Is my coop ok and how do I best clean and manage it?

[Cupcakes]

I apologise in advance if my questions seem silly or I seem really uneducated about chickens! My brother-in-law set us up with the chickens but after a bit of research I've realised that he only does basic things for his chickens and hasn't told me about half the things I need to know!

This is our coop. It's 8 foot long with a lift up hatch on the wooden bit. The run doesn't have chicken wire underneath it. I have 2 pekins (chickens).

Now I'm worried about foxes as some chickens recently round here were killed by foxes digging under and so I have been closing the hatch (the triangle door from the run to the enclosed bit) at 10pm and opening it when I wake in the morning 7am ish. Is that ok?

Inside I have 2 inches of dust extracted wood shavings. I'm going to get a nest box that I can fit up on the far left panel inside and put something in it (straw or more sawdust?) will that be ok?

The coop is on grass in the back garden and moved every few days.


Cleaning - How often and what do I need to do to clean it out?

Pests - should I be using something to protect against red mite?

Thanks in advance for any help or advice

 

[dstoeck]

Mine looks a lot like yours. A couple of my husband's grad students built it.....we're kind of forming a little urban chicken coop ....so I'd be interested in the thoughts of others. I'm a little worried that the coop has no floor. guess we'll learn as we go!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

It is small for two grown ducks to be in (you stated you have 2 pekins). Do you move it around your yard? Your photo shows it on concrete which is hard on a ducks foot pad as well. You will also need to give them a water source deep enough to getntheir head dipped it so they can clear the nostrils. A small kiddie pool is also a good idea for ducks to swim and bath in.

 

[Cupcakes]

Quote:
Sorry I meant pekin CHICKENS, lol, teeny tiny and in no need of water! The pic is from when it was made, it's on the lawn now. Sorry for the confusion, will edit first post!

 

[CelticOaksFarm]

Quote:
Sorry I meant pekin CHICKENS, lol, teeny tiny and in no need of water! The pic is from when it was made, it's on the lawn now. Sorry for the confusion, will edit first post!

Ah ok, Bantam chickens. We use straw in our nest box and sand in the coop for easy cleaning. Many use pine shavings (horse stall bedding) you just rake it all out and replace as needed. As far as the bottom goes, you can attach welded field fencing (2"x4" or smaller openings). This will protect the bottom side from diggers and still let grass through for the chickens to eat. Depending on where you live, winter will require some extra steps. We are in FL so I battle the heat and sun here.

 

[Nicole01]

I clean my coop several times a day. I'm home and I have the time. Our chickens hang out in the coop since it's 10-20 degrees cooler. Our coop is inside our garage. You'll probably want to clean your coop 1-2 times daily. Especially in the morning after they wake up. They poop all night long.lol. Your BIL used hardware cloth, which is the best and most expensive wire. I wouldn't put more then 2 small chickens in that coop. The run is a little tight for 2 bantams. Maybe they can free range for a little during the day??? The average square feet for small chickens is 2-3 square feet per bantam chicken for the coop and at least 5 square feet per bantam chicken in the run.

 

[Cupcakes]

Quote:
Sorry I meant pekin CHICKENS, lol, teeny tiny and in no need of water! The pic is from when it was made, it's on the lawn now. Sorry for the confusion, will edit first post!

Ah ok, Bantam chickens. We use straw in our nest box and sand in the coop for easy cleaning. Many use pine shavings (horse stall bedding) you just rake it all out and replace as needed. As far as the bottom goes, you can attach welded field fencing (2"x4" or smaller openings). This will protect the bottom side from diggers and still let grass through for the chickens to eat. Depending on where you live, winter will require some extra steps. We are in FL so I battle the heat and sun here.

I'm in the UK! Colder climate than you I'm guessing!

 

[Cupcakes]

Quote:
The coop is bigger than the photo looks I think. It's about 15 square feet outside and 5 square feet inside (approx). The chickens are really small too, and they won't grow much more.

I do plan on having them out in the garden, we only moved in last week so I need to check the garden for escape routes! I was thinking that when we're in and have the door open I'll let the chickens roam the back garden.

So do I need to poop scoop the coop (haha) throughout the day?

 

[MuckyPuppy]

Ha, I knew you were in the UK (same as us) because you called them Pekins instead of Bantam Cochins!

 

[Jferlisi]

Looks great. I would add welding wire to the bottom of it to keep predators from getting under it. If the are bantams and only two you wont need to clean it ever day, mostlikely once a week since you will be moving it and they will be out when you are home. I use wood shavings in my nest boxes and coop, just remember never to use cedar. Its bad for them. Welcome to byc also.