What litter would be best in my coop

[Beenicole2]

Hi everyone! I moved to Alaska about 3 months ago and my new house has an 8x4 ft coop in the yard with a good sized fenced in run. I have eight Islandic chicks that are one and a half weeks old but we only plan on keeping the hens so hopefully we'll have at least four chickens.

I fully cleaned out the inside of the coop so we can start fresh. You can see in the pictures that the previous owner had two kitty litter boxes under the roosts, I was thinking of putting sweet pdz in those to keep smells down and make for quick poop clean up. Is this a good idea? I'm completely at a loss as to what to do on the coop flooring though. It's wood with a linoleum flooring put down. I originally wanted to do deep litter but I think I'll do that in just the run so it's on actual dirt. What would be a good idea to keep my Islandics warm in their coop during our freezing winters? I also prefer something that won't need to be changed out constantly.

The nesting box that was in the coop needs a little work but when it's done, what is a comfy cushioning I can add for them?

I've done ridiculous amounts of research but still can't decide so I thought I would ask some people who know the tried and true things to use! I've never had chickens so any recommendations would be very much appreciated! Thank you in advance!

 

[Alaskan]

I agree with @aart on bedding.

Lots of sawmills in Alaska, you can often go pick up wood shavings for free. Usually the wood milled is spruce, so fine for chickens.

Only problem with pdz or sand, is if you let it go too long when it is freezing cold, the moisture in the poop turns the sand/pdz into concrete. But if that happened to you. ..could the trays just be brought into the house to thaw? That would be nice.

For winter, make sure you keep the window / vent that opens into the run, OPEN. If you close it, there will not be enough venting.

Is there some way to keep the chickens from getting on top of the coop?

As to heat...

Are you in -60F Fairbanks area? Or rarely freezing Juneau? Or....???

 

[aart]

Welcome to BYC!

I love the pdz/sand under roosts..a bit more work every day can get old, but worth it IMO.
I like the baled large pine shavings on coop floor, keeps things drier and I only swap them all out once or twice a year, usually in fall to start winter clean and keep adding over winter.

@Alaskan might be able to help with their experience there.

 

[BYChickenAl]

I've used pine shavings, straw, and shredded paper in my nesting boxes. My hens don't seem to have a preference. I just read another thread where someone said they've used old pieces of remnant carpeting as cushioning for hens that drop their eggs. I'm going to try that in at least one box to see how well it might work. Good luck with your chicks!

 

[Alaskan]

The way the windows open wouldn't it rain and snow into the coop? The window in the run wouldn't have that problem.

Some parts of Wasilla area have crazy wind. If you do get that wind, you might want clear plastic sheets to tack up to one wall of the run just for the winter.

As to heat, you will need a way to keep water thawed...or time to bring some out 2 or 3 times a day.

Wasilla is marginal as to heat. They should be fine, but if you want things more comfortable for them, you can buy a flat panel heater. Those are pretty safe fire wise. Do not use a heat lamp.

 

[aart]

I have a five gallon bucket with nipples and I read that I can use a bird bath de-icer to keep the water from freezing. I was planning on buying one of those.

What kind of nipples, bottom of bucket(Vertical Nipples) or side(Horizontal Nipples)?
The HN's will resist freezing better than the VN's, and they usually leak much less if installed properly. Insulating your bucket will help a lot. I use an aquarium heater...but that might be risky at your temps. It's been fine here down to -12F(I hear you laughing), but could be risky if a glass heater broke.

Even here a wet poop can lock up the sand/pdz mix I use on roost boards,
but with the heavy foam backed vinyl that lines the boards most pop loose pretty easy.
I use a short handled hoe and sift out poops every day or two.

 

[Beenicole2]

I agree with @aart on bedding.

Lots of sawmills in Alaska, you can often go pick up wood shavings for free. Usually the wood milled is spruce, so fine for chickens.

Only problem with pdz or sand, is if you let it go too long when it is freezing cold, the moisture in the poop turns the sand/pdz into concrete. But if that happened to you. ..could the trays just be brought into the house to thaw? That would be nice.

For winter, make sure you keep the window / vent that opens into the run, OPEN. If you close it, there will not be enough venting.

Is there some way to keep the chickens from getting on top of the coop?

As to heat...

Are you in -60F Fairbanks area? Or rarely freezing Juneau? Or....???

Would something else work better than the PDZ? I just read a thread on here about how amazing it is so I thought I would try it. We have a heated garage though so I could bring it in there to thaw.

There are two windows that open, should I keep both open or just one?

Thank you, I didn't realize the top of the coop would be a problem, I'll add chicken wire to block it off.

We're in Wasilla, it's about an hour from Anchorage. I know it's warmer than other parts of Alaska but it does still get in the negatives.

 

[Alaskan]

As to the PDZ, it is excellent stuff in the summer.

Just when it is super cold, there is no smell at all, so it isn't really needed.....and if you don't clean it often it can turn into concrete.

 

[runnermom]

I LOVE sweet PDZ. Best decision I've made. We use it in the poop tray under the roost. The bottom of my coop has pine shavings.

 

[Beenicole2]

The way the windows open wouldn't it rain and snow into the coop? The window in the run wouldn't have that problem.

Some parts of Wasilla area have crazy wind. If you do get that wind, you might want clear plastic sheets to tack up to one wall of the run just for the winter.

As to heat, you will need a way to keep water thawed...or time to bring some out 2 or 3 times a day.

Wasilla is marginal as to heat. They should be fine, but if you want things more comfortable for them, you can buy a flat panel heater. Those are pretty safe fire wise. Do not use a heat lamp.

The roof hangs over the window opening so it should be okay, but if the wind kicks up with the rain then there might be a problem. I'll be sure to keep an eye on it if I have them both open.

Thank you, I happen to have a plastic sheet so I'll make sure to put it up for winter!

I have a five gallon bucket with nipples and I read that I can use a bird bath de-icer to keep the water from freezing. I was planning on buying one of those.

There's a heat lamp in there but I want to take it out. I don't want to risk a fire. I'll see how they do and get a flat panel heater if they seem cold.