New chicken owner with many questions.

[ChickensAreSweet]

Two concerns:

Ventilation- chickens need a lot of ventilation. Please view Pat's Ventilation Page for more on this.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION

Predators:
Please view some of the coops on the coops pages for ideas on how you can protect them in the run you have made for them. Some people just do what you did and leave it uncovered, and others have covered runs (not the whole yard, just where you have it fenced). I just wanted you to see what is possible to protect against dogs? (I don't know what you have in your area).

I have a hawk problem, so I just put up bird netting, which won't keep a dog or racoon out. But I close them up in the coop every night (which I recommend after you cut them some breathing holes- but not too big otherwise a weasel or rat will come through and eat them). A one inch hole and less will allow a rat or a weasel to come through, and some say 1/2 inch MIGHT be safe.

**Hardware cloth** should ideally be stapled over all openings that are big enough in your coop. Don't allow drafts on the chickens, though. All holes should be up high so the air flow is above the chickens. (And if the chickens are up high you can put a vertical board on the inside that the chickens sit behind so the breeze doesn't blow on them.)

Hardware cloth is the only predator-proof fencing or hole covering there is.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

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How much headroom would they have if you put board over the nest boxes and then they sat on the board? If there is enough room, what you can do is use that board as the "poop board" (do a search for poop board on this message board) and set a 2 x 4 turned so they sit on the wide part right on top of the board (just to have something to grasp onto and get off the poop).

Then, they can stand out of their poop, and they will naturally gravitate to the highest point in the coop to sleep at night. The 2 x 4 is to keep their toes warm in the winter (their feathers cover their feet as they sit if the roost is wide enough).

Please ask if you don't understand my post!

There might be enough room...I will have to check. I think I understand your post...hubby wants to know if the roost has to be in the coop or can it be outside somewhere?

They roost for the night. They don't like to just sit on shavings, and it helps them stay healthier. You can put roosts in the run for fun for them too, and they would love them.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh, and I just wanted to add that your coop is very nice, and I have three that are almost like that but I paid a pretty penny for them. Your setup is fine, just needs some tweaking like air holes and a board on top of your nests if that's what you decide to do!

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Oh whoops I just reread your post. Seems you already looked up deep litter method. Well, you just keep adding shavings and turn it over (I turn mine every day with a stick in all my coops). Then when it gets too rank or deep and you want them out, just scrape it all out. Some hose down the coop and scrub out with Simple Green or something like that. DE (diatomaceous earth) sprinkled once a week over the shavings helps keep them dry.

I keep my food and water in the run only to keep the coops dry (and I remove the food at night due to mice.) But I let them out at daybreak and let them decide when to go to sleep.

I don't bother doing anything with the poop in the yard except go over it with the hose periodically. Others have sand in their runs and scoop out poop.

 

[dbmkay]

Thank you! My hubby said he has ventalation slots on the top & bottom of the coup. We have now put a roost outside for them...I guess now I just need to figure out a way to put a roost on top of the lay boxes for the inside. My husband said out in a farm they don't have any of that stuff and he hasn't seen that in other coops he's seen (some just look like cages...nothing more, nothing less). Is that true? lol!
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[dbmkay]

How can I tell for sure if they are roosters? I can see that the red thing (sorry...can't recall at the moment what it's called) is bigger on two of them....so I'm assuming that's how you figured it out. I heard they will make noise all day long if they are roosters and these ones seem no louder than the others. My hubby did say he saw a rooster where he bought these chickens from and it looked a lot different (bigger, more feathers etc). Just trying to figure it out if I can! Thanks in advance!
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[NonnasBabies]

What part of the country do you live in? The reason I ask is if your up north then yes you will definetly need a roost inside. I live in Louisiana and only have a 3 sided coop but I have roosts under the roof for them during the winter to keep them out of the elements!!

Missi

 

[dbmkay]

I live in Southern California so it's hot most of the time.
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[ChickensAreSweet]

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Here is what you find if you go to the top and select coop designs, then small coops:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/chicken-coop-small.html

These might give you some ideas for roosts? I think if your hubby is not wanting to make changes, don't push it!

 

[dbmkay]

We are putting a roost board on top of the lay boxes with a 2 X 4 for them to stand on! So problem is solved I think!
Quote:

Here is what you find if you go to the top and select coop designs, then small coops:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/chicken-coop-small.html

These might give you some ideas for roosts? I think if your hubby is not wanting to make changes, don't push it!