In need of help with run and coop litter help

[bigern26]

Perfect, Thats exactly the direction I am going for.

I am still working on the coop and I am putting in vented soffits and cold air return vents as gable vents. Also windows and some other vents for summertime.
I will have to keep the lower vents and windows closed for winter. Hopefully the other vents take care of the ventilation.

 

[RonP]

In colder weather, the ventilation needs to be "draft free".

No brease strong enough to ruffle their feathers, as they will lose their body heat held naturally by their feathers.

Also important to have the ventilation above their roosting level.

Hot moist air will rise, and needs to vent, not settle on their heads (frost bite).

 

[bigern26]

Yep, plan is to have everything sealed up below 6ft high. Their roosting bars will be about 4ft high. And the coop the meaties will be in will have no roosts. Well only while there are meaties in there.

 

[RonP]

You will need some airflow from down low to create the upward movement of humid air...

 

[bigern26]

Like small vents near the floor?

 

[aart]

What size and shape is your coop?

The 4' high roost concerns me, flying down into walls.

I have bare dirt in the run, dry shavings in the coop and a roost/poop board with sand/PDZ.
Do put down some organic matter in the run during snow melt season to counteract to the muck.

I have lots of wide open soffits on a clerestory roofline covered with 1/2" HC and lots of top hinged windows(also covered with HC) for summer ventilation.
There's a 'ceiling' over the roost area during winter to deter any strong drafts or blowing snow.


Would like to make DLM but concerned with snow removal...my run is uncovered and we get 6+ feet of snow.
I shovel part of it for access for me and them...... they won't walk on the snow.

 

[bigern26]

The roosts are not built yet. I am not set on a height yet.
The coop for the layers will be approx 10'X6' build something like yours, aart.

I am actually using your build to get most of my ideas . You posted up some in my first thread where I showed a pic of my garage.

I am either going with a tiered roosting ladder or a roost and poop board.

 

[Blooie]

@RonP As usual right on the money!! That little part about ventilation with DL is critical! I'd just like to add my experience.

Half of my run is covered, half isn't. But since mine is a hoop run, rain water runs down the arch and right into the run along the sides. That, coupled with the rain on the uncovered side, hasn't caused me any problems. If it gets "too wet" after an exceptionally heavy downpour it takes me about half an hour to rake the really wet stuff into the dryer part in the middle and then toss a little more shavings or leaves on it. The chickens waste no time scratching through it and mixing it in. I learned earlier that I was doing my DL incorrectly and not taking full advantage of the entire process. I was too focused on constantly adding and more junk and avoiding water in there at all cost. The result was a dusty mess that couldn't handle getting wet when it happened - it just turned into an ammonia-smelly pile. What a difference now compared to then. Now that it's better balanced, it's breaking down so nicely and there's hardly any work on my part. The chickens and natural decomposition process take care it far better than I can.

I thought about sand at first, and for folks in friendlier climates I can see where it is absolutely ideal. But here we get those long spells of sub-zero temps and sand tends to compact and freeze. That doesn't make for a very nice landing pad when they come off the roost. And it's cold to walk on. I mentioned that once in another thread and a response said that the sun will warm it nicely. Well, that's great unless you live in an area where the sunshine is sparse! And the sand hasn't had a chance to thaw and soften when the chickens wake up, so until those rare sunny days have a chance to hit, it probably isn't real comfortable. I find my chickens burrowing down in the DL in the coop, making warm little nests for themselves. Of course, it's dryer in the coop than it is in the run. They don't stay in there long, though. They spend most of their time out in the run, and they'll bury down into the litter there for a quick warm up, too.

Sand works great for many, and lots of us prefer DL. There's no right or wrong way - just the way that works best for your situation and you are the best judge of that! Welcome to BYC!

 

[RonP]

I might add...

Hurricane Sandy dropped a huge tree across my run, literally splintering the perimeter supports after bouncing off my indestructible previously reinforced 45+ year old shed/coop

. Thankfully no lives were lost, and the 2x3 fencing used for the run's roof remained intact, keeping everyone safe from predators during the time it took to remove the tree, rebuild, and reinforce.

That said, I tend to over engineer, as I despise having to do anything twice. I spend a lot more downtime thinking than doing, and my time is limited.

1x4 splintered boards were replaced with 2x6 planking recycled from a neighbor's deck replacement, same hurricane...different tree.

I do get snow, no where near as some, but it can stay on the ground for weeks at a time.

Seems my group will not step on anything white...they would rather stay "cooped up" for weeks then touch the white stuff.

The reinforced run perimeter now supports strips of landscape fabric during the snow months, keeping anything white off the ground, but allowing a natural melt on the flat run roof fencing. No issues with snow load, even if in excess of 12 feet... I had plenty of wood to work with

.

Point is, Landscape Fabric works wonderfully for an outdoor run roof when snow is an issue. Just calculate your snow load accordingly.

Hope this helps someone out there...

 

[Blooie]

I might add...

Hurricane Sandy dropped a huge tree across my run, literally splintering the perimeter supports after bouncing off my indestructible previously reinforced 45+ year old shed/coop

. Thankfully no lives were lost, and the 2x3 fencing used for the run's roof remained intact, keeping everyone safe from predators during the time it took to remove the tree, rebuild, and reinforce.

That said, I tend to over engineer, as I despise having to do anything twice. I spend a lot more downtime thinking than doing, and my time is limited.

1x4 splintered boards were replaced with 2x6 planking recycled from a neighbor's deck replacement, same hurricane...different tree.

I do get snow, no where near as some, but it can stay on the ground for weeks at a time.

Seems my group will not step on anything white...they would rather stay "cooped up" for weeks then touch the white stuff.

The reinforced run perimeter now supports strips of landscape fabric during the snow months, keeping anything white off the ground, but allowing a natural melt on the flat run roof fencing. No issues with snow load, even if in excess of 12 feet... I had plenty of wood to work with

.

Point is, Landscape Fabric works wonderfully for an outdoor run roof when snow is an issue. Just calculate your snow load accordingly.

Hope this helps someone out there...

You mean like this?

And ours is in three sections, each one can be rolled up independently just like a window shade! Love landscape fabric!! (I should note that our run has now been expanded by one panel.) And if it rips, which it hasn't so far, it's cheap and easy to replace. My favorite part of having landscape fabric over the run is that it lets air circulate through!