NEED HELP! Bedding suggestions for this type of coop

[browndedra0816]

Help! I’m about to be moving into my forever home, I have 20 chickens I’ll be transporting to their new coop at my new house about 2 hours away.

This is a new coop & I’ve always used the ‘deep litter method’ with wood chips because my current coop has a sandy bottom & it is most effective for me.

I’m trying to see what the best & easiest method for bedding I can use in this new coop, in the pictures one of them shows a door that is used for clearing out bedding to add new, I want something not as dusty or as messy as wood chips. Any suggestions are welcome!

Also, I’m curious to know how everyone transports an entire flock, 2 hours away..
my thoughts are to use wire dog crates & move them in the evening time.

They will be free ranging once we move to new property, but I’m thinking 4/5 days locked in the coop to establish it as their new home.

All helpful comments or answers are very much appreciated!!

 

[OnlySympathy]

Help! I’m about to be moving into my forever home, I have 20 chickens I’ll be transporting to their new coop at my new house about 2 hours away.

This is a new coop & I’ve always used the ‘deep litter method’ with wood chips because my current coop has a sandy bottom & it is most effective for me.

I’m trying to see what the best & easiest method for bedding I can use in this new coop, in the pictures one of them shows a door that is used for clearing out bedding to add new, I want something not as dusty or as messy as wood chips. Any suggestions are welcome!

Also, I’m curious to know how everyone transports an entire flock, 2 hours away..
my thoughts are to use wire dog crates & move them in the evening time.

They will be free ranging once we move to new property, but I’m thinking 4/5 days locked in the coop to establish it as their new home.

All helpful comments or answers are very much appreciated!!

I would use either use pine pellets for horses or wood shavings, I know you said you didn’t like them but it works well and is cheap so I would still consider them with a larger coop like this. Either would work fine. I see very very very little ventilation though. That coop should have at minimum 20 square feet of ventilation open 24/7/365. The roosting bars also look way too close together and those ladder type roosts don’t work well in most cases.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I don’t have bedding advice but I have traveled pretty extensively with chickens, often for 8 hours or more. Dog kennels are good and there is nothing wrong with doing it during the day. I would put old towels on the bottom of the kennels to keep them from sliding too much and keep cleanup as easy as possible (i.e. throw the towels out when you’re done). I also wouldn’t try to travel with water. It’s always a mess. Just give them some wet feed that is a little like a grits consistency. Not too much, just enough for a snack with a bit of hydration. They likely won’t eat but it’s good just in case it takes longer than you expect for your own peace of mind.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'd still use wood chips but in my case it's because it's the most cost efficient bedding (aka free). You don't mention how you plan on managing litter in the coop though, so hard to make more specific suggestions. Like hemp is a nice option especially if you want something to sift poop out of but it's probably the most expensive bedding choice as well.

x2 on the roosts as mentioned above. The top roosts are unusable because they're so close to the wall, and then every other board probably needs to come out or else birds will be pooping on each other.

 

[browndedra0816]

I would use either use pine pellets for horses or wood shavings, I know you said you didn’t like them but it works well and is cheap so I would still consider them with a larger coop like this. Either would work fine. I see very very very little ventilation though. That coop should have at minimum 20 square feet of ventilation open 24/7/365. The roosting bars also look way too close together and those ladder type roosts don’t work well in most cases.

We had to buy this prefab in a hurry! I’m so glad you said something. How would I go about adding some ventilation in here?? Just add some vents on either side up top? Or would putting hardware cloth over the windows for protection & opening them?

 

[Folly's place]

Transporting them in dog crates with old towels works very well, they will be fine for a couple of hours. Take dishes and a bag of feed along, for emergency delays, but maybe a bit of scratch on the towels while traveling. And don't let them overheat in there! If you have to stop in hot weather, make sure they aren't in a closed vehicle.
Yes, much more ventilation needed in that coop! Well secured hardware cloth where the windows are located, also open the upper ends of the walls and cover with hardware cloth. You don't show the exterior, best if there are good roof overhangs to protect openings from rain and snow in windy weather.
Consider 'awnings' of some sort, could be wood or window panes on hinges over window openings, to protect those openings from snow and rain. Like storm shutters in Florida?!
A large window opening with hardware cloth in the door, also good.
And change those roosts, reuse some of that lumber, and make them go across the long side of the coop, maybe two lengthwise, using 2" to 3" saplings, bark on. Chickens were jungle animals, roosting on tree branches, not dimensional lumber! If you set them up to be movable, cleaning is easier too.
Is there siding outside over that particle board? Hope so!
Our insurance company, and they were right, had our electrician install exterior grade wiring and outlets at our coop, not that interior stuff. This building has unsafe electrical wire, and outlet, and switch. Get it upgraded and inspected!!!
Mary