Property came with old coop. Help!

[aart]

I have no experience with chickens, but I know for a true fact it works with other animals.

Not sure I buy that either....parasites are parasites inside or outside of an animal(including humans)

 

[ValerieJ]

It's frequently recommended.

But...

This is not true.


'Evidence' would be "I had a horrible mite infestation and DE alone killed them all."


But I have read numerous posts from folks wondering why they still had mites/lice,
when they had used DE.

I think there is a difference between prevention and treating an infestation. If I had an infestation I would pull out the pyrethrin, which I keep on hand, just in case. DE was recommended to fight fleas in my carpet when I was in So Cal, they were a constant battle. Using DE in my carpet put a stop to it. Also, in one house we had a problem with ants, and DE alone took care of that problem too. My neighbor would ask me to take care of his cats when he was on vacation, and he had to put his cat food in a mote to keep the ants out, but I never had the problem. We just put DE around the perimeter of the house.

My chickens would be treated with pyrethrin if they had mites. I wouldn't take a chance with them. As long as I don't have mites, I'll continue with DE under the straw.

 

[floppysquirrel04]

Not sure I buy that either....parasites are parasites inside or outside of an animal(including humans)

You don’t have to buy it, but it is true. Also, it’s a natural dewormer many farmers use on cows and pigs. I’m not sure how well it works on large animals, but I know probably 20+ wildlife rehabbers who use DE for treatment AND prevention on small ones. If you look at it under a microscope (which I have done myself) it has sharp edges that will rip microscopic or soft parasites like intestinal worms apart. That INCLUDES the eggs. It also draws moisture out of whatever it is on, so it will both dry out and rip apart mites and worms. For it to work properly, you can’t just put it in a dust bath once, you have to do it for a few days straight.

 

[NatJ]

It's probably obvious, but I suggest you start by getting rid of the junk, because you may find new features or problems as you do.

The more time you spend in there (especially in bad weather!), the more you will know what to change to make it comfortable. (But remember that chickens wear a down coat, so they don't need it as warm as a people house.)

If you walk through a howling blizzard, then step into the coop and find that all the wind is blocked--that "open" side just needs hardware cloth to keep out predators, because something is already blocking the wind. (But if the wind blows right through, then you will need to block it somehow for the winter--although that much ventilation might be very welcome in the summer heat.) Folly's Place had some good points about that side, a few pages back.

If the floor is always a muddy mess, you'll need to do something about it, while if it stays dry (once the roof/gutters are fixed) you could just use it the way it is.

I think the nestboxes look OK. I can't tell if there are enough perches--measure and plan for a foot or so per chicken. You do not want them sleeping in/on the nestboxes, because they'll get so much poop wherever they sleep.

Electric--useful for a brooder/heat lamp for chicks, for heated water in winter, for a light to encourage winter egg laying (long days make their bodies think it's summer). I do not recommend heatlamp or other heater for adult chickens, which are usually fine if they're dry and out of the wind.

Overall, I think it looks like a fairly good chicken pen, once you fix the leaks and put up hardware cloth instead of the chicken wire.

How big is it? (feet each way?)

 

[HenRae]

Hello all! Here is where I have gotten so far! Chickens are in and growing but I still have tons more to do. They are temp living in my feed storage area.

 

[HenRae]

Hi! Welcome to BYC! If you are planning on 6 chickens, the first thing I would recommend is to plan space for 12. General rule of thumb is 4 SF per bird floor space, not including nest boxes. Yes you need nest boxes, approx 1 for every 2 or 3 chickens. Windows should not open and blow a wind directly on the roosting bar, and you need a lot of cross ventilation. A lot of coop designs include long narrow openings under the eaves covered with hardware cloth. I would put in a floor and use linoleum for a finish for easy cleaning. I love the poop boards people are putting under the roosts.

We are also building a new coop so these are some of the best ideas people have given me. Good luck with yours! And yes, pictures please!

Yep.....ended up with 9 already!

 

[HenRae]

DE is not recommended for coops now use bleach in a sprayer same result liked the photos heck double ones make sure we see them all right I have 2 with dirt floors 1 with floor love dirt floor bad weather the girls do dirt bathes inside ... Good luck Hardware cloth is your new best friend

Yes it is....over 900 staples and no where near done!

 

[HenRae]

Pictures! (3rd try so may be duplicates)

 

[HenRae]

Pictures...

 

[HenRae]