J.Lo Showing Off Roosting Bar and Manure Box
Two more important components of your chicken coop are the “Roosting Bar” and “Manure Box”. Housed chickens do not sleep in nesting boxes, or on the floor of their chicken coop, they sleep shoulder to shoulder on an elevated roosting bar at night. This bar actually assimilates a tree limb. Chickens that roam free, such as in Key West, Florida, instinctively know they can better protect themselves from predators up in a tree on a limb at night. The same concept holds true for your backyard flock utilizing their night roosting bar inside their chicken coop.
The roosting bar is a simple solid dowel, about 1.5″ in diameter, that is secured in place, usually opposite the side of the nesting boxes. Allow 6″-10″ width of roosting bar space per hen. Our roosting bar is positioned 2’8″ high from the chicken coop floor. Depending on your chicken coop design, you might want to vary the height up or down a bit. You want it to be comfortable for your hens to perch on. Underneath the roosting bar is the manure box.
The manure box is a beautiful thing. It is situated directly below the roosting bar, filled with bedding, and a moveable screen lid. This screen lid should be made of durable half-inch wire mesh.
Most of your chicken manure droppings will fall to the manure screen lid and box during the night. It is almost like a “cat litter box”, but an equivalent concept for chickens. I skim the screen and bedding with manure from the box, and take it to my nearby compost pile, along with my kitchen vegetable scraps. The chicken coop is clean for the day. You can let the manure pile up, but I find it best overall to get it out of the coop and into the compost pile. Every month or so, I take the manure box top screen outside, and really hose it off, brush it down with soap and water and then let it dry throughly before returning it to the chicken coop.
I have seen chicken coop designs that allow you to access the manure box from the outside, with a closable shutter. My preference with manure boxes is to make sure they can be moved and are not stationary. You want to have access to this area, to throughly deep clean it from time to time.
I find that our chickens don’t leave many manure droppings in their nesting boxes, or even the floor of their chicken coop. Manure droppings are mainly deposited in the manure box at night, and the outside pen during the day. I rotate my bedding to keep the chicken coop clean. Fresh clean bedding goes to the nesting boxes first, then the chicken coop floor second, and last to the manure box, before I take it out to the compost. By using this method, my bedding is optimized, and I only need to clean the entire chicken coop once a quarter or so.
One last word on the roosting bar. You might have noticed that many of my photos of our “Hollywood Girls” are taken in our gardens or outside of their chicken coop, after I have been preaching about protecting and containing your chickens. First of all, you have to know your chicken flock, and what they will do. Our chickens love to explore our property, and are quite well-behaved. I only let our chickens out, when I am home, and in the garden to keep one eye on them. I never let them out and then run to the grocery store. I always leave the front door of their chicken coop open, so they can come back for water or a little laying mash. With that said, if you let your chickens out in your yard or property, at dusk they will come back to their chicken coop faithfully, and head straight to their roosting bar for the night. Once they are in, make sure to secure them in, by locking their door and windows for the night.
{ 156 comments… read them below or add one }
We are building a coop and would like to treat the plywood floor to prevent rotting.What do you recomend?
Thanks, Julie
Julie,
I recommend using natural plywood, and not treating it with anything inside your chicken coop. Outside your chicken coop you can paint, stain, weatherproof, etc. You really don’t want to expose your sensitive chicks or chickens to any chemicals. It is a good idea to have your chicken coop completely done, before your chicks or hens arrive.
It is the same concept as not using treated plywood or lumber for your vegetable garden raised beds, you don’t want any chemicals from your lumber to leach into your garden.
Thanks for your comment….VintageGardenGal
Hi julie,
we are new to chicken keeping!
we have 3 birds and the window in their coop is directly behind their perch. is it ok to leave this window open at night or will it be too draughty. (we thought we should leave it open to give them light in the morning before we let them out of the coop)
also one of the birds has taken to sleeping in the nest box how can we get her to sleep on her perch?
thanks
Hi Webster,
Your hen who sleeps in her nesting box, might be telling you she is cold at night. When my hens sleep in their nesting box, they are trying to stay warm. It usually happens, when they molt, drop their feathers, and are cold, till new feathers grow back.
I would try closing your window, or try and create some sort of hinge or fastener that will almost close the window, but leaves a little crack or air flow. Or you might want to try and create another window or opening like an adjustable shutter, which is away from your hen’s roosting bar.
Thanks for your comment….VintageGardenGal
It can get very cold where we live. Is a window absolutely necessary in a coop?
Thanks.
