New to backyard chickens! I need help!

[rosemarythyme]

Oh wow ok very interesting. How do you know when it's time to clean the run instead of adding more material?

Smell, mostly. Also muddiness of it, if you're using deep litter for example, and it starts getting muddy/mushy, then you need to add more material or replace what's there if more cannot be added without removing some first.

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.

I know it's not fun to undo it but at least the material can still be used in your build.

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!

That's a lot of gravel! I can see why it'd be problematic to remove it.

I do wood chip based deep litter. If you have space to store a pile of chips that's a very efficient material to use. If possible, could you build up the base of the run taller (i.e. add another row of boards under the current bottom of the frame), to allow for more volume of litter? That would help with "holding" more poop as well as give the chickens more layers to dig at. Not sure what the clearance is under the coop right now, but deep litter can build up pretty easily, like a good 6-8". So if the clearance is 12" you're looking at a space under the coop of only 4-6" once the litter is in.

 

[Jesse Lee Turner]

Wow amazing! This is so helpful. I have a question about the perch, maybe you'd be able to answer. As my coop is relatively small, i'm not sure how to build this? how many "levels" do they need? how much space in between the levels? does it need to go all the way to the floor of the coop? is it like a ladder, do they fly there or need to climb? sorry this is maybe obvious but i know nothing thank you again!

Hey! Great you found this helpful! Well, at some point friend, we must each admit that we need a little help, and there's no shame in that, just an opportunity to get some new skill or some new knowledge. I will be back to give some advice to you, need to take care of a few things. But I won't forget. I will copy this link to this page and be sure to get back with you in a few!

 

[Jesse Lee Turner]

Wow amazing! This is so helpful. I have a question about the perch, maybe you'd be able to answer. As my coop is relatively small, i'm not sure how to build this? how many "levels" do they need? how much space in between the levels? does it need to go all the way to the floor of the coop? is it like a ladder, do they fly there or need to climb? sorry this is maybe obvious but i know nothing thank you again!

you know, I said to myself, why wait? Rharrison needs some advice, and that other stuff can go jump for a minute and when it get's there, it can jump again haha

You're asking exactly the right questions, and there's nothing obvious about it, btw, coop design can make or break a flock.

So we're just about ready to build the gals a proper roosting spot. Let’s walk it, step by step and gentle-like:

The Million Dollar Question: What is a Perch?

It’s their bed, plain and simple. Some chickens take to straw and ground fine, but it seems more Chickens don’t like sleeping on the ground, they feel more vunerable (it's information written into their genes - eat what I need, drink, be safe, and love humans), so they need a raised perch to feel safe, also cool, and off the dirt.

How High Should It Be?

*One level is often enough in small coops. You can get fancy and kep adding layers to it such as my Aunt and the clan on that side of the family. But they are eccentric. You can be too if you want, but usually one level will do:

1. Make it about 12 to 18 inches off the ground - they’ll fly-hop up there just fine.

2. If you go for a second level, make sure it’s at least it's that height up again, so 12 to 15 inches higher than the first, and not directly over the one below (so droppings don’t rain down on the crew living on the first floor).

Ladder Style or Flat Bar?​

You can do a ladder-style roost, but space the “rungs” at least 12 inches apart vertically.

If it’s a single level, a straight bar across the coop works beautifully.

How Much Space Per Bird?​

**Give at least 10–12 inches of perch length per hen.
**For 5 hens, a 4 to 5 foot long perch is **golden**.

What Should the Perch Be Made Of?​

1. Use a 2x4 laid flat (wide side up). That way their feet stay warm and flat at night, not curled like on a round broomstick. Some chickens prefer to grip around on a bar, (we call that quality passerine) but it's few in my experience. But never hurts to have a grippy bar for the quirk chickens who like it.

2. Sand or round edges just a bit, but no need to make it circular.

Does It Need to Go to the Floor?​

No, it does not, just keep it higher than the nest boxes, or else they’ll sleep in the nest (and then poop in 'em too). And no need to go too high - 18–24 inches off the coop floor is perfect unless you're building up multiple levels.

TIPS:

***No perches over food, water, or nests.
** No sharp corners or skinny wire.
* Make it easy to clean, because chicken butts don’t lie!

END OF STORY:

If the chickens seem all content, well done! If they side-eye you, some adjustments may be necessary!

 

[Rharrison7]

I'm also a newbie - about 10 months of chicken tending. I strongly recommend covering the run because of mud. Home Depot and Lowes here in the US sell plastic corrugated panels you can use to cover the run with. I even zip tied one to the side of the run for the winter when we had nasty weather and snow. They come in clear and smoked gray, which gives more sun protection in our very hot summers here.
If you do get some mud you can dump a bag of horse pellets to soak it up. They're cheap at Tractor Supply. You can also dump some mulch in there for them to scratch through.
Inside the coop I haven't used deep litter. I have a poop shelf I covered in hemp for the winter. It is incredibly nice to work with but expensive. I scoop out the poop daily but you probably don't need to.
Now, in hot weather I'm experimenting with a thin layer of sand and some zeolite. It's also pretty easy to keep clean (I still scoop daily) and much much cheaper.
Can send pictures if you want, when I get home.

Yes, please! I'd love to see what that looks like

 

[Rharrison7]

you know, I said to myself, why wait? Rharrison needs some advice, and that other stuff can go jump for a minute and when it get's there, it can jump again haha

You're asking exactly the right questions, and there's nothing obvious about it, btw, coop design can make or break a flock.

