Hi, from N.C.! It’s great to find communities out there to share with and provide support for people who are into chickens as well as perhaps all-things farms. My husband and I are back living full-time on our family horse farm for the 1st time in over 25 years. No horses for now, we are living here w/ our rescues, an awesome Rat Terrier and B & W kitty. Our 2 young sons graduated college, one living abroad and the younger, more recently out of school is home with us where we are living “the farm pandemic lockdown”. It’s the perfect time to have a new little flock of ten RIR chickens! We are almost finished with the renovations on the 100 + year old chicken house. We have some questions though we do have a few years of experience having had chickens years ago when we moved, “inheriting” a half dozen of them along w/ the small horse-farm where we lived several years, in NW N.J. Wondering around ways to maintain the indoor building/coop for these soon-to-be free-range chickens as we are now putting in the roosts, (they will be safely inside 2 weeks til they are acclimated, after which they will be inside dusk til dawn). I’ve read and wonder if anyone here is doing like what I have read about involving only a 2 or 3 times/yearly clean out maintaining a deep, mulch-like technique for the interior? If so how do you handle the droppings each day from below their 2, 6’ long,. 2” x 4” roosts along one wall? It’s a 8” x 13” building. I am thinking of using pine shavings with hay atop it and wonder what y’all are doing out there if have a similar layout? Appreciate any feedback! Thanks, stay safe, peace and love to all.