Hi Dan,
There are so many variables with this question. How big is your flock? How big is your coop? Where are you located? How cold does it get? Are you heating your chicken coop? Are your chickens young, old? How often are you cleaning your manure out?
Chickens need some sort of ventilation in their coop. Ventilation does not mean necessarily a full window open. You can modify your windows to be partially open, or cracked a bit, for the winter time. Your chickens are going to need sunlight, too. For instance, I use a small cubby door to the outside pen in the winter, rather than the big one in summer time. If you have a small flock, and adequate bird/sq foot spacing I wouldn’t worry too much. If you have a large flock, that is a different story. Observe your birds with the windows closed, do them seem a bit off and suffering, can you smell something like ammonia? Or are they fine. Chickens in general can stand cold (not extreme, mind you), better than the heat.
Just use good common sense. I hope this helps, without really knowing all your details. Thanks for your comment. VintageGardenGal
Great tip on the manure box!! THanks for sharing your knowledge. We are finishing up a solid floor 4′Wx4′Hx8′L coop for 11 chickens that has two doors that open in the front. The nest boxes will be on the left and the roost on the right. I don’t have enough roost space for all the chickens though and wonder if it’s okay to add another roost and stagger the height of the roosts so they can fly from the bottom roost to the top, with some remaining on the bottom roost (it’s a foot over from the top roost so they don’t poop on the bottom roosting hens. The other alternative is to make a roost in front of the laying boxes (a foot out from it). Any suggestions which would be better?
Kim,
Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens. I personally would stagger your roosting bars, rather than put a roosting bar in front of your nesting boxes.
Like you are thinking, place them so they are not pooping on the other chickens. Then observe your hens, and see if they are using both roosting bars. If they are not, try adjusting roosting bars again. I think the staggered approach will work fine. Thanks for your comment….VintageGardenGal.
should you leave a light on all night in the chicken coop in the summer when the window is open? and how will they know if its morning or night?
Hello, No chickens do not need a light on all night, any time of the year. They actually go to sleep at night, so a light would be stimulating them.
For laying purposes, you might want to supplement a little light, but there is no need to light a chicken coop all night, or even during the day.
I don’t use supplemental lighting on my hens for egg production, but certainly some people do. Hens that are in their “laying years”, need about 16-18 hours of daylight. Between December 21 through June 21, hens are stimulated into egg production with the increasing day length, and the reverse occurs between June 21 through December 21. Check you farmer’s almanac for the day length occurring. Then you would supplement your hens with a small light for “x” number of hours, but never light your hens all night.
Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
I have 5 rescued ex-battery hens that have lived together for several months now. They are all in various states of featherlessness but enough to keep warm etc. One of my girls, at the top of the pecking order, has a rather bare bum and two weeks ago was pecked rather viciously on her bare bum causing it to bleed quite badly. At the sight of blood the other hens chased her everywhere, pecking at the wound. I’ve treated the wound and it has scabbed over well but whenever the opportunity arises, the other girls, including the most timid one at the bottom of the pecking order, will peck at the scab and start it bleeding again. She is clearly getting fed up with this and puts herself to bed very early. I have separated them for the last week to help with the healing process – when could I expect her to be ready to re-introduce to the flock? In your experience are they likely to continue to have a go at her when she’s fully healed?
Just for info, having read the other posts here, none of my girls use their roosting bars, they all head into the nesting box and snuggle up together, probably due to their early life spent in cages.
Thanks.
Hi Graham,
Sometimes isolating a hen for weeks or months, that has been pecked at till she is healed and healthy, can be reintroduced into her flock. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t, you might have to find another home for her. One of my favorite hens came from a neighbor whose flock of hens had pecked her badly for some reason. She flourished in my flock and lived a long life. Observe your flock for factors that might be causing pecking. Overcrowding? Different ages within the flock? Signs of mites or disease?
Yes, your hens sleeping in their nesting boxes might stem from their earlier life in cages. Sometimes hens, especially young ones, need to be taught how to roost. Either from an experienced hen, or just placing them on their roost yourself for a few nights, till they get the hang of it. Also, if hens are cold, they tend to sleep in their nesting boxes to stay warm.
Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
I have read everything on nest boxes, but nowhere does it say how far out from the front of the nest boxes should the bar go for them to jump onto before going into the nest boxes. I had mine about 3 inches out from the nest boxes, the chickens don’t use the boxes yet, but they are still too young to lay. I used a stair handrail for the roost. I also have regular roosting for them at night which they do use all the time. Thanks for any help you can give me.
