First Coop! Questions on what's needed....

[olympiangirl]

Hi everyone! I'm about to start building my first coop for a flock of 3 Buff Orpingtons, which I will get in a week or so. I wanted to make sure I know what I need for the coop. If there's anything you think I should need, please let me know!!

-Coop (obviously)
-Roost
-Poop board underneath roost- made of linoleum? Or wood? And should it be covered with sand?
-Wooden coop floor, covered with sand
-Sweet PDZ (what is this?)
-Nesting Box with Pine Shavings in it (or can a nesting box also be filled with sand?)
-Pooper-scooper
-no sand/shavings for my run? Just leave it grass/dirt (is this safe for them?)
-Run- reinforced wire for the bottom.


Thanks so much! Excited to become a chicken mama.

 

[vehve]

My thoughts on some of your questions:

The roosts should be higher than the nest boxes to discourage sleeping in the nest boxes. Round 3"+ poles or 2x4 flat side up are usually used.
You don't have to have poop boards, but they might help keep things clean. Something like linoleum would be good on them.
You might want to consider covering the wooden floor with something, to keep in from sucking up moisture. Some people like sand in the coop, but there are many different choices for bedding materials. Search the forums to get people's thoughts on different materials.
Sweet PDZ is a Zeolite based stall freshner, sort of works like kitty litter together with poop. People like to use it on their poop boards or mix some with sand on coop floors.
Pine needles might work well in a nest box, although I think hay is the most commonly used material in these. Try different things and decide yourself. I might not use sand though. You'll want to keep the nest boxes covered until the chickens are close to laying age, unless you're getting adult birds.
You can leave the run with grass/dirt floor, although you'll want to ensure drainage in the area. Don't build it in the lowest spot on your property. Many people use sand and shavings too.

Also, one thing you might want to look into is deep litter for the coop, and maybe the run too. Feeders and waterers you'll need, whether you keep them in the coop or run or both is up to you. If you get much rain, covering at least part of the run might be an idea. One important thing to remember in the coop is ventilation.

All in all, I suggest studying the learning center, the coop designs, and the forums in general for loads of information and good ideas.

This turned out to be quite a fact heavy post, but hope it wasn't too much at once. Good luck with your chickeneering, and may you get many eggs!

 

[JanetS]

Hardware cloth is a good wire to use. I wouldn't use chicken wire. Its not strong enough to keep out most predators.

We use sand in the coop and run. Hay in the nesting boxes.

Bigger is always better when it comes to chickens. So build a big coop. We have added on to ours twice.

Don't underestimate the predators in your area! Everything wants to eat your chickens. Build a strong, secure coop and run so you have happy chickens for many years.

 

[olympiangirl]

Thanks so much to both of you! Would I need multiple roosts if I'm only getting 3 hens?
Also, Vehve, that was exactly what I was looking for! More information is always better. For deep litter, what material should be used? Pine shavings/pine chips or sand?

JanetS, for the sand in the coop and run, how often would you say you have to completely clean out the sand and replace it (as opposed to just the poop board)? Also, do you have to clean out the sand in the run?

Sorry for all the questions, but thank you so much for the info! First time owner here, and I want to make sure I'm taking good care of them.

 

[vehve]

Deep litter in basically a sort of compost, so you need biologically active materials in it. Sand is inert, so I wouldn't use that if deciding to go with the deep litter method. You should search the forums for deep litter, you'll find an plethora of information about it, then you can decide if it's something for you or not.

With three chickens you're going to be needing about 3 feet of roosting space, more doesn't hurt. And when building your coop, it's cheaper to build it a bit bigger to begin with (and the chickens will like it better too) than to have to build a new one in a few months when you suddenly discover that you've become a crazy chicken lady and have 37 chickens roaming about.

Also, I would think very carefully before ordering a pre-made coop (unless it's one of those amish coops I hear a lot of good about), because many of the ones available online are a prime example of cheap materials and dodgy workmanship.

 

[olympiangirl]

Thanks so much! I've got the plans done, I'm going out today to get materials. I'll post pictures once we start working!

Would you recommend using DLM for a small coop like mine? I've heard both sides of the story- that DLM is too much effort for a small coop, esp. since you have to buy PDZ and DE, but also that sand can smell more than DLM. Ideas anyone?

 

[vehve]

If you're building a coop that will never house more than three, then maybe DLM isn't for you. Don't know why you'd need Sweet PDZ or DE for DLM.

But like suggested earlier, you might want to consider building bigger, in case you want some more chooks down the road.

 

[olympiangirl]

Unfortunately, this is only going to be a one year experiment.

I'm going to college in a year, but I have a farm family nearby lined up to take in my 3 Buffs. So if I can't do DLM, would sand + PDZ (for the poop board) work?

 

[vehve]

What? Is chicken keeping in your future college dorm frowned upon? How rude...

Sand and PDZ would probably work fine, unless you have cold winters. Nothing wrong with the traditional pine shavings either. I personally use peat moss and pine shavings at the moment, but I'm considering switching to hemp soon.

 

[olympiangirl]

lol. Who knows, maybe it could get me a minor in agriculture.....
Thanks so much! I think that's probably what I'll do. You've been amazing!