My first coop

[Kerrigirl]

I have a few questions, I just moved my girls into their coop and I have a few questions. First, what type of ground covering should I use for the coop? What type of ground covering should I put in the nesting box? My pullets are almost 7 weeks old, how long do I need to keep the light in the coop with them? (I am in Southern California, it has been in the 70's during the day and down to the 50's at night). Lastly, they are going to be laying hens, when do I need to switch them over from starter crumble to regular food? What type of regular food should I give them (crumble, mash, pellets?) There is just so much to learn. I thank you for sharing your wisdom!

 

[Judy]

I use pine shavings on the coop floor and hay in the nests. Really, you can use just about anything available. If you have dried leaves, you can use them. Even shredded paper.

They don't need a light any more; they will sleep better with it off, especially if it's white. They may chirp the first night or two, because of the change, though.

Crumble, mash and pellets are not different types of feed, they are different textures. Around 20 weeks or when they start laying, you need to switch to a layer feed. Usually it comes in either crumbles or pellets. They tend to waste less of the pellets, but some chickens resist the pellets, at least at first. They will eat when they get hungry, though. I always buy pellets.