What's on your floor?

[tralfaz]

On the coop floor that is.
I have a raised coop with a plywood floor laid over with rolled linoleum. At the moment, the floor and nesting boxes are using medium pine bedding from TSC. Though I've seen many using sand, hay and wood chips on the floor. I was planning to use wood chips and hay in the run for deep litter and build a sand/ash bath for the hen's enjoyment outside under the coop. And keep to pine bedding inside for the floors. Does this sound right?

 

[DobieLover]

On the coop floor that is.
I have a raised coop with a plywood floor laid over with rolled linoleum. At the moment, the floor and nesting boxes are using medium pine bedding from TSC. Though I've seen many using sand, hay and wood chips on the floor. I was planning to use wood chips and hay in the run for deep litter and build a sand/ash bath for the hen's enjoyment outside under the coop. And keep to pine bedding inside for the floors. Does this sound right?

Is your run covered? Hay in an open run where it will get rained on is likely to become a packed down, matted, moldy mess.
I would use wood chips in the run, pine shavings or hemp in the coop on the floor. I prefer hemp as it has very little dust. IMO sand is too dusty to use. Others like it. I don't.
I've used pine shavings in the nest boxes but switched to chopped straw.
Do you use poop boards? Is your elevated coop walk-in style?

 

[tralfaz]

Is your run covered? Hay in an open run where it will get rained on is likely to become a packed down, matted, moldy mess.
I would use wood chips in the run, pine shavings or hemp in the coop on the floor. I prefer hemp as it has very little dust. IMO sand is too dusty to use. Others like it. I don't.
I've used pine shavings in the nest boxes but switched to chopped straw.
Do you use poop boards? Is your elevated coop walk-in style?

can you explain what is "walk-in" style?

 

[Criticalicious]

Walk-in style means the coop is tall enough to walk into it, versus one that is just a box that you can lean into it (or climb inside but not stand up).

 

[tralfaz]

Thanks Criticalicious and Dobielover
It's only 4 feet tall on the tall end and 3 on the low side, so not walk-in
my run is not covered, just dirt and rocks
My coop is designed to accommodate poop boards, but I'm trying out a few options to see which works best for us. This is the first full week for the hens in their new home, so still observing and smelling to see want works and doesn't

 

[City Farmer Jim]

Hate to chime in with a Question but no help or input on the post. BUT what is a "poop board" I'm a newbie and still figuring this stuff out myself. We use deep litter method and TSC pine shavings.

 

[DobieLover]

DLM and poop boards are not meant to be used together.

 

[tralfaz]

View attachment 2093874
View attachment 2093875

DLM and poop boards are not meant to be used together.

How do you clean out these types of poop boards? I've seen cat litter scoopers. And is cleanup needed daily?

 

[City Farmer Jim]

Seems my coop is designed for DLM. Its not a walk in and 4' at the peak. The largest section has a 2x2 supporting the upper portion and my girls (5 for now) use it as a perch. It seems to fit all the girls and its the first 2 ft of coop to clean. The opposite side of the coop has 2- 4ft fold down doors that make cleaning a breeze. We call it Cluckingham Palace.

 

[0die]

my girls do not like to roost in the coop. they stay out in the enclosed run and perch on a bar. the coop is inside the run but they only go inside to lay. even in the winter they sleep outside in the enclosed 6x12 run.