What do you EXACTLY put in a chicken coop?

[SilkieChickenLover336]

Ok so im going to raise 3 or 4 silkie hens. I was wondering what to put in the chicken coop. What type of bedding do you but in the nest box? Things like that!

 

[TwoByTwo]

I have 10 chickens 8 hens and 2 roos. Our coop is 8x 8. we have 4 nesting boxes and 2 roosting bars. We use straw on the floor and in the nesting boxes. I hope this helps. Im a newbie also. I have only had my chickens for a year.

 

[CopperCT]

I put roosts, dropping boards, water with water heater, layer pellets, nest boxes (3 for 11 chickens), and stackable bins for pellets, scratch, and bedding storage in my coop. Pine shavings are on the floor and hay or straw is in the nests. I add new shavings on top of the old about once a week in the winter and turn them to keep it fresh and new hay or straw goes into the nests also about once a week. Oh there is also the auto door opener, rake, scraper, dustpan, and thermometer on the walls in there too.

 

[AinaWGSD]

There are almost as many answers to this question as there are answerers! MY coop has large pine shavings on the floor of the coop, although we have also used smaller shavings...just depends on what's cheapest. In the nest boxes we have small pine shavings (because I got a small bag for free that's been sitting at work for a few years when our caretaker cleaned out a few cupboards) and what's left of the timothy hay. I had put the shavings in then a few large handfuls of hay on top of that, and the girls have worked at kicking the hay out and/or eating it so there are only very small pieces left that have mixed in with the pine shavings. I also have a small ladder-style roost (you may not need one for silkies as they are notorious for refusing to roost, although there are exceptions to every rule) in the back half. In the front half, I have a hanging feeder and in the summer I have a hanging waterer (right now I put their water outside in a black rubber tub because I don't want the plastic waterer to crack in the freeze/thaw cycle of winter/early spring). Right now I have a milk jug feeder hung from the wire mesh over the window where the hanging waterer would normally be. And every now and then I hang a suet cage with some goodies (greens, grapes, bread heels, etc) from that window to keep them occupied.

 

[SilkieChickenLover336]

Thanks this reaally helps!!!!!!!!

 

[GR Chicks]

The suet cages are great ideas....have been using them for 2 months...they love them.

 

[Tala]

The only thing *required* is a roost and generally, a nestbox. Though they'll lay in a corner somewhere, the roost is all they REALLY care about. If there is no roost, they will not sleep in the coop, so see that's all that's *required*

Everything else is optional and for the chickens or chicken-owner's comfort.

I'll let you in on a little secret, chickens are not picky

Pine pellets, pine shavings, straw, hay, sand, etc are all popular bedding materials - depends on the owner, some even use pine needles or shredded paper. The only "no no" is cedar shavings.
My feeders are generally out in the run, but in bad weather climates most people keep their feeder/waterer inside the coop - depends on the owner.
Suet cages and treat stuff is mainly for the chicken's entertainment, especially useful during inclement weather - depends on the owner.
The use of dropping boards and such are dependent on the design of the coop, which depends on the owner.
See?
You practically can't go wrong. If something isn't working to your liking, try something else, the birds won't mind too badly.

 

[WhiteMountainsRanch]

I just wanted to mention that I use bermuda grass for bedding... it's more absorbent, prettier, easier to clean, and composts faster than straw.

I'll NEVER go back.

 

[BoldogKennel]

ibuythe suet blocks when they are on sale and feed mine using the suet baskets. they love it.

 

[ELLY1]

H i im new to this what is a suet block, also can anyone tell me where i can get a rhode Island Red, speckledy and aBlubell at the same time as im finding it hard to get someone who sells them altogether.