Coop run bottom not level over grass, instead over gravel stone???

[workaholic90]

So we just moved our babies out to the coop and we are in Colorado. A few questions.

The ladder doesn't have a door in it but we have a piece of wood we can put over it but wasn't sure if at night we should always put it on so the chicks don't get too cold? I put a 150 watt red bulb to help keep them warm just not sure.

The bottom part of the coop has chicken wire but it's not the same backyard as the in pic, ours is full of little rocks and barely any grass. Should I put down straw or hay on the bottom to help out with their little feet? Some parts of the bottom are flat on the ground and some are not so we don't want their feet falling through. It's maybe 1/2"-1" of space bc the wire bottom is flat but our ground just isn't pretty.

Any other advice would be most helpful.

 

[Keltara]

Sand beneath the coop would be a great solution. It offers great drainage. Isn't there a way you could level the ground that you put the coop on? It doesn't really look like that big of a coop and run. Straw and hay would be extremely messy, smelly and retain moisture and be difficult to clean. Do you have a means of cleaning out the run area? It's hard to tell from the photo. You will need to have a door for the pop door. Drafts can be very harmful to chickens. Ventilation is crucial, but drafts are bad. I did a blog post on using sand for bedding in the coop and also using it in the run. Go here, and you'll see how easy it is to maintain and how unbelievable healthy it is for chickens.

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Kelly

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Our Country Chronicles

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[workaholic90]

I have read lots on the construction sand..........can you only buy that from gravel/stone type businesses?

Thanks

 

[Keltara]

I have read lots on the construction sand..........can you only buy that from gravel/stone type businesses?

Thanks

No. You can get it Lowes or Home Depot. You can use all purpose sand or construction sand. Here is what I'm currently using in my coop and run. It's so incredibly cheap and as you saw from my previous links, super easy to maintain!

Kelly

 

[workaholic90]

Perfect thanks so much!!!!