Run floor advice...

[jthornton]

For your waterer, use a five gallon bucket, gamma lid and horizontal nipples. In the winter put a stock tank deicer in the bucket and you will be good, if you can get electric to your coop.

I tried a horizontal nipple and a stock tank deicer in my water bucket last winter and it froze solid. I put foam insulation under my bucket around the vertical nipples then another bottom from a bucket and switched from a stock tank deicer to a submersible bucket heater and my vertical nipples stayed working down to 1°F in my drafty run.



JT

 

[HenHouse4Life]

IMHO, if you do that, your gonna have a smelly mess, unless you want to scoop poop every day or two. Poop,dirt and sand will eventually become a solid mess.

If it was my set up, I would do a deep litter style, 4 - 6 inches deep and start on the ground, not item 4.

For your waterer, use a five gallon bucket, gamma lid and horizontal nipples. In the winter put a stock tank deicer in the bucket and you will be good, if you can get electric to your coop. The gamma lid screws on and off, it makes checking and filling your waterer easy. Just leave it 1/4 turn loose so the water will come out of the nipples. For the deicer cord, I drilled a 2" hole in the lid and used this desk grommet and rubber grommet(cut to go around the cord)
View attachment 1312606
View attachment 1312611

I think she's referring to floor of run, not the coop. Deep litter for coop, yes. Not the outdoor run.

 

[kmhudson3]

IMHO, if you do that, your gonna have a smelly mess, unless you want to scoop poop every day or two. Poop,dirt and sand will eventually become a solid mess.

If it was my set up, I would do a deep litter style, 4 - 6 inches deep and start on the ground, not item 4.

For your waterer, use a five gallon bucket, gamma lid and horizontal nipples. In the winter put a stock tank deicer in the bucket and you will be good, if you can get electric to your coop. The gamma lid screws on and off, it makes checking and filling your waterer easy. Just leave it 1/4 turn loose so the water will come out of the nipples. For the deicer cord, I drilled a 2" hole in the lid and used this desk grommet and rubber grommet(cut to go around the cord)
View attachment 1312606
View attachment 1312611

Thanks for info! Like that bucket idea!

 

[kmhudson3]

I think she's referring to floor of run, not the coop. Deep litter for coop, yes. Not the outdoor run.

Yes, floor of the run. Should've been more clear. Hen house itself will be pine shavings. Might try deep litter method. We will see. Thank you!