Let me see if I can help with what I do. My breeding pens coops are all 4x4.... they just sleep in it and lay eggs. I don't go for the idea that they need X amount of space to sleep they huddle up to each other on the roost and only use half the roost. If you can make the coop have a wire floor that would be good. Some of mine have wire floors some are just solid with plastic or roofing material on the floor for easy cleaning.
My runs have been gravel from our creek. It has worked OK for a couple of years but need to be cleaned out a couple of times a year. I will NEVER use pine shaving or straw or anything like that. It causes a layer that is almost waterproof and just makes a slick mess if it gets wet. I am going to replace the runs with sand. Hoping it will drain a little better and be easier to clean. I do add some hydrated lime when I clean the pens.
I have some homemade feeders that hold about 50lbs of feed and some that are litter buckets size. They are in ALL my pens, even the chicks. They are great so I don't have to feed everyone everyday. Same with water either a litter bucket or a water system.
CHICKS have been the hardest to figure out the best way to keep them. I am SOLD right now on wire floors. The wire lets the poop fall through and makes easier cleaning. Chicks are a lot healthier. In 2+ seasons of using them I have only had a few losses to cocci. NOTHING like what I would have if they were on pine. The pine would get wet and kill chicks when they got cold and I just don't see that with the wire floors. I tried sand with chick.... nasty mess. Tried pellets they were just as bad as shavings. Maybe it is the volume of chicks I hatch but NOTHING else worked with chicks.
I use the wire floors on my pens inside and it works great for them too..... just don't use chicken wire. I use hardware cloth on the chicks pens but don't use that for LF birds.... the poop will not fall through for big birds. Still looking for the fix on the wire floor for big birds.
I have had fly issues. I didn't know what to use to keep them under control. I got some quick bait (that is not spelled like it is on the label) last year. WORKS great BUT it is toxic to chickens so don't let them get in it. I put it out on feed bags and crack an egg open on the feed bag to attract the flies.... kills them QUICK. Sticky fly traps all over too but have to change them often. I have an exterminator friend and he came and sprayed outside with something that was safe for chickens and that cut ALL the bug way down. He said he would come back once a month and spray to help keep them under control.
Did I answer everything? I have covered runs if that helps any.
My runs have been gravel from our creek. It has worked OK for a couple of years but need to be cleaned out a couple of times a year. I will NEVER use pine shaving or straw or anything like that. It causes a layer that is almost waterproof and just makes a slick mess if it gets wet. I am going to replace the runs with sand. Hoping it will drain a little better and be easier to clean. I do add some hydrated lime when I clean the pens.
I have some homemade feeders that hold about 50lbs of feed and some that are litter buckets size. They are in ALL my pens, even the chicks. They are great so I don't have to feed everyone everyday. Same with water either a litter bucket or a water system.
CHICKS have been the hardest to figure out the best way to keep them. I am SOLD right now on wire floors. The wire lets the poop fall through and makes easier cleaning. Chicks are a lot healthier. In 2+ seasons of using them I have only had a few losses to cocci. NOTHING like what I would have if they were on pine. The pine would get wet and kill chicks when they got cold and I just don't see that with the wire floors. I tried sand with chick.... nasty mess. Tried pellets they were just as bad as shavings. Maybe it is the volume of chicks I hatch but NOTHING else worked with chicks.
I use the wire floors on my pens inside and it works great for them too..... just don't use chicken wire. I use hardware cloth on the chicks pens but don't use that for LF birds.... the poop will not fall through for big birds. Still looking for the fix on the wire floor for big birds.
I have had fly issues. I didn't know what to use to keep them under control. I got some quick bait (that is not spelled like it is on the label) last year. WORKS great BUT it is toxic to chickens so don't let them get in it. I put it out on feed bags and crack an egg open on the feed bag to attract the flies.... kills them QUICK. Sticky fly traps all over too but have to change them often. I have an exterminator friend and he came and sprayed outside with something that was safe for chickens and that cut ALL the bug way down. He said he would come back once a month and spray to help keep them under control.
Did I answer everything? I have covered runs if that helps any.
