What to use in coop and run.

[adwil21]

Good morning! Brand new, very nervous, chicken owner with a ton of questions. My chicks are 3 weeks old, I have 6, and we are working on their coop and run. I converted an existing shed to their coop and am adding a run. I'm wondering what the best material to use for the floor and run. I was thinking sand but I'm having a hard time determining the right sand. Local quarry only has manufactured sand and stone dust, another place I called says she has river bank sand. When I asked if it was washed she said no its just literally from a river bank. I'm wondering if just sticking with shavings in the coop for the first year would be ok and maybe wood chips or mulch for the run. Very cold and snowy where we live.

Also looking for ideas of winter coop since its so cold. Do we need heat? How does ventilation work in the winter? I plan on putting plastic on the run but do we close the windows in the coop?

 

[DobieLover]

Good morning! Brand new, very nervous, chicken owner with a ton of questions. My chicks are 3 weeks old, I have 6, and we are working on their coop and run. I converted an existing shed to their coop and am adding a run. I'm wondering what the best material to use for the floor and run. I was thinking sand but I'm having a hard time determining the right sand. Local quarry only has manufactured sand and stone dust, another place I called says she has river bank sand. When I asked if it was washed she said no its just literally from a river bank. I'm wondering if just sticking with shavings in the coop for the first year would be ok and maybe wood chips or mulch for the run. Very cold and snowy where we live.

Also looking for ideas of winter coop since its so cold. Do we need heat? How does ventilation work in the winter? I plan on putting plastic on the run but do we close the windows in the coop?

I recommend poop boards in the coop to greatly increase the life of the coop bedding. I use hemp but have also used large flake pine shavings. I clean out the coop bedding once a year. The poop boards are cleaned daily.
If you have snow, I recommend a run with a solid roof. That's what I have and I've built the run so it is as secure as the coop so it's always open to the coop. Windows that would allow a draft across the birds are closed for the winter.
I cover most of the run walls with tarps for winter.

Put ventilation in high, under the soffits with complimentary gable and ridge vents that are open year round.
For summer, in have long windows all the way around the roost area so the birds get good breezes on hot summer nights. I also run a fan of a window at the front of the coop to help keep the air moving.

The run is covered in wood chips that I get for free at the local Highway Department.

 

[adwil21]

Thank you! I do plan on using a poop board and we do have a roof on the run. The shed currently has insulation in the roof where yours is open, I'll have to look into removing it, i wasn't sure if it would be better for warmth in the winter.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

Hello and welcome to BYC! Sand is not good for our harsh winters. Sand is not absorbent at all. Dirt with wood shavings is best. Make sure your run is predator proof below and above. A covered run is best and built that it either slopes or provides easy access for you to clear the heavy snows. I cover the "walls" of my run with clear heavy duty shower curtains in the winter. This keeps the wind and blowing rain and snow out but the chickens can still see outside their little bubble.

 

[adwil21]

Thank you! Shower curtains are a good idea! I do have the run covered with a roof and have a door for access.

 

[Wee Farmer Sarah]

The shower curtains are nice. I string them on rope so on those weird warm winter days I can pull them back and let in some fresh air. The chickens also love to see what's going on outside as well.

 

[adwil21]

Great ideas, thank you!! I know they will want to see out! My chicks are in a spare bedroom in the back of house, they can hear me coming when I'm walking down the hall to visit them and they start chattering. My 2 barred rocks are so far the only ones who don't think I'm an assassin when I try to pick them up.

 

[aart]

The shed currently has insulation in the roof where yours is open, I'll have to look into removing it, i wasn't sure if it would be better for warmth in the winter.

Yup, tear it out.
Forget 'warm'...they need fresh air.
Pics of the shed, inside and out, would help us help you.

I'd nix the sand, not a fan, except for on poop boards...where it will work, but PDZ is better.

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture.

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.
That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

 

[adwil21]

Yup, tear it out.
Forget 'warm'...they need fresh air.
Pics of the shed, inside and out, would help us help you.

I'd nix the sand, not a fan, except for on poop boards...where it will work, but PDZ is better.

What kind of bedding you use may depend on how you manage the manure.
This is about cleaning, but covers my big picture.

-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.
-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.
-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.
- My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.
-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.
That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

Thanks so much, I will try to get some pics in the next few days when I'm off from work. We haven't started anything inside coop yet, working on run. I did get some PDZ to use, what kind of sand did you use on poop boards? I'll try to find some wood chips/mulch this weekend for the run. Right now its just loose dirt. We live in a small town with limited resources for anything. Stores tend to not carry alot of variety.

 

[aart]

I did get some PDZ to use, what kind of sand did you use on poop boards?

I used to use this,

it was clean and thus not dusty, couldn't find it anymore so went to straight PDZ. I use a very thin(<1/4") layer and sift it all daily.