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What to use inside my coop????

Discussion in 'Coop & Run - Design, Construction, & Maintenance' started by kbreak, Dec 27, 2011.

Most Liked Posts
  1. Dec 27, 2011 #1
    kbreak

    kbreak Chillin' With My Peeps

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    My coop is on the ground. We had lost of rain the last 2 days. I have some hay in there. Is it pine shavings you can use on the flooring? I went the other day looking for wood shavings and all I found was pine shavings. I was thinking you weren't supposed to use pine shavings. Is it cedar shavings you don't use. It is a mess in there and I need something that may absorb some or at least give them something dry to walk on. Need a quick fix.
    Thanks for any advice.
     
  3. Dec 27, 2011 #2
    Ridgerunner

    Ridgerunner Chicken Obsessed

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    I don't know how big your coop is, but maybe add a few inches of dirt to get it above flood stage? I did this to my coop, using clay, and it keeps water from flowing in.

    Pine or aspen shavings are fine. Cedar shavings are what you want to avoid.
     
  5. Dec 27, 2011 #3
    Hunter0704

    Hunter0704 Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Depending on how much water gets in there, I have used quite successfully Equine Pellets inside my coop....it removes moisture from the ducks water and it also coats the poop which makes it dry AND there is no smell. When it gets wet it turns into a substance that makes me think of saw dust. Good luck!
     
  7. Dec 27, 2011 #4
    Fred's Hens

    Fred's Hens Chicken Obsessed Premium Member

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    Up North when it's hot, Down South when it's not.
    If your hay is getting wet, the pine wood chips will also.

    First order of business is finding a local guy, (like me [​IMG]) who knows how to life that coop up a foot and put support under it. It is almost impossible to keep a proper coop and keep you flock healthy unless it is dry. Best regards.
     
  9. Dec 27, 2011 #5
    rancher hicks

    rancher hicks Chicken Obsessed

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    Pics of your location would help. You may want to "build up the area where the coop is located so the rain doesn't settle in that area. I'd say a least a foot up or more. High ground is better.

    Hay is not good for the floor. It gets moldy. I use straw and wood chips in the run. Get wood "chips" not shavings. No matter what you use, you need to build up around your coop. Make the coop up higher than the surrounding area. You will also want to dump some sand in there too.

    I wish you dry coops,

    Rancher
     
  11. Dec 27, 2011 #6
    kbreak

    kbreak Chillin' With My Peeps

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    Nov 1, 2011
    Columbia, MS
    Thanks for the advice. Today I think I am gonna get some pine shavings and put down. Maybe that will help some. My husband isn't gonna do much renovating to this little coop. We are gonna build a chicken barn this spring. 20x20. We didn't know about chicken math when we started. We started out with a yard rooster that a friend put out. He totally free ranged and became friends with our dog. Slept on the dog fence every night. After about 2 months we got him 2 hens one of which was killed. The hen laid 11 eggs and hatched 6. We caught her and babies and built a small run for them. My husband didn't know that was the beginning. We also have 2 bantam freerange (wild). He built me a 3 sided coop 9x9 and a run. Got 7 hens and roooster in it. They free range all day. The momma hen and her babies now have a 10x15 run covered with tarps until I have the courage to see how they will all act together. I got 8 Lavender Orps for Christmas (2 wks old) and 5 silkies (about month old) they are in a brooder. So in all I have 30 chickens. I think I am hooked. Love them all. Can't wait to start my chicken barn.
     

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