Lighting, and run bedding questions

[HowIsItDone]

Hi everyone,

The 6 chicks are 8 weeks old today, and I have a ton of newbie questions, again.


They have been in the coop for 3 weeks, and last week, after we installed a light in there, (Thank you BYC), they started going in on their own at night, and roosting above the poop tray!
I turn the light off after they are "tucked in".

But last night we changed the light from a incandescent to an LED, and they all stayed on the floor for the night. I replaced that with a 40 watt incandescent bulb today. I'll see if that helps.
They seemed, unnerved..?
What is your experience?


Also, what do you recommend for a Run Bedding?
I'm using medium wood shavings in the coop.

After 3 weeks there's not much left of the living grass we started with.
I believe that I can get straw or large wood chips...
They are getting poop on their feet sometimes, and that can't be good.

We have a ton of grass clippings. Is that a thing?


I appreciate any and all advice and experience you care to share.

(South Eastern Ontario, Canada)

 

[HowIsItDone]

The run bedding is the most important question, if anyone wants to chime in.

Straw, or wood chips?
I have to choose one or the other, soon.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Hi everyone,

The 6 chicks are 8 weeks old today, and I have a ton of newbie questions, again.


They have been in the coop for 3 weeks, and last week, after we installed a light in there, (Thank you BYC), they started going in on their own at night, and roosting above the poop tray!
I turn the light off after they are "tucked in".

But last night we changed the light from a incandescent to an LED, and they all stayed on the floor for the night. I replaced that with a 40 watt incandescent bulb today. I'll see if that helps.
They seemed, unnerved..?

Chickens don't like change, and any changes can change behavior until they adjust to it.

Personally I'd rather add windows or vents for natural light since that gives them all the signals they need to "go to bed" and removes the need to micromanage artificial lighting.

Also, what do you recommend for a Run Bedding?

I believe that I can get straw or large wood chips...
They are getting poop on their feet sometimes, and that can't be good.

We have a ton of grass clippings. Is that a thing?

You will probably find that a mix of organic materials with wood chips as the base will give you the best results. Stick with what you can source readily - like wood chips are free for me, whereas shavings would get costly due to size of my run.

Adding grass clippings is fine, but they should be dried out a bit first as a lot of fresh clippings would mat down and get stinky, and birds are more likely to gorge on fresh grass than dried.

If you have space and deciduous trees, saving up loosely bagged dried leaves will also give you a good source of organic matter to mix in throughout the year.

 

[HowIsItDone]

I'd rather add windows or vents for natural light since that gives them all the signals they need to "go to bed" and removes the need to micromanage artificial lighting.

Thank you so much for taking the time to reply!

I have 2 windows, and 2 high open vents, but their run faces west, so at night it's always darker in the coop than in the run. Before I added the light, they were loading themselves on the top of the ramp leading to the coop, but weren't going inside, unless I put them in by hand.

The 40 watt incandescent seemed to work. They were all on the roost bar last night.

You will probably find that a mix of organic materials with wood chips as the base will give you the best results.

I read your post early this morning, and went on a mission, and wood chips are nowhere to be found!

I was offered garden mulch at the local feed store, which was a cedar mulch. Isn't cedar bad for chickens? It was the only thing without dye.
The local timber store had nothing. Even a local mill only offers mulch. Sigh.

In this situation, should I use chopped straw that I found to be available, or medium wood shavings?

The wood would be more absorbent, and dry faster, wouldn't it?
I can get large wood shavings next week, if they get them back in stock.

(We are expecting a rail strike in Canada next week, so I'm not holding out hope for deliveries.)

We do have a massive lawn, and a massive maple tree, so those suggestions can be helpful once I get a base in there...

One day, years from now, I hope to help others, like you all help me.
Thanks!

 

[StinkyAcres]

Even a local mill only offers mulch.

Did you ask about the size of the chips? They might still call it mulch even if it contains large chips. I use something called playground mulch but it is actually coarse pine wood chips. I wouldn't do cedar.

 

[HowIsItDone]

They might still call it mulch even if it contains large chips.

No, I haven't called them yet.
I will.

Yes, like playground mulch, or a maybe a bit smaller...
Thanks.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I have 2 windows, and 2 high open vents, but their run faces west, so at night it's always darker in the coop than in the run. Before I added the light, they were loading themselves on the top of the ramp leading to the coop, but weren't going inside, unless I put them in by hand.

The 40 watt incandescent seemed to work. They were all on the roost bar last night.

Hopefully once they get more used to going in the coop at dusk, they'll do it even without the extra light. Otherwise I'd consider adding an extra window for light on a different side of the coop, if possible.

I was offered garden mulch at the local feed store, which was a cedar mulch. Isn't cedar bad for chickens? It was the only thing without dye.
The local timber store had nothing. Even a local mill only offers mulch. Sigh.

Cedar isn't ideal - I do use some cedar as it's native to the area but it's Western red cedar which is less aromatic, and it's well aged and nearly odorless so therefore not a problem.

Another thing garden centers might carry would be pine bark nuggets, which can also work (again would be better to have a mix of things, but it's a starting point).

I'd see what the local mill's mulch looks like. Ideally you want a mix of sizes from coarse to medium with some finer (like shavings).

If you have tree service companies in your area, AND the space to store a pile, that'd be a cheap or even free way of getting a lot of wood chips.

In this situation, should I use chopped straw that I found to be available, or medium wood shavings?

The wood would be more absorbent, and dry faster, wouldn't it?
I can get large wood shavings next week, if they get them back in stock.

If those are the only options then I'd probably opt for shavings, but you probably will not be able to do deep litter with only shavings so they may need to be raked up or raked out over time to keep them from compacting down too much.

We do have a massive lawn, and a massive maple tree, so those suggestions can be helpful once I get a base in there...

Those maple leaves will be great, and fall is around the corner. If you have somewhere you can store them dry (like I use an unused greenhouse) you can loosely bag dried leaves in those paper leaf bags and just keep them around for years.

 

[aart]

We do have a massive lawn,

Massive enough to store a large pile of wood chippings from a tree trimmer?

 

[TooCheep]

Those maple leaves will be great, and fall is around the corner. If you have somewhere you can store them dry (like I use an unused greenhouse) you can loosely bag dried leaves in those paper leaf bags and just keep them around for years.

I'll second this. Fall leaves make an excellent, free bedding. You can put in a bunch at first. The girls will scratch it up and break it down. Then you can use extra stored leaves to top it off periodically. The leaves do an excellent job of neutralizing odor from the poo.

I only clean out my run twice/year and the material makes very good organic bedding for gardens and under trees and bushes.

 

[HowIsItDone]

Otherwise I'd consider adding an extra window for light on a different side of the coop, if possible.

Okay. That would be on the south side, leading to their run.

I'd see what the local mill's mulch looks like.

I haven't called them yet, but they do a lot of pine, so I hope to be able to get larger pine mulch, and rough cut boards for siding on the coop.

somewhere you can store them dry

Yes, a shed. I'll save as many as I can. And dried grass clippings.

Thank you for all that advice.