Need help deciding how to accessorize my coop !

[chickencrazymom]

We have a small coop, and I have talked hubbie into building a bigger one (about 12x 16). My thing is, I want to make this coop alot easier to take care of than my current one ! I know that I want nipple waterers ,to keep their water cleaner , but need help with other time saving ideas ! What works in your coop to make it easier to clean? Also pictures would be helpful and appreciated too !!! P.S. we might also get a couple of goats , does anyone have pics of a combined living space ? Thanks sooooo much !

 

[mdbokc]

Mine is easy to maintain. Takes about 5 minutes a day if I stretch it out.

 

[chickencrazymom]

Quote:
I guess what I want is to make it easier to clean, not faster. The coop that I have right now is ply wood on the inside, and when I cleaned it out this spring, I did the best that I could with it, but still felt that it was dirty. I think that I will paint this one, so that I can hose it down once a year or when needed.

 

[grandmaof5]

Although we haven`t done our coop yet, one thing I know for sure is that it will have vinyl flooring. Years ago our coop had wood flooring and I agree that it was NOT easy to clean. I`ll also be going with sand this time; sounds easier and cleaner, too.

 

[fldiver97]

After reading many posts I decided to cover the old wood floor when I converted my gardenshed into coop. I wanted easy to clean floors, either sheet linoleum or laminate. Found inexpensive mismatched laminate flooring at HabitatReStore and used that for floor. Nice and easy to keep clean. Also put a poop board under the roost. Used a flat board with raised edges and filled it with PDZ...I scoop it daily just like a litterbox. Also use a plastic scaper to clean roost off daily.Takes almost no time. Amazing what a difference it makes...the wood shavings that are on the coop floor are soooo much cleaner. Poop boards are wonderful!!!! I have a hanging waterer and a hanging nipple waterer (new, so far so good...)

 

[mdbokc]

I have a vinyl floor and like it which is good as the wife insisted on it. The only two things I might do different are (1) paint the inside walls to the bottom of the window openings with 2-3 coats of primer, for ease of possible bug treatment (mites) in the future and a massive cleanup; (2) my screen above the drop boards would be in a separate removable frame as the girls quit laying eggs on it at night weeks after they started laying.

I have a woodshop/barn, 16 x 20. I painted that floor with 3 coats of paint. It is impervious to almost everything, gas, chain saw oil, etc all wipe right up or can be hosed off with a little soap. I think if you paint, you'll be happy, just use several small coats imho. I am going to do the inside walls next spring in anticipation of future needs.

 

[chickw/chicks]

Mine has a vinyl floor(cant see in the pics) but I cover that with carpenters paper and place sawdust under their roosting poles to keep it clean. I clean it once a week and it's pretty simpl. I shovel out the sawdust, then roll up the carpenters paper and throw it out. Then just replace it and thats about it.

 

[chickencrazymom]

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I love that idea! I was thinking about how to keep the floor cleaner, mine is wood, and pretty hard to clean ! Love the thermometer too ! Will add that also, never thought of that before ! Thanks for the pic !! You learn something new everyday !

 

[Sebrite_97]

In my coop, its about 10 square feet all around, and 2 floors. 1st floor is the run. i put the food and water there. the 2nd floor is the coop, coop. it has 4 nests, a walk around area, and a large tree limb connecting the floors. i make sure the coop part is dark cuz it entices them to lay there. i use beard moss 4 nesting material. ( and they love to pick the chiggers out of it! ) As 4 defences i use an elctric fence 2 keep coons and foxes out. im quite proud of it!

 

[chickencrazymom]

Quote:
Do you have pics ? Sounds interesting, would love to see it !What is beard moss ? I have never heard of it , I just use shavings.