What to have in your coop?

[cath0617]

Hello I am a total newbie to the chicken thing,
I have 8 chickens that are 14 weeks old. In our coop we have a big roosting branch, a stump, a swing, waterer, and in the house part of the coop there is the feeder, 3 different height roosting bars, and 4 nesting boxes that are currently blocked off.
Is this all I need? I do not have grit, or oyster shells. Do I need it? What else do I need? Should I open the nesting boxes yet? Toys or things they play with? My coop is very big because I can not let them free range. My house backs up to woods and we have so many predators.
Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thank you

 

[Y N dottes]

u have more than I have in my coop, so youre good with all the necessities. u can start giving them grit especially if they are getting food other than the regular feed, though u don't need to give them oyster shell yet
i'd leave the nesting boxes closed a little longer until they are closer to laying age. otherwise I think your in good shape

 

[krista74]

I would recommend some grit in a separate feeder as this aids in digestion, and once they start laying they will need oyster shell for calcium too.

I'd also probably open the nest boxes in two weeks or so to ensure they have time to explore them before laying starts. Other than that, you look pretty well set up!

Since they are in the coop full time and not free ranging you could give a variety of different foods to 'play with' and eat. In summer, frozen corn cobs and frozen melon. In winter, a whole cabbage head hanging from the roof - like a cabbage pinnata!

They really are food centric, so anything they can eat is good entertainment!

Krista

 

[bobbi-j]

If they have access to dirt, sand, or small rocks in their run you don't have to provide extra grit. Will you be feeding a layer feed? If so, you don't need oyster shells either, as the layer feed has calcium in it. I've never blocked off a nesting box so I don't know when would be the appropriate time to unblock it. I've also never given my chickens toys. They're chickens. Do they have dirt to scratch and peck around in? Mine are happy with that. Maybe you can throw some mealworms in for them now and again to give them something to hunt for. I guess my farm chickens are very deprived...

 

[jessietacos]

By the looks of it, you have a spot-on coop! Your chickens are going to be very happy!

 

[tridentk9]

So far one of the favorite toys is .... the empty rolls from paper towels and toilet paper. They carry them around, sit on them, peck at them, knock them over. While cleaning the other day I kept putting the rolls on the cinder blocks, only I picked up more than I had. Turns out they were knocking them over and then another one would run off with it. Note: I probably would not use them with bantams, I would not want a head stuck in one.

The other favorite is of course empty boxes. What kid doesn't like an empty box?

 

[RonP]

Personally, I would, and do, let them free choice oyster shell, and grit if not on dirt flooring.

Your birds will come of age at different times, they will know what they need, and this way you could continue feeding non layer food till they all are laying, or indefinitely if you choose to.

 

[cath0617]

what do i put grit and oyster shells in? a dish??

 

[RonP]

That would work.

I use dedicated feeders just like the one for their feed.

Once filled, seems to last forever.

 

[Y N dottes]

what do i put grit and oyster shells in? a dish??

anything that they wont knock over easily will work. if the dish is too light they could knock it over frequently. that's what I had trouble with. what I ended up doing is making a small box of scrap plywood and nailed it to the side of the coop and filled it with grit