New Coop and Run Complete! Comments, Suggestions?

[Samjamrow13]

Hey all

So this is my first coop build. All made out of materials I got for free or had laying around! I transformed an old rusty shed into a coop with an added run. The shed was painted with white rustoleum enamel to help with heat reflection, vents were drilled and the roof has two exhaust vents. It’s rather comfy during the hot parts of the day. The run is a 8x8 fully enclosed chain link run. The fence and 1/2in 19ga hardware cloth are buried two ft below around the whole perimeter. I also buried more cloth and chain link to extend gateway protection 3ft out from the gate.

The floor was replaced with 3/4in hard wood ground contact plywood and I made a little roost with some random spare 2x4 wood. Below the roost is a pvc and tarp removable poop board and a food container with lid below that. The nesting boxes are milk crates with yoga mat on the bottom and I plan to fill them with pinechips. I’ll clean out the tools of course.

My main goal is to get some comments and tips because I will be introducing them to the coop in a couple of days (storm dependent). I will have water and food and some perches in the run once the sod takes hold.

What should I put, if anything, on the floor of the coop?

Oh and I have 4 hens but hope to get a total of 6-8 at one time.

I’m excited to hear your thoughts!

 

[aart]

After a quick look.....saw these red flags:
Why the sod?
They'll just tear it up pretty fast and if it's new it may contain chemicals(pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers) that you don't want your birds exposed to.

I'd nix the yoga mats.....they may eat them, they like to pick and tear at foamy stuff.

Not sure what/where the rough spiny edge of HC is,
but I hope it's somewhere the birds can't get at it.

Is the coop in full shade all day?
Do the roof vents have fans?

 

[Samjamrow13]

After a quick look.....saw these red flags:
Why the sod?
They'll just tear it up pretty fast and if it's new it may contain chemicals(pesticides, fungicides, fertilizers) that you don't want your birds exposed to.

I'd nix the yoga mats.....they may eat them, they like to pick and tear at foamy stuff.

Not sure what/where the rough spiny edge of HC is,
but I hope it's somewhere the birds can't get at it.

Is the coop in full shade all day?
Do the roof vents have fans?

The sod because it’s was mud. I knew they would tear it up but I had some non treated sod for free from my work so I just used it. Spiny edge is the exterior top of the coop the chickens cannot get to it. The coop and run is in about 85-95 percent shade all day hence the no grass to begin with. The vents have fans and I insulated the ceiling that seems to be doing the best work at cooling the coop down.

What should I put on the floor of the coop for easy cleaning?

Thanks!

 

[Samjamrow13]

The sod because it’s was mud. I knew they would tear it up but I had some non treated sod for free from my work so I just used it. Spiny edge is the exterior top of the coop the chickens cannot get to it. The coop and run is in about 85-95 percent shade all day hence the no grass to begin with. The vents have fans and I insulated the ceiling that seems to be doing the best work at cooling the coop down.

What should I put on the floor of the coop for easy cleaning?

Thanks!

Also forgot to mention I made a pvc chicken tractor so the chickens won’t be always in the run. On days I can watch them or at least be close by they’ll be in the tractor

 

[Alaskan]

Since you have that nice grass in the run... I would put a grow frame over a part of it ..... so I bit stays alive and can keep growing through the grow frame.

As to the floor, to clean easily... I like wood chips/shavings for free from a local mill.

 

[RaineyTN]

Cheap linoleum works good on the floor. easy to scrape off, and the plywood under it will last longer

 

[aart]

I would put a grow frame over a part of it

Good Idea!
I did that when I expanded my run...lasted a pretty good long while.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/grazing-frames.73645/

What should I put on the floor of the coop for easy cleaning?

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[Samjamrow13]

Since you have that nice grass in the run... I would put a grow frame over a part of it ..... so I bit stays alive and can keep growing through the grow frame.

As to the floor, to clean easily... I like wood chips/shavings for free from a local mill.

I have a grow frame that is about 1.5sqft should I make a bigger one?

 

[aart]

I have a grow frame that is about 1.5sqft should I make a bigger one?

1.5 x 1.5'?
I'd suggest several smaller ones instead of huge one, easier to move to clean out underneath.

 

[sealer39]

I remember your first post before you started the project. Your coop looks great!

Tips:
If that is foam board on the ceiling the silver side should be facing up. The silver acts as another heat barrier. If the foam board won’t stay up you can drill self tapping screws through the rafters to hold them up (like the clips on the back side of a picture frame).
I haven’t used it but some people on this forum paint the wood floors with a product called BlackJack 57.

I’m very pleased with how my metal shed/coop turned out. I turned a metal oven into a cool retreat for my birds. Your birds should be very comfortable in there.