Oregon

[mooreND23]

Hey friends, new to the site and to chicken ownership. Out here in Brush Prairie, WA outside of Portland/Vancouver. Have a few questions/concerns given the climate and mid/stench in our planned run. 7 ladies now with likely 5 more next year or so. 5 acres about half is tree’d with evergreens. Plenty or organic everywhere. Coop and run and nearly complete so any guidance would be great. Plan is for the run to have a complete roof with open sides with 1/2” HC up 3-4’ from bottom and chicken wire the rest of the way up (6.5’ total height). Coop (6x7) is entirely enclosed side from run access. Pine shavings currently in coop and nesting boxes. Let ladies out into a temporary run as we are a bit behind the ball but should be completed this week. Current run location is mostly dirt (muddy) with a little scattered grass. Will be loving the run and coop about 40’ once I get some more land prep done. Planning a diversion trench surrounding run for runoff. I figure the run will dry out a bit with the cover now on and planned a deep litter run. Couple questions...
1 - should we do HC entire height or is 3-4’ sufficient? Some predators in area but haven’t seen any dropping or tracks since our house was built.

2 - we have a load of 5/8” fracture rock/gravel. Thoughts on laying down an 3-4” layer on dirt and then begin the deep litter on that? Figure may help with some drainage as well. Thinking maybe 5-6” litter initially then add as needed. Obviously plenty of pine needles, leaves, sticks, and wood chunks. Planned to get some wood chips as well.

3 - what is a reasonable plan for dust baths? Incorporate into run, in coop, etc?

4 - anyone run into issues with lumbar exposure to deep litter causing rot to base of run? Plan to seal and paint but not sure about consistence contact over long periods.

5 - dumb question. With HC and CW application, are screws/washers necessary or will pneumatic staples be sufficient to prevent intrusion?

6 - anyone using diatomaceous earth/sweet PDZ stall refresher for smell and drying?

Thanks so much for tolerating my ignorance!! Have a great week!

 

[Killer Tomato]

Ok, firstly, wow! You are an incredible planner -- that's the first, and best step, and you are way ahead of the game. Great job with that.

With how much land you have, and the woodsy area, I'd say go with as much predator security as you can afford. I know that hardware cloth was the most expensive item for us, but it's worth it. Do as much as you can -- if you can do the screws/washers, it's more secure, right? I'm *somewhat* in town, surrounded by national forest, so we have some wildlife around. Only raccoons, and they are more interested in the fruit trees than the chickens (so far).

I can't tell you anything about wood rot, deep litter, drainage in the run -- we let our chickens cruise the back yard (we only have .25 acres). We have a really large coop, and my chickens spend zero time inside, except to sleep and lay their eggs (this is their choice). Even on the coldest days, they are cruising the yard, or sitting on the patio furniture, on the covered porch when it's raining. It's not that they don't like the coop, they just want to be out doing their chicken thing. I do know that any substance you put down in the run, will be scratched down a lot -- chickens know how to dig! My chickens like to dust bath in flower pots of soil, and depending on your space, why not have multiple sites for them to bathe, inside and out? Maybe give them a "patio area" in the run that is sheltered from the wind, blowing rain, (and summer sun) where they can kick back outside too? Some crates and roosts that abutt the coop, for a wind break?

For the coop, I am a huge fan of using washed construction grade sand. It takes seconds to scoop up, and is so clean in muddy Oregon. I tried pine shavings, and it was a soggy mess in just days. I sprinkle some sand on the poop boards to dry any wetness, and don't use diatomaceous earth (I feel it's dangerous for respiratory health, but that's my opinion). I don't use any thing else for smells -- when I scoop poops daily, it doesn't smell in the coop, and there are no flies. If I didn't use sand, I would do deep litter method. I'm all about the easiest, cheapest, way to do the coop, and that sounded best to me. (I have 9 chickens -- 2 minutes to clean poops, daily, for comparison)

I hope this helps a bit, and welcome to Backyard Chickens!

