Newbie needs help!

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All my neighbors have chickens and they are chuckling a bit when I go ask them my 101 questions. Their runs are dirt nothing more. Their laying boxes have straw or hay or something like it nothing else. Heat lamp, box fan, plenty of hardware mesh food, water. That's it. But they couldn't tell me what breed of chickens they have either...
 
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LOL...I think you might be over thinking all this. I live in a dry climate. So any bedding works for me. But if you have a very wet humid climate, you are going to have to concentrate on dry drier and dryest. Bacteria, virus's and worms love to breed in warm humid wet environments. That is why I suggested sand. Sand is dry, even when wet, if that makes sense. LOL You will need some sort of bedding in your coop to help to absorb poop. You can't have a bare flooring. Not sanitary. I am not familiar with poop boards. I tried one once and found my birds wandering around in it the next morning and decided I had had enough of that! LOL So it is up to you.

Birds rarely fall off the roost bar, but it can happen. I would worry about that. But make sure the poop hammock or board does not interfere with getting on and off the roost bar, or they have to step in poop to get up or down.

Gravel is going to be too hard on their soft foot pads, even pea gravel will get stuck between the toes. So your options are sand, wood shavings, sand, grass hay, sand, oat straw, sand, LOL...LOL Sorry.

Here is a link to some bedding options for your coop. I haven't read thru this thread, but maybe you can glean something from it and get more ideas on what you need for your situation....

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/857605/i-need-your-opinion-for-bedding-please

If you have any more questions, feel free to ask!
 
Scrapping the dog run conversion. Too many issues with it. Where's the best place to order/buy coop kits? Looking for an easier way to get started!
 
Have you checked out your coops pages here on BYC? Lots of ideas with great easy plans to follow. Some people have even built coops out of old pallets. Take a look here...

https://www.backyardchickens.com/atype/2/Coops

You can also check your local craigslist for coops too. There are lots of coops for sale on line. Just google chicken coops and you can order them prebuilt and delivered to your door.

Also, even a kit barn from Lowes or Home Depot will work too. I would shy away from the metal ones, but they do carry wooden sheds as well.

Don't give up yet!!!!
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JBaff said:
Scrapping the dog run conversion. Too many issues with it. Where's the best place to order/buy coop kits? Looking for an easier way to get started!
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Ha, ha, just kidding..OK so a day full of searching farm stores and hardware stores has fully convinced us to use what we have. We have spent the rest of the day cleaning it the kennel out, and checking our inventory. Neighbors have started giving us helpful suggestions. Having taken our measurements, were going to be able to have 10 to start! Great strides taken today Thank you all for the encouragement!
 

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