New to backyard chickens! I need help!

[Ted Brown]

@Ridgerunner

If one lives in a winter climate feed extra protein in cold weather for best health and productivity. Not a matter of being cruel if one does not live in a climate where it is needed.

 

[Ponypoor]

Hi everyone! I found this website after posting on reddit and finding it quite rough someone recommended i posted here, so here i am!
I live in the greater Montreal area, Canada, with my husband and 2 little kids (2 and 4). We're getting 4 hens in 4 days and are currently finishing up building our coop.

I need help with the bedding and all the other details.
My coop is 20 sq feet and the run is 50 sq ft. We can't have more than 5 hens in our town and they cannot free range.

The roof of the run was going to be just the metal wire (heavy duty) but now I'm wondering if I should put a roof?

What kind of bedding would you advise for the coop? I was looking into deep bedding.

What should I put on the ground in the run? I was thinking sand but I'm afraid it'll get gross and wet if there's no roof.
Ideally I want everything as low maintenance as possible. Deep litter possibly?

For feeding, the hens will be 12 weeks old when we get them. The farmer said to give them a feed for growth. Do you agree with that?
For water, i wanted to get a bucket with chicken water nipples. Are those good?

Any other tips would be appreciated! I feel so overwhelmed and pressed with time! View attachment 4134971View attachment 4134972thank you!

Wow that’s a lovely setup you have there. How eggciting it is to get hens! And 5, your municipality is very generous. Most here only allow 3 hens.

What breed of chickens are you getting? We would love to see photos when you take charge of them.


I am in the south simcoe county area here in Ontario, so we have the same general climate and this challenges with having poultry; here are some answers to your questions.

Bedding:

Inside the actual coop I would use wood shavings; I have about 4” of shavings in my hen house. Don’t use outside it will get very mucky and nasty.

Outside I would use a course sand, they will dig up the ground, so make sure to ensure they can’t dig under the fence!

If you can, I would cover the outside run, you will appreciate the extra space in the winter when the snow is 6’ deep you can wrap the outside walls with clear heavy poly, to cut the wind. This way they will be able to get more space, and ‘get outside’.

Feed:

You can feed a Grower feed until about 20 weeks of age, I have fed Purina grower in the past, and other local feed mill feeds. As long as they are getting a good balanced ration you will be fine.

At 20 weeks or when they start to lay eggs you can start mixing off any remaining grower with a Layer feed.

Most livestock feed stores carry poultry feed, and shavings. Keep your feed in a container with a good tight lid in a dry area. I use a garbage pail with a locking lid to keep vermin out and keep the feed dry, you can store it in your garage or other dry area.

Keep feed and water inside your coop so wild birds can’t get into it, they can carry all sorts of illness.

Waterers:

The nipple waterers are fine, just make sure you have a way to keep the water from freezing in the winter.

Which brings me to extremes in weather.

Summer heat

I use large box fans and 24” large round fans (I have horses so I use these in the barn where the chickens are), they get over heated fast so having a source of keeping cool is very important.

Winter freeze

Your coop looks good a sturdy, make sure in the winter you have air flow. Some vents in the roof are a good idea if you don’t have any yet. Humidity is very bad in the winter and is the general cause of frost bite.

I personally use some form of heat as I have silkies and elderly ladies. I have a couple of Sweeter Heaters, and a couple of heat lamps. The chooks come and go under the heat sources as needed. But winter is a long way off yet.

More pressing is summer - I would invest in a couple of fans now.

if you wish to chat more and have questions you can private message me, if you select the ‘envelope’ at the top menu bar and input my id (ponypoor) you will be able to message me.

I am sure we will all look forward to seeing photos of you new ladies when they arrive.

 

[Ponypoor]

I live near Ottawa so our climates are very similar.

My 1st advice is to cover your run with a solid roof. There is no single other thing that will simplify your life and your chickens, especially during the winter. Make sure your entry door opens into the run so door can be opened with snow on the ground.

Next use deep litter in the run. Mine is in it's 6th year, other than adding leaves & needles in the fall ZERO maintenance. Sand works in a hot year round climate, other than that is a nightmare.

Yes use deep bedding in the coop along with drop boards under the roosts. Clean the drop boards often (daily is easiest) to a compost box. Other than that I change the bedding once per year because the dropping break down and dust increases. Use PDZ on the drop boards, unfortunately you will have to go to a Tractor Supply outlet in the US to get it but worth the drive; buy 10 bags it will last you way more than a year.

