Hello all. I am new to this and have some questions that may be basic but haven't found the answers. Do you close a/the door to the coop at night so they stay in and keep everything else out? Have any of you used wood pellets (like for pellet stoves) on the floor of your coop? I see many of you use sand in your runs. Don't the chickens eat the grass/greens, bugs etc...? Do you keep any sort of light on in the coop at night? And last question. Does raising chickens attract a lot of rodents, mice, rats, etc? Thank you all for your help.
Hello and welcome from Oregon. I can answer some of your questions....yes, I always close my coop door at night otherwise the raccoons will get in there. I do not keep any lights on at night. Have fun!
I'll get another one... The reason many people put sand in their runs... is the chickens diminsh the grass pretty quickly. A combo of them eating it.. and mostly them pooping on it in such concentrations.. is enough to kill the grass after a short length of time, depends on the amount and size of chickens... my 3 in the teenager Halfway House start to weaken the grass after a week... then we move it. So most people agree the best solution with a permanent coop/run, to prevent a filthy-dirt-floor.. is just fill it with clean sand. The sand apparently, is easier to clean poo out of.. and the chickies seem to enjoy it... and don't get filthy from a dust bath. Then, like we are going to do, people add in buffet bars Our is going to be very simple and easy (but there are some great ones out there).. ours is just a long planter box, filled with soil and sown with microgreens, lettuce, or spinach.. with some poultry net over the top so the chickens can't devastate the base of the plants, just what grows up high enough for them to reach.
First off !!!!! So now to answer your questions, Yes i always close my run and coop doors so nothing can get into the coop or run at night. You never know what will come looking for your babies. I use pine shavings (wood shavings). Dont use cider if you use shavings that will kill them. The chickens love grass and bugs and all that. The sand helps dry out the poo so it doesn't stink so bad, as do the shavings in the coop, and they can also dust bath in it and it makes clean up easier. Some people like to put lights in there coop to fake the time so there chickens will lay more but i personally want them to do it all natural. When i had babies and no broodie i would have a heat lamp in my coop but thats it. Once they feathered out the light was gone. And no it doesn't attract rodents. If you dont keep the run/coop clean it will attract flys and such as, and if you keep your feed area a mess that will attract rodents but if you keep it clean no.