Annie, I don’t use any roosting bar in front of my nesting boxes. If you go to my post on nesting boxes, you’ll see a few photos. My hens jump into the first tier of nesting boxes, and actually jump and semi-fly to the highest set of nesting boxes. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal.
Thank you, then I will just leave the bar off. And see if they use them.
Great ideas for the coop! We have learned a great deal from your site. I have one question, for which I didn’t see a definite answer to. Is there a dimension for how far away from the wall the roosting bar should be? It appears from your picture that the bar is about in the middle of the window, would that be about 2′ from the wall?
Thanks
Steve, yes my roosting bar in in the middle of my window, width-wise across my chicken coop, but actually 14-16″ away from the back wall. Give your chickens room to fly up to the roosting bar, have the ability to turn themselves around, and for a little breathing room for them in general. They like to look out their window from their roosting bar sometimes during the day. Thanks for your kind words and great question….VintageGardenGal
Hi, Is there any reason why hens should roost on a perch? My two girls insist on sleeping on the floor beneath the perch in spite of putting them on it every night. Should I give in and just leave them to sleep on the floor? (They are safe from any predators as they are shut in at night and there sleeping place is raised off the ground). Jane
Jane, it usually comes natural for chickens to roost on something high at night. Are they young hens that don’t know the drill? Mature hens that you adopted that have had a different environment? Something about their perch, too high, too hard to reach, that they don’t like? Just some suggestions on what might be happening. As long as they are safe, they can sleep where ever they like. Roosting at night helps with manure duty in the manure, all in one place. Thanks for your great questions…VintageGardenGal
I have a problem one of our young chickens is sleeping all day and is not lively like the others, she used tobe but now she is sad or soemthing? need help
It must be sad to see your hen sleeping all day. It is hard to tell what might be the matter. She is not sitting on eggs and brooding, is she? Hens will sit on their eggs for days on end when brooding.
A couple of signs to check to see if she is healthy are look at her comb, it should be rosy red and not pale or yellowish, same with her wattles–they should be rosy red and not pale. Are her eyes alert or do they look listless? Is she eating or drinking at all.
It might be a disease, parasite, or a genetic problem. If you have a vet in your area who specializes in chickens, take her to the vet, for piece of mind. Have you picked her up to see if there is any physical evidence of anything that might be affecting her. How are the other hens treating her?
These are some of my suggestions. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
I was just wondering if you have any suggestions for chicken coop flooring I live in the very wet and humid Great Northwest. I originally built my coop in March with plywood but will soon have to replace it, it seems to soak up all the moisture in the coop as well as in the air and this has made the floor easier for rodents to chew through. The actual coop was built inside our barn but we had to use a wood floor because the cement floor was not poured level. I was told to try marine plywood or even melamine-which I believe is osb with a plastic coating. Do you know which would be better? or is it normal to replace the flooring every year?
Thanks for your help.
Jackie
Jackie, it sounds like you need to address the moisture problem in your barn, and make sure you have adequate ventilation, too.
Normally, a raised plywood chicken coop floor, about 2 feet off of your barn floor would allow for ventilation, cleaning, and to keep the rodents at bay. Good chicken coop floors can by plywood, concrete, solid wood planks. Sounds like you need to work on your moisture problem and ventilation, too. Chickens do not do well in a wet, damp, environment. Thanks for your great questions…VintageGardenGal
Hi, Bonnie.
So, we picked up our chickens today. I am very pleased to have them, plus they’ve already given us three eggs! They seem very happy in their new home. I do have a question, though. The people I got them from, while nice, did not keep a clean pen. The manure was over an inch deep in the entire coop. The chickens feet were mired, along with many of their bodies. A number of them have bare spots, perhaps having been pecked. I know about a paste-like substance at the feed store that I can treat those spots with. My question is, after being in a clean coop for a while, will they themselves get cleaned up? The poor birds were covered in it. Thank you for any advise you can offer. June in Alaska
June, bare spots on chickens suggests they are pecking each other. It might be other things, too, by the conditions you described. I personally clean my coop every day, and compost it with my kitchen scraps. Your hens will feel better in a cleaner environment, and will be much more healthy in the long run.
I suggest washing your chickens’ feet with a warm organic soap, and clean them of all manure. Dry them off well. Observe and hold them closely, and see if they have mites, lice, etc, too. Provide them with clean fluffy bedding, and a warm safe chicken coop.
Check my posts for the square foot/bird optimum ratio for their coop and outside pen, if you have one. If they were cramped for space, it is cause for stress and picking on one another, too. Remember, there is always a pecking order in a flock.
