Coop & Run bedding?

[handsomecock]

I've seen a bunch of coop designs on here which is helping me and my buddy move along at a good pace on our project. So I see that under the foundation of the coop, beneath the hardware cloth cage, I have seen people laying down what looks to be black plastic which is followed by sand or gravel. My yard at the moment is just dirt. I would like to achieve proper drainage and easy maintenance for the run. For the coop I was gona go with pine shavings and a vinyl floor.

Total estimated size 12'x4'x6'

Coop 5'x4'x4'

10 chicks comin in next Thursday.

I've had a blue front amazon for the past 13 years, I have dealt with all types of bedding, and I know that parrots are different. The best method Ive found is to clean it daily. So if ya'll could, advise me on what would be good for the run, and what would be best for the coop. Cost efficiency, and lightest maintenance in mind.

 

[redstarfather]

when my girls were chicks we just used some kind of wood shaving bedding for them. i think we bought it at tractor supply or petsmart/petco.

 

[handsomecock]

when my girls were chicks we just used some kind of wood shaving bedding for them. i think we bought it at tractor supply or petsmart/petco.

thx, but yea it turns out my cousin in Maine got chickens. My buddy also found Pine shavings on Amazon for 6 bucks

 

[MEMama3]

I switched to sand and love it. I made a big kitty scoop and clean daily (takes about 10 minutes). Some evenings I have fun raking the run to look like a Zen garden. The girls dont care, but it looks cute.

 

[chynasparks]

Use poop board in the coop. I put sand with sweet PDZ and some DE. Use kitty litter scoop just takes a few minutes. No odor. I use sand over the concrete 4x8 floor which is the enclosed run. Also sweet PDZ and DE. I scoop 2 times a week. No odor. Pine shavings in the coop around the poop board. The coop stays clean because my chickens only go in to roost except when they decide to play with the pine shavings. That's a sight to see. Pine shavings flying everywhere. I needed the easiest solution so I won't have to spend all my free time changing out straw. Sand gets wet in the rain but doesn't get muddy. It's damp though so I put a dust bath in a corner. It stays dry. All this works great for me. Everyone has different situations, what works for one may not work for another. But for me, scoop time is like play time. I had chickens on my back and shoulder while scooping. Oh yah, I just have 4 so it's pretty easy. Folks with bigger runs and more birds use deep litter method. Good luck

 

[handsomecock]

I switched to sand and love it. I made a big kitty scoop and clean daily (takes about 10 minutes). Some evenings I have fun raking the run to look like a Zen garden. The girls dont care, but it looks cute.

haha zen garden I like that. It turns out one of my cousins from Maine has chickens as well. They use pine shavings...

 

[handsomecock]

Use poop board in the coop. I put sand with sweet PDZ and some DE. Use kitty litter scoop just takes a few minutes. No odor. I use sand over the concrete 4x8 floor which is the enclosed run. Also sweet PDZ and DE. I scoop 2 times a week. No odor. Pine shavings in the coop around the poop board. The coop stays clean because my chickens only go in to roost except when they decide to play with the pine shavings. That's a sight to see. Pine shavings flying everywhere. I needed the easiest solution so I won't have to spend all my free time changing out straw. Sand gets wet in the rain but doesn't get muddy. It's damp though so I put a dust bath in a corner. It stays dry. All this works great for me. Everyone has different situations, what works for one may not work for another. But for me, scoop time is like play time. I had chickens on my back and shoulder while scooping. Oh yah, I just have 4 so it's pretty easy. Folks with bigger runs and more birds use deep litter method. Good luck

Tons of info there thanx... I think im goin w coarse sand and pea gravel for the run and pine shavings in the coop, but we'll see how things progress.

 

[Nicole01]

I use sand in the run and pine chips in the coop. Although, this summer I lined the coop floor with linoleum and it has been very easy clean up! The hens like to lay on it too. They mostly poop outside in the summer. Winter time I'll add a bit of pine bedding since it helps insulate as well.

 

[handsomecock]

I use sand in the run and pine chips in the coop. Although, this summer I lined the coop floor with linoleum and it has been very easy clean up! The hens like to lay on it too. They mostly poop outside in the summer. Winter time I'll add a bit of pine bedding since it helps insulate as well.

My thoughts exactly.After reading on this site I think im going to lay a roll of vinyl flooring for the coop w pine shavings on top.

 

[loveoutdoor]

For coop I put linoleum down, didn't bother gluing it, use pine shavings with a 3:1 shredded junk mail ratio roughly. Use a plastic lawn rake and throw pieces of bread once a week for the hens to keep it from getting matted down. Cleaning out with plastic rake/broom is simple

cheap, easy to clean, lasts a long time, happy hens, happy owner

my experience is you can find cheap vinyl at big box stores for nearly nothing, ask them if they have any large scraps etc. I did get the thicker kind cause I knew I'd be walking/raking over it