Topic of the week - Chicken run management

[urbanchick1950]

Our kennel is 10x10 and 6 foot high.we are concerned about the weight of accumulated water on a flat tarp roof..we had gallons after our recent rain and bought 7 foot pvc poles to tent the tarp...but that's temporary at best. and now I worry the tarp provides too much shade is that possible?

 

[17 chickens]

We have 16 hens and are using the massive dog kennel for the chicken run with one inch chicken wire wrapped around and secured to the bottom. we use pine shavings for the nesting boxes and for the coop floor, This gets cleaned out completely every week. we have heavy clay soil here so I turn the soil over in the coop mixing in the old shavings, The chickens just love turning the soil over looking for bugs. I also add wild bird food in the soil as get keeps the chickens busy and some of the seeds tend to get mixed in the dirt and start growing pretty fast. When it comes time for the next clean out of the coop and I am turning the old shavings in the soil the chickens are there to claim the fresh sprouts that I am turning up. "What a great treat for them"
The coop is pretty close to our bedroom window and we keep our window open at night for fresh air, We have 2 greyhounds and a 100 pound German Shepherd who sleeps next to the window watching her chicken coop waiting to protect her babies.
We give our chickens layer chicken food plus fresh produce, and 4 slices of bread twice a day along with a handful of meal worms as a treat. I check for parasites every week on my spoiled little hens right after I clean the coop. I just have made that part pf a weekly habit to maintain a healthy flock.

I have a regular light bulb in the coop but only turn it on for a hour or two in the early evening, I am a vegetarian who does not eat eggs but loves my little chicken friends so I sell the eggs to local customers in our area. We have people on waiting list to buy our eggs every day but believe that the girls do need some rest time too.

I am sure that I am not the only chicken person out here who goes over board with her feathered flock but If they give us enjoyment then we need to give back to them.

 

[Ballerina Bird]

I am sure that I am not the only chicken person out here who goes over board with her feathered flock but If they give us enjoyment then we need to give back to them.

I agree!!

 

[FaerieChicken]

I open range my flock, but when breeding I separate them into their own pen for several weeks, and when I do, I use this:

http://www.littlefarmer.farm/coop-care.html

It is absolutely amazing! Love it!

 

[ABchickenguy]

In our run we used washed sand and small chipped rock as the flooring. It dries quickly if the rain blows in. It is easy to scoop the poop out using a hay rake covered in hardware cloth. It also keeps their feet clean and dry. The rake works kind of like a kitty litter scoop. For the floor of the coop I use pine shavings. There is hardly any poop that lands on that as I built a tray under their roosting board for the chickens to poop in. I filled the tray with "Stall Fresh" which is like fine cat litter. I clean the coop and run once a day and it takes maybe 5 minutes total. I also built some removable panels for three sides to keep out snow and rain in bad weather. The run is 8x16 and the coop is 4x8 so lots of room for 6 birds.

 

[ABchickenguy]

Oops! The previous post was a picture before I put the sand in.

Here's the right one.

 

[peastix]

Oops! The previous post was a picture before I put the sand in.

Here's the right one.

It all looks fab!

 

[tsisqua]

I live in a small subdivision, so back yard space is at a premium. I decided to raise my allowed four hens from peeps, and as of yesterday, they are 8 weeks old: two Barred Rocks and two Rhode Island Reds. My main coop is roughly 7' L x 3' W x 4' H. It's been roughly 50 years since I've had the opportunity to raise chickens, and that was on my aunt and uncle's farm, so I'm "micro-flocking." My back yard is privacy-fenced, and perhaps with some wing clipping, the girls will one day be able to free-range. I also have a 40' by 30' vegetable garden that they will only have "free run" in during the fallow month of August here in Central Florida. To give them some room, I ordered the plans from Beck's Homestead for a "flip-coop" that I could build on my limited income. It's about 3' wide by 8.5 feet long, and it's light enough that this old lady can move it to a different spot in the yard or garden each day. The girls really seem to love it, and because I have to handle them to transport them from coop to coop, they are easy to handle. So far, so good! Of course, I will eventually need a larger coop and hen house for these four girls, but for now, this will do!

 

[FaerieChicken]

You can always try building up rather than out! Some of the newer coops I have seen over the past couple of years now have a box of sorts for like raised bed gardening that is placed on the roof of the run or the coop! You could build up and with in the floors place boxes that can hold grass, shade type!

 

[tsisqua]

I am considering going up a little higher. I have to be mindful of what the subdivision will allow,though. I was actually only wanting to start with 3 chickens, snd bought 4 peeps just in case one was male or if I lost one. So far, though,all 4 are thriving, and all 4 are girls.

I understand that when they start to lay, some might nest in the morning, and some may nest in the afternoon. I am planning to build a nesting box for the portable run, so a space will be available when they're in there. I can also use the portable run to isolate a hen if she's got any problems.