new to chickens . . . run floor & more questions

[Ollivander_Chicken]

I am new to chickens and have a few questions.
1. I am planning on using a mixture of sand (leftovers from dust bath), pine shavings (leftovers from coop), and dirt for the run floor. any tips or suggestions?
2.how do I introduce new chickens to a new coop? do I just set them in and let them figure it out?
3. I am using a poultry nipple watering system, how can I help the chickens figure out how to use it? (they are used to using a normal waterer)

thanks for putting up with this.
I would appreciate your feedback!
also any general tips about starting out?

 

[DobieLover]

Is your run covered and protected from rain?
Just put your chickens in their new home and don't let them out of the run for a few days so they will know that is where they can roost, eat and drink. They will come back to it on their own near dusk.
Bring each chicken to the nipple waterer and either put their beak to it or knock it with your finger so they see the water drip out. Mine took to it right away as chicks. I only showed about 1/2 of them how to use it. They showed the rest.

 

[townchicks]

Regarding the run floor, are you planning on the deep litter method? If so, you will need more organic material than pine shavings. Leaves, wood chips, pine needles, dried lawn clippings, all work well.Different sizes of stuff. Then you can also toss in the shavings from the coop as well. If you want to use sand, you will need just sand, and scoop out the poop every day or two. Introduce the chickens to the new coop by placing them in there at night, you may need to repeat this several times until they go in by themselves.

 

[Ollivander_Chicken]

I have a covered run, it has shade but is mostly transparent corrugated plastic roofing. the run is dry in all weather. we have a predator problem so we cant free range but I will be tractoring them separately on weekends

 

[Ollivander_Chicken]

I can't figure out how the DLM works so I probably won't be using it. We have lots of organic materials so I could use those in the run as well

 

[townchicks]

If your run stays dry all the time, sand may work well for you. I don't use sand, but some people say it stinks when wet. If you go deep litter, you'll want to wet it down once in a while to help the composting process, or shovel it out a few times a year into a compost pile, and add fresh litter. I use deep litter, and my girls love the floor when wetted down, they go nuts digging and finding stuff that they missed before. I think of it as enrichment.

 

[DobieLover]

DLM is pretty darn easy. Just add a thick layer of pine shaving, leaves, or other dry bedding material. You stir the litter ever day or so and that's it. When it starts to compost down, you add a fresh layer of litter to the top. You can toss a handful f scratch to the litter every other day or so to let the chickens scratch for it and mix the litter for you. But if you used dried leaves, they will mix the litter without adding scratch.
You can remove the composted material when it starts to get too deep and add it to your gardens.

 

[Ollivander_Chicken]

that sounds great! I think that I will try that. Do I just lay down the dry leaves/materials and mix it up a bit every day? you guys are so helpful. I'm glad I joined this website.

 

[townchicks]

DLM is not complicated, if you toss all that organic stuff into the run, that is deep litter. The chickens dig and scratch and turn it over, they bury their poop in the process. You just keep adding more organic material as you go. It will decompose over time, adding moisture allows the microorganisms to flourish, and start the decomposition process. This makes great compost to add to your garden, or if you don't use it, your gardening friends will likely be happy recipients. Much less labor intensive than scooping poop every day.

 

[townchicks]

that sounds great! I think that I will try that. Do I just lay down the dry leaves/materials and mix it up a bit every day? you guys are so helpful. I'm glad I joined this website.

I don't even spread it out. I dump a pile of leaves in the run, and they jump in and start scratching. By the end of the day, it's spread all over the place.