 

[Killer Tomato]

Hey friends, new to the site and to chicken ownership. Out here in Brush Prairie, WA outside of Portland/Vancouver. Have a few questions/concerns given the climate and mid/stench in our planned run. 7 ladies now with likely 5 more next year or so. 5 acres about half is tree’d with evergreens. Plenty or organic everywhere. Coop and run and nearly complete so any guidance would be great. Plan is for the run to have a complete roof with open sides with 1/2” HC up 3-4’ from bottom and chicken wire the rest of the way up (6.5’ total height). Coop (6x7) is entirely enclosed side from run access. Pine shavings currently in coop and nesting boxes. Let ladies out into a temporary run as we are a bit behind the ball but should be completed this week. Current run location is mostly dirt (muddy) with a little scattered grass. Will be loving the run and coop about 40’ once I get some more land prep done. Planning a diversion trench surrounding run for runoff. I figure the run will dry out a bit with the cover now on and planned a deep litter run. Couple questions...
1 - should we do HC entire height or is 3-4’ sufficient? Some predators in area but haven’t seen any dropping or tracks since our house was built.

2 - we have a load of 5/8” fracture rock/gravel. Thoughts on laying down an 3-4” layer on dirt and then begin the deep litter on that? Figure may help with some drainage as well. Thinking maybe 5-6” litter initially then add as needed. Obviously plenty of pine needles, leaves, sticks, and wood chunks. Planned to get some wood chips as well.

3 - what is a reasonable plan for dust baths? Incorporate into run, in coop, etc?

4 - anyone run into issues with lumbar exposure to deep litter causing rot to base of run? Plan to seal and paint but not sure about consistence contact over long periods.

5 - dumb question. With HC and CW application, are screws/washers necessary or will pneumatic staples be sufficient to prevent intrusion?

6 - anyone using diatomaceous earth/sweet PDZ stall refresher for smell and drying?

Thanks so much for tolerating my ignorance!! Have a great week!

I should have done "reply" to your thread -- so you'd get a notification that someone did -- otherwise our Oregon thread can be pretty quiet sometimes. But yes, I did respond. And again, welcome!

 

[BlueJayFarm]

Hello Oregon Peeps,
I have a beautiful boy looking for a flock of his own:

Well-bred Barred Plymouth Rock rooster. 6 months old. Bred to standard. Beautiful stock from a breeder- much higher quality than hatchery birds. Show quality/breeder quality, productive, and well-mannered. Very impressive growth. His barring is serious eye-candy. Rocks are a dual-purpose American heritage breed.

He has been free-ranged on pasture and orchard and fed organic feed. Wormed, free of external parasites. Friendly, easy to handle and comes running for treats. To good home only. Used to kids, dogs, and cats.

He is a stunning bird. Would be great for 4-H. Last pic is parent stock.

 

[Dharmachick]

anyone run into issues with lumbar exposure to deep litter causing rot to base of run?

I use deep litter and it isn't wet. I do have floors on my coops. I live in Washougal, close to you. I also let my hens roam my backyard all day, their choice, and I spread straw on the ground during the rainy season, and use wood chips and other organic vegetation for the coops. I have 2 prefab coops, 1 upcycled metal shed, and one little tikes playhouse coop. Each of them has a wood floor, and I have never had a problem with deep litter. One of my egg customers comes and cleans out my coops for his gardens, and gives my hens produce.

 

[cr8zychicnlady]

Who all is in Oregon? I am in Oregon City!

Parkdale, Oregon

 

[cr8zychicnlady]

I use deep litter and it isn't wet. I do have floors on my coops. I live in Washougal, close to you. I also let my hens roam my backyard all day, their choice, and I spread straw on the ground during the rainy season, and use wood chips and other organic vegetation for the coops. I have 2 prefab coops, 1 upcycled metal shed, and one little tikes playhouse coop. Each of them has a wood floor, and I have never had a problem with deep litter. One of my egg customers comes and cleans out my coops for his gardens, and gives my hens produce.

I, too, use deep litter and have never had a problem with dampness or smell. I turn it daily with a pitchfork or rake, takes only a minute or two, and the chickens are sometimes confined in there if the snow gets too deep for a week or two. I am going to "winterize" my coop today or tomorrow with deep litter as the rains have started. My coop is 12' by 36' and it takes about 3 bales of pine shavings, I will add one or two if the winter is long.

 

[Killer Tomato]

Parkdale, Oregon

Oakridge, Oregon.

 

[hhouck514]

I'm in Lexington, OR (Near Hermiston)

 

[NewBoots]

Portland Oregon right now but moving to Lakeside (near Coos Bay) in a year.