My girls new palace

[peafowl_Lover]

I finally got my chicken coop done, I have dropping boards for easy cleaning, 6 nestboxes and I added in the 2 plastic ones cause the girls wouldn't lay in the new ones but it's only their first day in the new coop so hopefully they'll get used to it, I have a treadle feeder beside the nestbox, I will be adding in a grit hopper and automatic door, and maybe I'll put lino on the floor down the line.

 

[DobieLover]

It looks like a decent amount of space but I don't see a lot of ventilation in there. And you really need to bed down the floor with three to five inches of pine shavings. Their legs take quite an impact when they land and you need something to keep the floorboards dry.
I would also recommend using Sweet PDZ on the boards instead of pine shavings that way they can just be scooped with a cat litter scoop.

 

[peafowl_Lover]

Oh yes I forgot to say that I'm getting an air vent, I will add more shavings. What is Sweet PDZ

 

[Loving my girls]

I think it looks amazing

Love the wall art and fancy nesting boxes. You must let us know how you get on with them. I’ve seen them but with four nesting boxes each the size of a skating rink I don’t stand much chance of getting sorry I mean needing one Perhaps with a few more hens ?

 

[peafowl_Lover]

Yes I will have to get more
I really like salmon faverolles and silkies.

 

[DobieLover]

Sweet PDZ is zeolite, a mineral that absorbs odor and moisture. It comes in both powdered and granular forms. You want to use the granular form only. You can also use substitute products like stall dry. Always look for the granular form. You basically spread about a 1/4" thick layer on the boards and use a metal cat scoop to just scoop up the nightly poop load and put it into an old cat litter bucket. You never have to completely change it out.

One little vent isn't going to be enough. When designing a coop, you need to try to incorporate as close as possible to 1 square foot of permanently open ventilation per bird. Then you can open up additional windows in the summertime to get even more cross breezes around the roost. If there is any way to open up a ridge vent on your roof that would be very good as well as opening up the soffits at the eaves. In addition to that, I also use large gable vents.

What general area are you located in? If you live where there are very cold winters, I would be very concerned about the moisture from the birds respiration condensing on the underside of the roof and dripping back down onto them. Without adequate ventilation to remove that moisture, that's a real risk.

 

[peafowl_Lover]

There is small gaps where the galvanise meets the walls, I'll send pics soon, no it doesn't get very cold here.
Thanks

 

[Penpal]

Not enough ventilation. But, very nice. Yes, I would put flooring down.