I'm relatively new to raising chickens. I've wanted to do so for some time, I was given a chicken coop kit for my b-day; a cousin provided me with 6 RIR yearlings and the madness began. I've since turned half of my10x14 shed into a permanent coop with a 10x10 PVC run outside where the older girls hang out. I'm using the pre-fab coop for my 6- 2 month old Tetra Tints, soon to be moved in with the original 6.
The permanent coop is complete with roosts, poop board (what a time saver), door on a pully to close at night, and all the equiptment to keep the work load managable. I bought a cheap piece of linolium for the floor so it's easy to sweep and even mop once a week; I use a litter scoop and the broom each day, a total time investment of about 15 minutes, the area stays clean and there's no odor. Electricity will be added by next fall so I can use a heat lamp and water bowl heater. I save gallon sized bleach bottles, they tend to be more rigid than milk jugs, wash thoroughly, and cut out the side to make feeders and hang a few in various places so the girls don't fight over food. I have 2 different places for them to drink.
Let me share a funny about the poop board. I decided to use Chickendigger for a reason. Some have heard of "Digger O'dell" (before my time but nonetheless I heard of him) the friendly undertaker; I share the same honorable profession. We occasionally have to ship a casket across the country by air and the airlines require the casket to be in something called a shipping tray; the bottom looks like a tray with sides, all made from 1x4s and OSB. The top of a shipping tray is cardboard or some type of fiber board. They aren't allowed to be re-used even though only the outside of the casket sits in it so they have to be thrown away; the point is, they make a wonder poop board. I lined mine with very thin aluminum flashing (left over from a recent re-roofing) and added sweet PZM (PZD?); I can scoop it out each day and it's so easy to maintain and keep clean.
I used an oil based paint to paint the 2x4 roosts, I also wipe them down with bleach water once a week to keep the area clean. I learned quickly that good husbandman of chickens can take a lot of time so I've looked for ways to keep my daily tasks to a minimum and then on my days off work, I can devote an hour or so to the weekly chores and I don't feel overwhelmed with a lot of work which of course helps us to enjoy chicken raising.
I've read so many posts/threads for several months and the ideas are rich! Thanks to everyone for sharing...
The permanent coop is complete with roosts, poop board (what a time saver), door on a pully to close at night, and all the equiptment to keep the work load managable. I bought a cheap piece of linolium for the floor so it's easy to sweep and even mop once a week; I use a litter scoop and the broom each day, a total time investment of about 15 minutes, the area stays clean and there's no odor. Electricity will be added by next fall so I can use a heat lamp and water bowl heater. I save gallon sized bleach bottles, they tend to be more rigid than milk jugs, wash thoroughly, and cut out the side to make feeders and hang a few in various places so the girls don't fight over food. I have 2 different places for them to drink.
Let me share a funny about the poop board. I decided to use Chickendigger for a reason. Some have heard of "Digger O'dell" (before my time but nonetheless I heard of him) the friendly undertaker; I share the same honorable profession. We occasionally have to ship a casket across the country by air and the airlines require the casket to be in something called a shipping tray; the bottom looks like a tray with sides, all made from 1x4s and OSB. The top of a shipping tray is cardboard or some type of fiber board. They aren't allowed to be re-used even though only the outside of the casket sits in it so they have to be thrown away; the point is, they make a wonder poop board. I lined mine with very thin aluminum flashing (left over from a recent re-roofing) and added sweet PZM (PZD?); I can scoop it out each day and it's so easy to maintain and keep clean.
I used an oil based paint to paint the 2x4 roosts, I also wipe them down with bleach water once a week to keep the area clean. I learned quickly that good husbandman of chickens can take a lot of time so I've looked for ways to keep my daily tasks to a minimum and then on my days off work, I can devote an hour or so to the weekly chores and I don't feel overwhelmed with a lot of work which of course helps us to enjoy chicken raising.
I've read so many posts/threads for several months and the ideas are rich! Thanks to everyone for sharing...
and Welcome To BYC! Sounds like you have put a lot of thought into your coop design and maintenance program, and some very interesting re-purposing!
