Coop Setup? Food, shavings..etc.

[black_cat]

Uh oh?! Why scary?!

99% of prefab coops=garbage

 

[black_cat]

If you really don't want to build anything, then I'd get these:
https://overezchickencoop.com/collections/all/products/large-overez-chicken-coop
https://www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_keeping/walk_in_chicken_run/

However, the combined cost of those is extremely high, and I'd really recommend building your own if you don't want to pay that much.

 

[BleuSaphir]

Building your own coop is the best! You can completely design it to your liking.

 

[3KillerBs]

What I didn't get to say because my lunch break ended:

While square footage is the most critical thing to think of when choosing a coop, height also matters.

You need an area deep enough to contain a reasonable amount of bedding, say 6-8".

You need to have the nest boxes sitting above the level of the bedding. They are about 12-16" tall.

You need to have the roost above the nestbox. It doesn't have to be far above the nest box, but if it's not above the nextbox the chickens are likely to sleep in the boxes instead of on the roost. They poop while they sleep and soiled boxes = dirty eggs.

You need the ventilation above the birds' heads when they're sitting on the roost. That's another 12-15" PLUS THE HEIGHT OF THE VENT.

IMO, 4'x4'x4' is really the minimum dimensions for a chicken coop intended for long-term housing (as opposed to a brooder box, broody house, quarantine coop, or like temporary housing facility). Such a 4-foot cube will comfortably house 4, standard-size hens in most circumstances.

 

[Shell from Zim]

Great idea with the grass clippings!
This info helps so much. Thank you!

My pleasure It has been a relief to be able to process my very own bedding material, and to make use of a waste product. Its soft, they eat it, as well as hang out on it, and I have found it a fabulous material

 

[Friday_Matinee]

When the coop smells, that certainly a good time to give it a good cleaning. You can use straw, pine shaving for bedding and nest material. They are not picky.

maybe yours aren't..... mine would not use the nesting boxes until I put timothy hay in there. I use hemp bedding and they wouldn't even go in the boxes until I swapped that out. I figured that one out when our first layer laid her first 3 eggs in my daisy litter (the old stems that were bunched on the ground). So I picked some of them up and put them in the boxes and boom, instant success. No more outside eggs being laid. They all use the boxes finally.

 

[SASnCoBYC]

If you really don't want to build anything, then I'd get these:
https://overezchickencoop.com/collections/all/products/large-overez-chicken-coop
https://www.omlet.us/shop/chicken_keeping/walk_in_chicken_run/

However, the combined cost of those is extremely high, and I'd really recommend building your own if you don't want to pay that much.

I just bought the large overez chicken coop. It had great reviews especially from people in colder climes than mine. I'm pleased with it. Our chicks are still too young to go out yet but will be soon. We would have built our own, but we still have a ways to go on our barn and I didn't want to put off getting chicks any later this year. Should have our run completed after this weekend.

 

[black_cat]

I just bought the large overez chicken coop. It had great reviews especially from people in colder climes than mine. I'm pleased with it. Our chicks are still too young to go out yet but will be soon. We would have built our own, but we still have a ways to go on our barn and I didn't want to put off getting chicks any later this year. Should have our run completed after this weekend. View attachment 2621112View attachment 2621113

That is a wonderful setup! That run is also so cool!

 

[SASnCoBYC]

That is a wonderful setup! That run is also so cool!

Thank you. I can't wait to sit out there with my chickies.