Requesting assistance to design the interior of my Coop!

[3KillerBs]

I planned on building my own barn door from wood. Do you knot recommend it? I can go to the hardware store and buy a new exterior door.

No, I wouldn't recommend buying a door -- not unless you happened to come across something super cheap at a yard sale.

Doors are stupid-expensive.

 

[curlyp]

They always want to lay in the same box -- it's part of their instincts. That's why we put fake eggs or golf balls into the nests to teach them that it's a safe place to lay.

Interesting. I will pick up some fake eggs. Once the coop is finished and the nesting boxes are in, should I put the fake eggs inside or wait until they are about 21 weeks old?

Most people just leave the ground exposed.

But I suppose the boards would be good protection against burrowing predators.

I wish I could, but where the coop is being built, the drainage is horrible. Without spending a ton of $$ on someone to fix it, my structure would sink. That is why I put a foundation of 4x6 with gravel inside and the coop/run on top.

My own preference is for a mix of materials: dry leaves, pine needles, maybe a bit of shredded paper, carrot peels and apple cores, dried grass clippings, wood chips or shavings, a bit of hay or straw on occasion, etc. I have only bought bedding materials on very rare occasions, because there are so many things that can be chicken bedding once I got in the habit of looking for them.

Thanks for the tip. I have a ton of evergreen trees and plenty of pine cones, needles, etc! I had no idea we could use shredded paper! I guess I will start shredding my junk pile vs burning it!

1 nest for every 4 hens usually works out about right.

AH, I get it now...that's what the 1/4 meant!

I second the poop deck idea. Full disclosure: I just got my first chicks, and they're only a week old, so I can't attest to the efficacy of the poop decks, but they're 3 ft from the ground, and have a roost about 10" above them. So lots of space underneath, and none of it will get nearly as poopy.

Your inside looks really nice. I like your setup and the poop deck looks clean!

Forgive the fingerpainting--I get a little crazy sometimes

No worries, it's cute!

Doors are stupid-expensive.

Agree!

 

[3KillerBs]

Interesting. I will pick up some fake eggs. Once the coop is finished and the nesting boxes are in, should I put the fake eggs inside or wait until they are about 21 weeks old?

I put them in at about 16 weeks when I had pullets only and no adults. I figured that it would help them get the idea of what those cozy boxes were for.

But I also had rapid-maturing breeds so I didn't want them to start laying with the boxes still closed up.

 

[NatJ]

where the coop is being built, the drainage is horrible. Without spending a ton of $$ on someone to fix it, my structure would sink. That is why I put a foundation of 4x6 with gravel inside and the coop/run on top.

Ah, that makes sense! Yes, keeping them up out of the wet does make sense.

Thanks for the tip. I have a ton of evergreen trees and plenty of pine cones, needles, etc! I had no idea we could use shredded paper! I guess I will start shredding my junk pile vs burning it!

If you use JUST shredded paper, it will tend to make a soggy mat. So it's usually best to mix it with other things, unless you are trying to build nice layers of paper & poop (lasagna for a garden?)

 

[Jeanette Nugent]

Dear all I just wanted to tag on here as I have a question about coops. I live in the Mediterranean and have quite a red mite issue as the environment is perfect for them. My coop is perfect for them with millions of nooks and crannies. Having tried everything do you think about mites when designing a coop?