Hopefully you will have electricity in the coop or run. A heated waterer will make your life much easier in the winter. I have used manufactured plastic ones, as well as a bucket with horizontal nipples and heater inside. I have had both freeze and break the plastic (country living, you may be more fortunate in Montreal).

You want high protein (20%) feed, if you plan to keep a rooster calcium show be low (1% or lower) and use oyster shells in a container on the side. A grower feed is normal but high protein is best for the winter.

Stall Dry is just as good and is available here in Canada, I have used it with the horses and chooks.

Agreed on the roofing - makes life so easy!

 

[rosemarythyme]

- Assuming snow load is an issue a roof is recommended over any netting, tarp or wire.

- Grower feed, all flock, chick starter are all fine as far as feed right now. Regardless of feed name you're looking for something around 1% calcium and maybe 18-20% protein.

- Nipple waterers are great BUT if freezing is an issue it needs to be horizontal nipples with some sort of heating element to keep the water liquid in winter. Vertical nipples will freeze right at point of freezing because the mechanism is more exposed.

And now the "bearer of bad news" section...

- So not to be a naysayer but with deep bedding and deep litter... realistically you won't be doing those the way you see some folks on here doing it, simply because you don't have space for the needed volume to compost or dry out all the poop falling into it. So you will need to plan for regular cleanouts of the coop and run, unless you want to scale everything up. Do your ordinances restrict size of coop and run?

When I had a smaller coop I could push it to maybe 6 weeks between cleanings, but 4 weeks was a more realistic number. So I'd wager you're looking at monthly clean outs of the coop at least, maybe 2-3x a year on the run?

I've also just noticed that the run has wire mesh on the floor. Hope it's not too late, but I'd recommend removing that OR even flipping it outward to form an apron to deter digging pests because chickens love to dig and you're risking injury to toes and footpads with wire. While you're at it I'd also remove the gravel if possible (reuse it to cover the apron?), because gravel isn't ideal for their feet either but also can cause odor issues if too much poop starts breaking down in it.

 

[Rharrison7]

I live near Ottawa so our climates are very similar.

My 1st advice is to cover your run with a solid roof. There is no single other thing that will simplify your life and your chickens, especially during the winter. Make sure your entry door opens into the run so door can be opened with snow on the ground.

Next use deep litter in the run. Mine is in it's 6th year, other than adding leaves & needles in the fall ZERO maintenance. Sand works in a hot year round climate, other than that is a nightmare.

Yes use deep bedding in the coop along with drop boards under the roosts. Clean the drop boards often (daily is easiest) to a compost box. Other than that I change the bedding once per year because the dropping break down and dust increases. Use PDZ on the drop boards, unfortunately you will have to go to a Tractor Supply outlet in the US to get it but worth the drive; buy 10 bags it will last you way more than a year.

Hopefully you will have electricity in the coop or run. A heated waterer will make your life much easier in the winter. I have used manufactured plastic ones, as well as a bucket with horizontal nipples and heater inside. I have had both freeze and break the plastic (country living, you may be more fortunate in Montreal).

You want high protein (20%) feed, if you plan to keep a rooster calcium show be low (1% or lower) and use oyster shells in a container on the side. A grower feed is normal but high protein is best for the winter.

Hi there! So fun to meet another Canadian here! Thank you so much for all these tips! Very helpful!

 

[Rharrison7]

Echoing some opinions already on here...initially we did a split roof on our run-1/2 solid (clear corrugated fiberglass to not obstruct sun) and 1/2 open wire. We live in the Pacific Northwest, and pretty quickly realized the rainy, soggy weather up here called for the entire roof to be solidly covered to give the hens the biggest/driest area to hang out in as possible (added bonus is they have plenty of room to dust bathe). Personally, I do deep litter method in the coop itself, but the run I just leave the natural dirt floor. I rake it and maybe sprinkle a little bedding here and there when it's needed.
From the pictures, it looks like you've got wire currently as your floor. Are you planning on putting something solid on that? Or putting the deep bedding on top of the wire?
I am a newer chicken caretaker (a little over a year now) but if I've learned one thing, it's to give ourselves some grace and room to continue learning and changing set ups as we figure out what works--everyone's situation is different. So far we've changed most things in our set up as we've trialed and errored our way through this first year. The chickens will generally be fine, and you will inevitably be making improvements as you make discoveries about what it means to take care of these loveable beings. Good luck with your new flock...your set up looks like it's coming along great, everything will turn out fine eventually!

