For the MINIMALISTS - those who think less is more in chicken keeping - Please help

[RubelliteRose]

I thought course sand was the most sanitary. The bedding/litter system seems kind of gross because it is layers upon layers of poop. Doesn't that harbor bacteria? Doesn't it smell bad?

As someone who started off with sand in our run, I feel I can say - don't do it!! The first year I loved it. The second year, not so much, but didn't want to move it. This year had me, with a shovel and wheelbarrow, moving a pickup truck load of sand out of the run because it started to smell so bad even after scooping at least twice a day - every day.
Granted a coop will stay dryer than a covered run, but just the poop alone will add plenty of moisture especially if you don't want to scoop it every day.
We use pine shavings in the coops and a mix of hardwood mulch, straw, used shavings and pine needles in the run

 

[Shadrach]

I figured someone would call me out eventually. That's my whole point. I want to hang out with the chickens with my time, not continually constantly clean their poop and coop if there is a good method to utilize that will save me time. Again, I'm not lazy, I'm just trying to find the best method for my family. I homeschool my son and this would be a good thing for us to do together. I am willing to put in the time and effort but am asking those of you with a lot of experience for shortcut help because you know your stuff. If someone asked for my help with the most effective homeschool curriculum, I would be thrilled to guide them, rather than them try 5 different curriculums only to see that they are awful.

You need to decide how one want's to keep chickens before one buys or builds anything.
Then you need to decide if you can keep the chickens the way you want.
As an example; I would want to range them whenever possible, not free range but out of the coop and run from dawn till dusk if possible. One needs to know what predators there are locally and think about coop security strength with that in mind. It doesn't matter to the chickens much what the coop looks like.
Could I fence the entire yard to make it reasonably secure would be another early thought.
Is there a vet within traveling distance who knows something about chickens, or does one need to learn about a few of the more common problems before getting the chickens.
Are you going to want to keep males at some point.
Where, when health problems arise are you going to treat the chicken. I'm having a problem with this currently. An inspection table somewhere dry and well lit can be a lifesaver. Standing out in a howling gale trying to treat a sick and uncooperative chicken in the rain isn't much fun.
The coop is the last thing to worry about. The run is much more important unless one is keeping chickens in hostile environments.

Oh, keep the floor as a dirt floor and dig it over every now and then. Sand, chip, concrete, bedding are not really that great for a creature that wants to scratch the ground.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

The thing with the Deep Bedding is that the poops are quickly dried out so that bacteria can never grow. Then, when you clean it out and make a compost pile the poop and the shavings/etc. compost together and the composting reaction destroys the bacteria (moreso with a hot compost pile, but in due time with a cold compost pile too).

So the chickens poop on the straw, and it dries out fast because of the material it is made up of, therefore bacteria doesn't have time to grow. But doesn't it sit there for at least 6 months before you clean it out? So it's just dried up poop in the coop and run for all that time and it's safe?

If possible, I prefer to keep feed and water in the run. That keeps spills from contaminating the coop.

I will definitely keep it in the run. Thanks

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

As someone who started off with sand in our run, I feel I can say - don't do it!! The first year I loved it. The second year, not so much, but didn't want to move it. This year had me, with a shovel and wheelbarrow, moving a pickup truck load of sand out of the run because it started to smell so bad even after scooping at least twice a day - every day.
Granted a coop will stay dryer than a covered run, but just the poop alone will add plenty of moisture especially if you don't want to scoop it every day.
We use pine shavings in the coops and a mix of hardwood mulch, straw, used shavings and pine needles in the run

I was getting closer to not using sand after everyone's amazing suggestions - you just tipped me over the edge. No sand. Thank you for this story.

 

[Folly's place]

Our coop and small run combination are on an old concrete foundation, limiting the size to about 14'x 24' total. So our covered safe run isn't on dirt, so we have deep bedding that doesn't compost in place. It gets shoveled out maybe twice yearly, and it's fine. Unfortunately there's not space for a really big safe run, so our birds are either in, or free ranging. That depends on predator visits, and starting last winter, the Avian Influenza situation. Not ideal, but there it is.
I don't see good air flow in your coop, or daylight, and think this design could be improved.
More pictures?
Mary

 

[In the mtns]

Got it, no pine shavings. I thought some people use pine? Is it a different material than shavings?

