Deep litter and placement of things in coop

[lablover]

I'm creating a coop out of a 10 x10 dog kennel. How do I start deep litter? I'm putting tree branches in a corner for roosts. Can i put something under them to catch poop? Any ideas on attaching a run? When you have a run, do ever clean it, or do you just let it be? The coop will have a metal roof with tarps on the sides. Should I put the food and water on something to keep them dry?

 

[kellysmall87]

Sounds like a brilliant Idea. Branches are perfect for roosts, and you could put a metal sheet underneath the roosts so you can remove it and scrape off the poop easily. I occasionaly (like, once every three or four months) give the run a raking over and put food grade DE on it to sanitize. You can have a raised area for the food so they can't mucky it up with sawdust etc, or you can suspend it from the ceiling some way, so it is dangling a few inches from the floor of the coop. Or you can create a waterproof corner of the run for the food. The water, it doesn't matter if the rain gets in there.

 

[lablover]

Thanks! I've just about got it all figured out, except for the flooring. During the summer, the 9 chickens will spend all day free ranging, but in the winter they will spend more time locked up. The 10x10 kennel won't be big enough so I will somehow have to attach a run. I only have 6 right now and they are in a 4x8 chicken tractor. The nest box and food is easy to get through since I have a back door, but the new coop/kennel won't. I'll have to walk into the coop to get to everything.

With the tractor, I rake it out every other week, so it's pretty easy. But I don't know what to do with the new one. What will be low maintenance to keep clean for the chickens?

 

[wsmith]

I'm creating a coop out of a 10 x10 dog kennel. How do I start deep litter? I'm putting tree branches in a corner for roosts. Can i put something under them to catch poop? Any ideas on attaching a run? When you have a run, do ever clean it, or do you just let it be? The coop will have a metal roof with tarps on the sides. Should I put the food and water on something to keep them dry?

One of the benefits of Deep litter in the coop and even the run, is that fact that as the poop accumulates, it gets worked into the litter and starts to compost. You don't have to put anything under to collect the poop. Periodically add more litter and it builds up. A couple of times a year, clean out the whole thing and start over. Put the old litter in a compost bin and use it on your garden when ready.

With my coop I use deep litter inside the hen house. I have the feeder and waterer raised up to keep some of the litter out of the water and feed. It helps.

Having things for the chickens to fly to and climb on keeps them occupied and happy. The branches on the corners will work out well. Remember to let the chickens be chickens, and they will reward your efforts with eggs and chicken hilarity for many years.

 

[lablover]

I do not think I will be able to do the deep litter method. The coop will have a tin roof, a tarp on the back side, and a tarp covering half of 2 sides. Rain will get in the front. There will be a nesting box in the back as well. So what do I do about the floor of the coop, since the coop is mainly open?

 

[wsmith]

I do not think I will be able to do the deep litter method. The coop will have a tin roof, a tarp on the back side, and a tarp covering half of 2 sides. Rain will get in the front. There will be a nesting box in the back as well. So what do I do about the floor of the coop, since the coop is mainly open?

Well, I'm a fan of deep litter so I would do it anyway.