New Chicken Coop

[Lilmink777]

Hello recently got some new chickens. Built a coop that is 8' x 8' there is a door that locks at night and then they have a 8' x 8' run space outside of the coop that is completely fenced in top bottom and sides. For free range and playing etc.

I am looking into my options to keep the inside of the coop clean, what should I put down inside (the floor is wood)

Outside the coop in the run space is all soil and grass Im going to put in some grazing boxes and plant some plants in the soil. Can I just leave it this way with soil or should I put something down in this space as well like sand ? I have seen so many different ways of going about things not sure what I should do. First time chicken owner BTW.

 

[nuthatched]

They'll eat any plants down to the roosts and bathe in the remains. You can start a fodder system and save your money from buying plants.
Most people put a sheet of linoleum down to aid with cleaning but this can be slippery if there's not enough litter.
It's best to have some different organic matters in the run like wood chips to help break down the poop.
How many chickens are you getting?

 

[Lilmink777]

They'll eat any plants down to the roosts and bathe in the remains. You can start a fodder system and save your money from buying plants.
Most people put a sheet of linoleum down to aid with cleaning but this can be slippery if there's not enough litter.
It's best to have some different organic matters in the run like wood chips to help break down the poop.
How many chickens are you getting?

I have 5. There about 6 weeks old.

 

[Auntiejessi3]

The floor of my coop is wood also, I painted it with floor-crete and put down pine shavings. I do a full cleanout twice a year, once in the spring and once in the fall. All the pine shavings go into the run to compost. You can also add grass clippings, wood chips, undied mulch to the run to help keep it dry and break down the poop. I have Texas sage bushes, crepe myrtles, rose bush, and fig tree in my run and chicken yard, I have landscape border around them and the chickens don't bother them any. Figure out what will work best for you and your situation, because they'll have that grass gone in no time. I hope you enjoy chicken-ing

 

[rosemarythyme]

Options to protect the coop floor would be linoleum/vinyl, porch paint, Black Jack 57. If you can keep the interior of the coop bone dry you may not need anything at all, but I do track in moisture from rain and snow so I prefer to keep the wood protected (I use Black Jack 57).

For the run, you will most likely need some sort of litter. Best option really depends on a number of factors such as overall climate, soil drainage, roofed/unroofed, availability of materials, etc. Deep litter and sand are probably the most common options.

Any grass and unprotected plants will get destroyed by the flock over time.

 

[Lilmink777]

Options to protect the coop floor would be linoleum/vinyl, porch paint, Black Jack 57. If you can keep the interior of the coop bone dry you may not need anything at all, but I do track in moisture from rain and snow so I prefer to keep the wood protected (I use Black Jack 57).

For the run, you will most likely need some sort of litter. Best option really depends on a number of factors such as overall climate, soil drainage, roofed/unroofed, availability of materials, etc. Deep litter and sand are probably the most common options.

Any grass and unprotected plants will get destroyed by the flock over time.

Any advice on how much I will need coop floor is 8x8, it ain't cheap.

For the outside run there is no roof. Sand will get wet and gross when it rains. What is the way around this?

 

[rosemarythyme]

Any advice on how much I will need coop floor is 8x8, it ain't cheap.

How much of what? I use Black Jack 57, one 5 gal bucket will easily be enough.

For the outside run there is no roof. Sand will get wet and gross when it rains. What is the way around this?

Sand really needs to be dry to work well. Deep litter is a much better choice for wet environments.

 

[Lilmink777]

How much of what? I use Black Jack 57, one 5 gal bucket will easily be enough.

Sand really needs to be dry to work well. Deep litter is a much better choice for wet environments.

As I continue my research it seems it is the way to go for me.