Just want to chime in on this one.
I love using pine shavings for the coop interior, I also like the deep bedding method. The feed stores usually sell a few different sizes of shavings, small, med and large. Every brand is different tho, some are more dusty and messy than others while some are super clean and nearly dust free, you may have to just try a few out and find which one is best for your flock.
Hope this helps!

 

[Shadrach]

I know they're not a popular option here on BYC but have you considered a recycled plastic coop. I've been quite impressed with my recent experience with one.
Very easy to keep clean and mite free. Prortable so one can place the coop on fresh ground. Mite unfriendly due to not having much in the way of joints the mites can hide in. Tough as old boots and hoop shape is good for windy sites.

 

[RojoMarz]

Our coop and small run combination are on an old concrete foundation, limiting the size to about 14'x 24' total. So our covered safe run isn't on dirt, so we have deep bedding that doesn't compost in place. It gets shoveled out maybe twice yearly, and it's fine. Unfortunately there's not space for a really big safe run, so our birds are either in, or free ranging. That depends on predator visits, and starting last winter, the Avian Influenza situation. Not ideal, but there it is.
I don't see good air flow in your coop, or daylight, and think this design could be improved.
More pictures?
Mary

@Folly's place Post 28 has a picture of what the coop roof is said to be.

 

[Folly's place]

I saw that, but still, no window openings to let in light and breezes. And that 'plastic' roof will be hot in summer, and has a shorter life span than a shingle or metal roof.

Mary

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

You need to decide how one want's to keep chickens before one buys or builds anything.
Then you need to decide if you can keep the chickens the way you want.
As an example; I would want to range them whenever possible, not free range but out of the coop and run from dawn till dusk if possible. One needs to know what predators there are locally and think about coop security strength with that in mind. It doesn't matter to the chickens much what the coop looks like.
Could I fence the entire yard to make it reasonably secure would be another early thought.
Is there a vet within traveling distance who knows something about chickens, or does one need to learn about a few of the more common problems before getting the chickens.
Are you going to want to keep males at some point.
Where, when health problems arise are you going to treat the chicken. I'm having a problem with this currently. An inspection table somewhere dry and well lit can be a lifesaver. Standing out in a howling gale trying to treat a sick and uncooperative chicken in the rain isn't much fun.
The coop is the last thing to worry about. The run is much more important unless one is keeping chickens in hostile environments.

Oh, keep the floor as a dirt floor and dig it over every now and then. Sand, chip, concrete, bedding are not really that great for a creature that wants to scratch the ground.

I have been thinking about adding chickens to our family for 2 years. For the last year I have been seriously considering it and for the last 4 months I have been researching for at least a couple of hours every day and asking for guidance in forums like this, as well as asking questions to friends and neighbors who have chickens.

I thought about if I could care for chickens appropriately in addition to my many other demands. For a while I couldn't because I was very sick. Now I'm better thank goodness, and am able to add this experience to my family's life. I researched chicken care for a very long time before doing anything else. I had friends who gave me some helpful advice which swayed me to feeling like I could do it.

After researching chicken care, I started to think about their housing. I really wanted a flock of only 4-6 hens with an integrated large run bigger than what is suggested, where they could have space in case I couldn't let them out to our fully fenced area every single day. I could not find a prebuilt one, so I researched plans for a month. Then I found exactly what I was looking for from a person who owns chickens and continually updates his template according to the feedback he gets from people who purchase them. He has sold many. It seemed like a good fit for what I was intending.

I then spent weeks researching whether to get pullets or raise babies. I really didn't want to start with chicks but couldn't find pullets anywhere. Then I couldn't find chicks anywhere. Then out of sheer luck, I found a local farm where you choose a hatch date and they care for the chicks until they can be outside. One of his hatch dates happened to encompass most of the breeds I wanted. He happened to have 4 different breeds within the same hatch date and it happened to be the perfect amount of time it would take for us to build our structure while also aligning with certain events we needed to work around.

So at this point, I'm needing to get into the details of bedding, food and water as my next step in the process. Which is why I am on this site, which by the way is incredibly more helpful than Facebook with far less judgemental people. And if anyone is judging me, at least I'm not going into this blindly just wanting some chickens. At least I'm putting myself out there to ask stupid questions so that I can get the answers I need to make sure the hens are happy and I can dedicate the time needed to do this. Yes, I'm sure whatever I'm planning will end up changing but I know myself and I need a plan at least to start out with. I like to have as much info as I can initially. Then I will make adjustments as I go.

No, I don't want a rooster at any point, although my husband does. Thanks for your suggestions, Shadrach, appreciate it.