Thank you!!!
Yes there's wire at the bottom right now, we did that as to protect the hens from predators but we're realizing now that it's not a great idea, their nails will get stuck. We need to cut that and make an apron at the base of the run. Thank you for being so encouraging, it really means a lot!

 

[Rharrison7]

Hi, welcome to the forum! Glad you joined!


That should be sufficient size for four hens.


Whichever you do, design it for snow load. As you probably know, snow can get pretty heavy. A wet snow can stick to a wire roof and build up. You do not want your roof collapsing.

Even with a solid roof snow or rain can blow in from the side. Having a solid roof helps, but you can still have issues. Your run can still get wet. More on that later. Snow can blow in and cover your run. Especially when they first see snow chickens can avoid it. After a few days they may get used to it but it is a real common problem on here that your chickens are confined to the coop only when it snows. They will not use the run. Your coop should be big enough that four hens can handle being in there for extended periods of time but that causes problems for some people.

A coop or run that stays wet for several days can become unhealthy and can stink. If the poop is fairly dry when it breaks down, the microbes breaking it down are aerobic, oxygen breathers. That is good, not a bad smell. But if the poop stays wet for a few days anaerobic bacteria can take over. The poop can become slimy and can stink really badly. You don't want that. Some diseases and parasites can thrive in the wet also. Dry is much better.

People are talking about deep litter. It is basically turning your coop or run into a compost pile. That works great if you can pull it off. The microbes that turn the waste into dirt need some water to thrive and multiply. You want the aerobic ones. That means you don't want it so wet the anaerobic microbes take over. What you are aiming for is like soak a sponge in water and squeeze it dry. You can manage a few days wetter than that before it starts to stink.

My coop stays so dry no microbes can thrive. Mine spend all day every day outside so most of the poop in the coop is from the roosts at night. That builds up and can stay wet from building up so I remove that to my compost pile outside (not in my run). I get by with cleaning the bedding out of my coop once a year in the fall. Not because I have to but because I want that stuff on my garden. My coop is a lot bigger than yours. Many people with smaller coops clean it out weekly or monthly.

I don't do anything in my run. It is on a high spot so water drains away. About 2/3 of it is roofed but rain still blows in. It can get muddy if the rain sets in for a few days but it doesn't stay wet enough long enough to stink.

Your coop wilk probably stay dry enough that it is not a big problem, just watch for poop build-up. In your run, if water drains away from it you can use different things in there. If water drains to it and stands, you could well have issues. It comes down to drainage.


Sort of. If you look at the label on a bag of feed you will see an ingredients list (that I pretty much ignore) and an analysis. The analysis shows percent for several different nutrients. The two I pay most attention to are calcium and protein. Some people like to manage it tighter but mine get treats and forage for a lot of their food so I don't have the ability to micromanage it anyway.

Calcium will fall into two different categories. It is either around 1% or 4%. All chickens need calcium for bone growth and general body maintenance. That's what the 1% is for. The 4% included calcium for eggshell formation for pullets and hens that are laying. The ones that are not laying do not need the extra calcium and can be harmed by it if fed long term. So only feed the higher calcium when they are laying or offer oyster shell on the side with a low calcium feed. The ones needing the extra calcium for eggshells should eat enough and the ones that don't need it for eggshells should not eat enough calcium to harm themselves.

Some people seem to feel that I abuse my chickens because I don't feed them a high protein feed, around 20%. I'm quite happy to feed mine a 16% protein feed. My chickens lay a lot of eggs, grow big enough to eat, can fly up to and down from the roost, and are quite healthy. I just do not find the need to spend more money for a higher protein feed to be worth it, but many people do.

Mainly avoid the high calcium feeds unless they are laying. Most of us agree on that.

Amazing advice!! Thank you just one follow up question: so as you mentioned my coop is on the smaller side. If I do deep litter, how often do I need to add more material (btw, which material for inside the coop?) and when i clean it monthly, do i need to remove everything and replace with fully new bedding? Thanks!

 

[Rharrison7]

Stall Dry is just as good and is available here in Canada, I have used it with the horses and chooks.

Agreed on the roofing - makes life so easy!

stall dry instead of PDZ?

 

[Rharrison7]

- Assuming snow load is an issue a roof is recommended over any netting, tarp or wire.

