New to Forum and Have a Couple Questions

[Pork Pie]

Welcome Lana to BYC - you have some great advice and links already so I'll just say hello!
All the best

Pork Pie

 

[breege]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[rjohns39]

Hi Lana and welcome to BYC We're so happy that you've decided to join us

 

[007Sean]

Howdy Lana and Welcome to Backyard Chickens.

Happy to have you here with us. Enjoy your time here at BYC!

Thanks for joining our community!

 

[LanaBYC]

Welcome to BYC.
We are glad you joined this flock!
Jump right in and make yourself at home.

You don't want splinters in feet, they can cause a bumblefoot infection.
Kitty litter pans work for poop trays.

This video will help you learn how to navigate this site:

Coop Ideas:
Chicken Coops.

What exactly did you Google to get here? <<<<<<<<<<<

BYC has an APP!

Thank you!!!1 Great video!!!!! Lana

 

[LanaBYC]

Hello and ! Thanks for joining the BYC community, it’s great to have you here Great information provided above, good luck!

Thank you! I'm a tad (okay...WAAAAYYYYY more than a "tad") overwhelmed, but having a lot of fun at the same time and I'm absolutely committed to NOT reinventing the wheel when I have questions! Lana

 

[LanaBYC]

I did a broom finish in the shed which isn't too hard to clean but a smooth trowel finish would have been better.
The old concrete base under part of another run is probably 150 years old, cracked and deeply pitted. It is impossible to get very clean. Some day I'll try to put a topping on it but that is about 187th on the list of chores.

Our concrete floors are from the original owner (about 55 years old and in great shape, with a broom finish). After reading what everyone is saying and some of the previous articles, my husband is going to give it a "smooth" finish to make it easier to clean. We'll try that for now. Thanks, everyone! Lana

 

[LanaBYC]

Hello, Lana, and welcome to BYC! Glad you joined.
I would not put concrete down intentionally for a floor in a coop. It is hard on a chickens feet and legs when they jump off the roost to land and concrete is very porous and absorbs odors.
What is the garden shed floor now?

Using pine shavings for litter is fine.

I like poop boards. I am using a design that allows me to put in a 1" thick or more layer of washed sand mixed with PDZ. All I'll have to do is kitty litter scoop the boards in the morning and dump their night time load into the compost bin.

Our floors in the current garden shed (soon-to-be chicken coop) are original and in great shape. They're about 55 years old, not pitted or cracked at all. Since they're already concrete and in phenomenal shape, we're leaving them that way for now since we have so much to do to get the coop ready for the chicks....work with what we have, repurpose materials around our shop\home, and make changes as we learn what works/doesn't work for us and our chicks. My husband is a master craftsman by trade so he can (and is) doing all the work and these 8 chicks/soon-to-be hens are going to have a chicken chateau/mansion to be envied.

Thank you for the great advice on the poop boards. I'm absolutely committed to NOT reinventing the wheel on the many aspects of a chicken coop so I'm researching and reaching out and asking advice. Thank you, thank you!!!!!

Lana

 

[DobieLover]

Our floors in the current garden shed (soon-to-be chicken coop) are original and in great shape. They're about 55 years old, not pitted or cracked at all. Since they're already concrete and in phenomenal shape, we're leaving them that way for now since we have so much to do to get the coop ready for the chicks....work with what we have, repurpose materials around our shop\home, and make changes as we learn what works/doesn't work for us and our chicks. My husband is a master craftsman by trade so he can (and is) doing all the work and these 8 chicks/soon-to-be hens are going to have a chicken chateau/mansion to be envied.

Thank you for the great advice on the poop boards. I'm absolutely committed to NOT reinventing the wheel on the many aspects of a chicken coop so I'm researching and reaching out and asking advice. Thank you, thank you!!!!!

Lana

I completely agree with working with what you have! That is why I phrased my answer with the words "I would not put concrete down intentionally". So if that is what you have, I would suggest putting two coats of a penetrating sealer on it to make it waterproof and keep it from absorbing odors.

 

[feathermaid]

Shed conversions make great coops! A lot of folks have a plywood floor (including me) with vinyl flooring on top for easy cleaning. Deep litter is a good way to go as it makes a nice cozy coop and a soft landing when chickens hop off the roosts. I don't quite achieve "deep" litter, but I do keep adding fresh pine shavings throughout the year and with a poop tray to collect most droppings, the floor stay relatively clean. The old litter gets changed once a year and added to my compost bin to finish decomposing until the next spring. Like @DobieLover I add an inch of Sweet PDZ in the tray and just scoop daily (or every other day ). My coop is relatively small and very easy to maintain.

This is the shavings after about 10 months:

Best wishes starting your new chicken adventure!