week.

Happy New Year everyone and thanks again
 

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