Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[mixedbreeds]

One real nice thing about the east side I have not seen a flea since 1992 just before I moved overhear.

 

[pennyJo1960]

We had them awful last year here ... funny they did not go in the coop but man dogs and outdoor cats cost a good chunk keeping them clear

 

[AmyJane725]

Hi guys, my name is Amy. Penny1960 invited me to the thread for WA chicken keepers. I'm in Western Washington.

Since we all know what it's like living in the land of perpetual overcast, I'm curious to hear what sort of material you have in your runs (wood chips/straw/?) to keep the mud at bay, and I'm also curious how many sqft of venting you have per chicken in your coops. I've asked on other threads, and people have been quite helpful, so I hope none of them find it insulting that I ask again here, I'm just curious to see what people who live specifically in my climate do.

Oh, and do any of you have coops on stilts? If so, any issues with them sinking in the mud?

 

[pennyJo1960]

Mine are on the ground chickens love having the coop to do dirt bathes in the rain
I use white shavings in the coops deep litter 4 or 6 inches deep changed out 2 x a year

 

[AmyJane725]

Can you give me really gritty details on deep litter? How exactly do you do it? What material do you use? How deep would I make the initial layer (since I'll be setting up my coop for the first time)? How much do you add and how often? How often do you stir it? Do you add DE? You must have to take shavings out eventually. How much do you take out, and what do you do with them? Can they be thrown on the floor of the run? How deep does the litter get inside the coop? My current design has the nest box openings 6 inches up from a 6 inch deep litter tray. Are the shavings going to get so high they're spilling into the nest boxes? Any insight much appreciated.

 

[mixedbreeds]

Welcome AmyJane725 I use chopped straw in the run and coop the coop has about a foot of chopped straw there is a concrete floor under that, it might be more like 16” of straw in there now. The run is covered, the rest of the coops are in my old horse barn there are 3 of them in there I let them all out every day they stick pretty close to the barn this time of year, lots of dust bath area in there. As far as ventilation who knows lots in the barn.

 

[pennyJo1960]

Can you give me really gritty details on deep litter? How exactly do you do it? What material do you use? How deep would I make the initial layer (since I'll be setting up my coop for the first time)? How much do you add and how often? How often do you stir it? Do you add DE? You must have to take shavings out eventually. How much do you take out, and what do you do with them? Can they be thrown on the floor of the run? How deep does the litter get inside the coop? My current design has the nest box openings 6 inches up from a 6 inch deep litter tray. Are the shavings going to get so high they're spilling into the nest boxes? Any insight much appreciated.

Have to have shavings in the boxes I do deep litter I think most of us do white shavings
stir often totally replace 2 time a year

 

[AmyJane725]

What are "white shavings"?

 

[pennyJo1960]

If you walk into a farm store they are bales less than 10 a bale if coop is 8 or 10 x 10 get 3 bales cover floor and in boxes

 

[Hinotori]

I put lots of new straw in the runs every month or two. My property has marsh tendencies so building up the soil is a huge things.

The silkies sleep in little house, but I've had it with anything non-wood for a chicken coop in our climate. Resin and plastic get condensation issues even with ventilation. So we will be building new houses.

The lean to that the large fowl have is basically OSB sheets screwed to pole supports of what was an awning off the back of a shipping container. Wood sheets are attached level and the roof slants so there is good ventilation on either side at the top back. It stays warmer in there and never any wind issues. Dirt floor, but I have a functioning deep litter system going. Poop is decomposed within a couple weeks at this time of year with the cold. Doesn't last more than a couple days in summer. The worms take care of everything. No humility issues there.