- Grower feed, all flock, chick starter are all fine as far as feed right now. Regardless of feed name you're looking for something around 1% calcium and maybe 18-20% protein.

- Nipple waterers are great BUT if freezing is an issue it needs to be horizontal nipples with some sort of heating element to keep the water liquid in winter. Vertical nipples will freeze right at point of freezing because the mechanism is more exposed.

And now the "bearer of bad news" section...

- So not to be a naysayer but with deep bedding and deep litter... realistically you won't be doing those the way you see some folks on here doing it, simply because you don't have space for the needed volume to compost or dry out all the poop falling into it. So you will need to plan for regular cleanouts of the coop and run, unless you want to scale everything up. Do your ordinances restrict size of coop and run?

When I had a smaller coop I could push it to maybe 6 weeks between cleanings, but 4 weeks was a more realistic number. So I'd wager you're looking at monthly clean outs of the coop at least, maybe 2-3x a year on the run?

I've also just noticed that the run has wire mesh on the floor. Hope it's not too late, but I'd recommend removing that OR even flipping it outward to form an apron to deter digging pests because chickens love to dig and you're risking injury to toes and footpads with wire. While you're at it I'd also remove the gravel if possible (reuse it to cover the apron?), because gravel isn't ideal for their feet either but also can cause odor issues if too much poop starts breaking down in it.

Oh wow ok very interesting. How do you know when it's time to clean the run instead of adding more material?
For the wire mesh in the run: we installed it to protect from predators BUT we're just realizing now that the chickens will get their nails caught and so we're going to course correct and do as you suggested. We didn't remove the gravel because the previous owners of the house had this whole big patch of the yard FILLED with gravel. There's like a foot deep of gravel, maybe even more. I have nowhere to put this and it's just too labour intensive. I'm going to add lots of material on top and hope for the best should i add both dirt and wood chips, or just tons of wood chips? thank you for all of your advice!

 

[Rharrison7]

Wow that’s a lovely setup you have there. How eggciting it is to get hens! And 5, your municipality is very generous. Most here only allow 3 hens.

What breed of chickens are you getting? We would love to see photos when you take charge of them.


I am in the south simcoe county area here in Ontario, so we have the same general climate and this challenges with having poultry; here are some answers to your questions.

Bedding:

Inside the actual coop I would use wood shavings; I have about 4” of shavings in my hen house. Don’t use outside it will get very mucky and nasty.

Outside I would use a course sand, they will dig up the ground, so make sure to ensure they can’t dig under the fence!

If you can, I would cover the outside run, you will appreciate the extra space in the winter when the snow is 6’ deep you can wrap the outside walls with clear heavy poly, to cut the wind. This way they will be able to get more space, and ‘get outside’.

Feed:

You can feed a Grower feed until about 20 weeks of age, I have fed Purina grower in the past, and other local feed mill feeds. As long as they are getting a good balanced ration you will be fine.

At 20 weeks or when they start to lay eggs you can start mixing off any remaining grower with a Layer feed.

Most livestock feed stores carry poultry feed, and shavings. Keep your feed in a container with a good tight lid in a dry area. I use a garbage pail with a locking lid to keep vermin out and keep the feed dry, you can store it in your garage or other dry area.

Keep feed and water inside your coop so wild birds can’t get into it, they can carry all sorts of illness.

Waterers:

The nipple waterers are fine, just make sure you have a way to keep the water from freezing in the winter.

Which brings me to extremes in weather.

Summer heat

I use large box fans and 24” large round fans (I have horses so I use these in the barn where the chickens are), they get over heated fast so having a source of keeping cool is very important.

Winter freeze

Your coop looks good a sturdy, make sure in the winter you have air flow. Some vents in the roof are a good idea if you don’t have any yet. Humidity is very bad in the winter and is the general cause of frost bite.

I personally use some form of heat as I have silkies and elderly ladies. I have a couple of Sweeter Heaters, and a couple of heat lamps. The chooks come and go under the heat sources as needed. But winter is a long way off yet.

More pressing is summer - I would invest in a couple of fans now.

if you wish to chat more and have questions you can private message me, if you select the ‘envelope’ at the top menu bar and input my id (ponypoor) you will be able to message me.

I am sure we will all look forward to seeing photos of you new ladies when they arrive.

Wow that's great advice!! thank you so much, i really appreciate it! I will definitely share pictures of our hens when we get them!
just a follow up question, with the fans, won't that create a lot of dust in the air in the coop?