So we're just about ready to build the gals a proper roosting spot. Let’s walk it, step by step and gentle-like:

The Million Dollar Question: What is a Perch?

It’s their bed, plain and simple. Some chickens take to straw and ground fine, but it seems more Chickens don’t like sleeping on the ground, they feel more vunerable (it's information written into their genes - eat what I need, drink, be safe, and love humans), so they need a raised perch to feel safe, also cool, and off the dirt.

How High Should It Be?

*One level is often enough in small coops. You can get fancy and kep adding layers to it such as my Aunt and the clan on that side of the family. But they are eccentric. You can be too if you want, but usually one level will do:

1. Make it about 12 to 18 inches off the ground - they’ll fly-hop up there just fine.

2. If you go for a second level, make sure it’s at least it's that height up again, so 12 to 15 inches higher than the first, and not directly over the one below (so droppings don’t rain down on the crew living on the first floor).

Ladder Style or Flat Bar?​

You can do a ladder-style roost, but space the “rungs” at least 12 inches apart vertically.

If it’s a single level, a straight bar across the coop works beautifully.

How Much Space Per Bird?​

**Give at least 10–12 inches of perch length per hen.
**For 5 hens, a 4 to 5 foot long perch is **golden**.

What Should the Perch Be Made Of?​

1. Use a 2x4 laid flat (wide side up). That way their feet stay warm and flat at night, not curled like on a round broomstick. Some chickens prefer to grip around on a bar, (we call that quality passerine) but it's few in my experience. But never hurts to have a grippy bar for the quirk chickens who like it.

2. Sand or round edges just a bit, but no need to make it circular.

Does It Need to Go to the Floor?​

No, it does not, just keep it higher than the nest boxes, or else they’ll sleep in the nest (and then poop in 'em too). And no need to go too high - 18–24 inches off the coop floor is perfect unless you're building up multiple levels.

TIPS:

***No perches over food, water, or nests.
** No sharp corners or skinny wire.
* Make it easy to clean, because chicken butts don’t lie!

END OF STORY:

If the chickens seem all content, well done! If they side-eye you, some adjustments may be necessary!

Wow! Thank you so much! Very clear and to the point, what a great teacher! Thank you!

 

[Jesse Lee Turner]

Wow! Thank you so much! Very clear and to the point, what a great teacher! Thank you!

you got it! Please feel free to connect if I can help more.

 

[Ponypoor]

stall dry instead of PDZ?

Yep - Stall Dry is available at Princess Auto, Home Hardware, Greenhawk (I think there is one in Montreal somewhere), or likely any livestock feed store. Too bad no more Peavey Mart - they carried that all the time and poultry feed (and baby chicks! just as well they are no more I don't need more chickens hahaha!).

You're about to enter a whole new world of 'livestock'! It's very addictive having chickens, soon you will be talking the talk and walking the walk!

 

[Ponypoor]

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!

That's fine - I would try to pick poops and any wet spots daily, this way you don't have to spend hours and hours doing chores once a month or so. I do this and it takes less than 10 minutes to pick the poops off the roosting ledges and re-bed with fresh shavings.

This leaves lots of time for my favourite past-time - sitting on my lawnchair, feet on an overturned bucket, cuppa tea, just watching the chooks, and snoozing. That's the life!

 

[Ted Brown]

Re Stall Dry

I did not know this was stocked in accessible Canadian retail locations; price range, $21 @ Princess Auto and up. Bag size is 40lb vs 25b for Sweet PDZ.

They are different products, this summary is useful: https://www.perplexity.ai/search/stall-dry-vs-sweet-pdz-tyxA56daRl680N7rHAoZwQ

I have not used Stall Dry; 6 years using Sweet PDZ, this is a dusty product particularly as one is sifting it to remove waste. USE A DUST MASK!!!!

 

[Ponypoor]

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?

Actually, you can get away with a smaller fan for your coop (I have a larger Hen House for my gang), don't point it at the flooring, try to place it up on a small step stool or if you're handy you can place it on a bracket so it doesn't get knocked over.

If you can, I would place a fan in a window to put air out and another fan at the opposite end pulling air in. It will be a bit of fiddling for you until you figure out the best way that works for you.

Winter will be a bit easier if you wish to use some heat, I have a couple of Sweeter Heaters and my gang use them all the time to go and warm up, then run around digging through horse poop before running back to warm up. If a battle between them and I to warm up at times - I use those heaters and heat lamps also when working in the barn in the winter - brrrrrr (gosh I hate winter...).

One thing to note - I find that the chooks manage cooler weather far better than hot humid weather. Their preferred temps I find is around 15C to 20C. Once it get warmer than 20C (and throw in humidity) they start to show heat stress. And once it gets below -5C they start to show cold stress - if it's -30C outside my barn is at least -20C and they tend to stay closer to the heat source more, so I keep feed and water closer to the heat sources.

Same with heat - I keep their feed and water close to the fans - in fact my kiddos will all roost during the day in the air stream of the fans (and it's darn hilarious watching my poor silkies try to walk by the air blasting from the fans hahahaha).

Not to worry - you will soon figure out what works best for you, that is part of what makes it so much fun, figuring out what works best, and tinkering away at making sure they are happy.