NY chicken lover!!!!

[Cass]

It's so educational to read about everyone's challenges faced while tending chickens thru the winter months -- whether that be egg production issues, bedding woes or rooster flare-ups! Doing my best to keep up and take lots of mental notes.

I'm considering the deep bed method for the coop, with wood shavings. What's your preference for shaving material? I hear that pine isn't a good choice due to resins released causing potential airway issues in the birds. Cedar is supposed to be a fragrant choice, but I wonder about cost? I am still a little confused about using sand for the coop.....just play sand like you get for your kids sandbox? I am clueless about this!

I am envisioning straw for the outside pen area to help keep mud at bay once the grass is scratched and trampled down to dirt. I would imagine this doesn't take very long to happen. Also considering a "sacrifice pen", attached to but separated from the everyday pen, so I can switch back and forth between the two pens.. Does anyone have a set-up like this?

Lots to learn, and spring isn't really all that far off! Glasshen, I've also got my mind set on spring thanks to this warm-up, but I doubt it'll last very long!
Hope your roosters heal up quickly.

TOB

I used play sand bought at Lowes in their cement mixing section. (less than $4 a bag, took 4 bags for large side of coop) It was WONDERFUL when I only had a few chickens. Now I am in the process of switching to pine shavings. Cedar is bad for chicks, doesn't seem to affect adults as much. Cost? I have never seen Cedar at Tractor Supply, so I don't know the difference in cost. I will tell you that you will lose shavings out the doors, so even if you don't do a total clean out you will need to add shavings regularly. I also use shavings (and always have) in my nest boxes.

As far as keeping things "in your head"---unless your head is in tip top shape, you might want to grab an old notebook and write the things down, cuz the minute you want to remember what so and so said about this or that....it'll be unrecallable until after the time frame you needed that information passes.

 

[rancher hicks]

Learn the hard way, I guess. I will never, ever, EVER use straw in the coop again. It got dirty, of course, and we had the brilliant idea of throwing more straw over the top of it. With all the snow and cold, I wasn't about to shovel it out of there. It is now over a foot thick in some places and STINKS so bad! The metal roof leaks a bit here and there, so water has dripped over the weeks and matted everything down even more. Trying to clean it, you stick the pitchfork in and it stays stuck in one huge, heavy layer. UGH! It's going to take me and my son much of the day. Back to wood shavings until spring. I thought wood shavings were hard to clean before. It was easy compared to straw.
In the spring I will make a complete switch to sand so that I can clean it daily or every other day, even in the winter easily.
I have Nustock on the way from Amazon. Some of my chickens have a bit of frostbite (because it got so damp in the messy coop!). I don't know if it will help that, but it's worth a shot.
Learn by making mistakes, I suppose.

Finishing my coffee... off to the coop!

I use straw in the runs, but this last bale I got from a private person. What I buy at CM is a larger bale and cleaner I think. I've used it before and it didn't smell. I don't use it in the coop since it holds the moisture.

I like Nobles wood shaving since they are large flakes and not saw dust. You can use them and rake them up to keep things mixed. I also like to toss in some scratch so the birds "work" things and keep thing aerated.

 

[EllieMcLaughlin]

Hello from Interlaken NY! I have a small flock (8 mixed girls and 2 Peking ducks). I use savings and straw and the straw does get matted a bit by the end of the week , but only where they sleep. I pick through the coop weekly and it stays wonderfully dry and my girls are happy, fat ( very spoiled on mini muffins and oatmeal) and still laying every other day or so.

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Hello from Interlaken NY! I have a small flock (8 mixed girls and 2 Peking ducks). I use savings and straw and the straw does get matted a bit by the end of the week , but only where they sleep. I pick through the coop weekly and it stays wonderfully dry and my girls are happy, fat ( very spoiled on mini muffins and oatmeal) and still laying every other day or so.

Hi, Ellie, and welcome to the group! Everyone here has been fantastic. Your ducks sound adorable!

TOB

 

[Tough Old Bird]

As far as keeping things "in your head"---unless your head is in tip top shape, you might want to grab an old notebook and write the things down, cuz the minute you want to remember what so and so said about this or that....it'll be unrecallable until after the time frame you needed that information passes.

Actually, I've been taking some handwritten notes and then typing them into Word so I have a more permanent source (i.e., the paper isn't buried under all the chaos on my desk). Thanks for the pointers based on how you manage your coop set-up!

TOB

 

[pharmchickrnmom]

TOB--I usually bag the leaves and needles when they are dry and store them in my garage. They keep well as they are dry and in a dry place.

Ellie--welcome to the group!

 

[Tough Old Bird]

Thanks pharmchick!

TOB

 

[Gramma Chick]

Hello from Interlaken NY! I have a small flock (8 mixed girls and 2 Peking ducks). I use savings and straw and the straw does get matted a bit by the end of the week , but only where they sleep. I pick through the coop weekly and it stays wonderfully dry and my girls are happy, fat ( very spoiled on mini muffins and oatmeal) and still laying every other day or so.

Welcome Ellie , Show us some picks when you can ..Deborah

 

[Nambroth]

It's so educational to read about everyone's challenges faced while tending chickens thru the winter months -- whether that be egg production issues, bedding woes or rooster flare-ups! Doing my best to keep up and take lots of mental notes.

I'm considering the deep bed method for the coop, with wood shavings. What's your preference for shaving material? I hear that pine isn't a good choice due to resins released causing potential airway issues in the birds. Cedar is supposed to be a fragrant choice, but I wonder about cost? I am still a little confused about using sand for the coop.....just play sand like you get for your kids sandbox? I am clueless about this!

I am envisioning straw for the outside pen area to help keep mud at bay once the grass is scratched and trampled down to dirt. I would imagine this doesn't take very long to happen. Also considering a "sacrifice pen", attached to but separated from the everyday pen, so I can switch back and forth between the two pens.. Does anyone have a set-up like this?

Lots to learn, and spring isn't really all that far off! Glasshen, I've also got my mind set on spring thanks to this warm-up, but I doubt it'll last very long!
Hope your roosters heal up quickly.

TOB

I think you have it backward! Cedar is the dangerous one, as the oils it releases are very harmful to birds lungs. Pine is okay, especially in a coop with good ventilation (which it should have for other reasons as well).

Some people swear by sand, but I dislike it. Once it gets droppings and such in it, it seems impossible to get it to smell clean again, even if you scoop daily. I like pine shavings because once it's time to retire them, I can compost them with the droppings-- makes for great gardening.

To cut down on the mess in the coop, I use feeders that they can't spill or rake feed out of, and the biggest asset I've found is to use a 'poop board' under their roost. This has cut down on the droppings and overall dirtiness of my coop SO much. I used to just use a board that I scraped off every morning, but then I found this thread and adopted this method, which I can say is much more enjoyable and my coop has zero odor: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/621363/poop-board-convert-warning-graphic-gross-poop-pictures

 

[vmdanielsen]

I have a light and no working timer. Isn't that always the way?

Go to a Auto place and get a clamp on lamp. For "additional light" you don't have to have the ceramic fixture like you do for the heat lamps. Regular incadencent (Sp) bulbs heat up, but don't melt things like the heat lamps bulbs do. (My clamp on lamp was like 5 bucks at Auto place...or Walmart (but I hate Wally's world) so I only go there as a last resort)

I hadn't thought of a clamp on light. I was thinking of one of those lights that mechanics use...you know the one that comes with an extention cord and hangs on something...they must have a name, I just can't remember.......