With a clean coop, ample food and clean water, treats like lettuce, chard, spinach, access to sunlight, and tender loving care on your part, your hens should do much better.
I have always had a wonderful experience adopting chicken into my flock. With a little time, I’m sure your hens will respond to you, and thrive. Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal
Hi. I originally had 3 hens & a bantum cockrel. I then took 4 new hens from a very horrible enviroment. Unfortunetly they were extremley vicious towards the cockrel & I found him dead 1 morning covered in peck marks. My problem now is that althogugh my original three are fine during the day with the others, at night I now have to put them(original 3) and they seem very sad. Should I buy another coop or rehome the new 4 as I only took them on because of their treatment before.
Donna, that is very sad about your rooster. There is always a pecking order in a flock. It might take some time, but all of your hens should integrate eventually. It is an individual choice whether to keep your 4 new hens, or find a new home. Observe your flock closely, and use your best judgement. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
Hi, I am building a chicken run to put our coop in. We are using the kids old cubby house and sandpit area, there is a slab of tiled concrete under the old cubby house ( which we will be using as shade and shelter for the coop) should we keep the slab there and put the coop on it or is the coop better on sand? The chickens will be in there run during the day but when I am home I will free range them.
Louise, your slab of tiled concrete is a good spot, and where I would position my chicken coop. You can either build a foot above your tiled concrete slab using an untreated plywood floor, or use your tiled concrete floor. You do want to be able to clean your chicken coop floor easily. I would use your sandy soil as a basis for an outside pen. See my chicken categories on my home page, and read through some of my posts on the chicken coop, outside pen, how to clean a chicken coop, for more information and ideas.
I have a chicken coop, which has a wooden floor, and then an adjoining outside pen which has a sandy soil floor. That works well for drainage. In your coop, you want a floor either wood or concrete that will keep mice and critters out. Thanks for your question….VintageGardenGal
My daughter brought home seven chicks from school. One of them was pecked today and is slightly bleeding. I separated it from the others. Any suggestions? This is completely new to us. Additionally, they are not exposed to any adult chickens or any other pets for that matter.
Thank you!
Julia, there is always a pecking order with chickens unfortunately. I have not had experience with chicks pecking one another. Yes, it is a good idea to isolate the chick, or add another chick (buddy) that won’t peck it. See if your isolated chick(s) heal, and get stronger. You might try reentering them in with the others at a later point in time. Usually, chicks (and hens) that grow up together tend to get along. If chickens are stressed, such as cramped housing, not enough feed or water, or too hot, they can start pecking each other.
We don’t know what the environment was at school, but I imagine they were in a healthy, safe environment. It is really hard to say what might be the cause. Thanks for your great comment….VintageGardenGal
hey i now have ten chickens in my back yard, just today i found one had died its feet were all black and its bum had alot of blood. i am now noticeing another chicken with a bare bum. i take good care of them but cannot understand what happened, also if it had laid an egg before it died is it okay to eat?
Hi! I currently do not have any chickens but am thinking about getting mmm I would say about 3 or 4. I would also ike to put a duck in with them. I need some idea’s for dimension’s. Is there anything that you may suggest in terms of, types of wood, dimension’s; ext.
Thank you so very much!
Soon to be chicken keeper=)
Victoria
Victoria, please go to my “Chickens” category on my left side bar, home page, http://www.VintageGardenGal.com. I have written extensively on all topics to successful raise backyard chickens. I would do some research about housing ducks and chickens together. You are not suppose to house chickens and geese together, because they transmit disease to one another. It might be the same with chickens and ducks. Good luck….VintageGardenGal
Bonnie,
We have just received our first batch of 12 chicks and they are doing very well. I am converting a horse stall into their new coop and am concerned about your post to Julia regarding the flooring for the coop. Our base is granite stone dust with rubber mats over the top. We figured that would make for easy clean up as it has for our horses in the past. How critical is it to have a wooden floor as you mentioned?
Kevin, I’m not really familiar with the rubber mats you mention. You want a floor that is easily cleanable. My concern with the rubber mats is that chicken manure is a “hot manure” and might eventually eat or breakdown your rubber mat flooring. Horse manure is a “cool manure”, so is not as harsh. Try it, and see if it works. You want to be able to keep your floor and bedding clean for your chickens. If you are not able to keep your floor clean, you run into problems with pests and disease. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal.
Hi Bonnie, so, we’ve now gotten used to our chickens and are enjoying them, and their eggs, immensely. We’ve now got 3 ducks (2 female/1 male) and 3 geese (1 female/2 males). The ducks are each laying an egg a day, but they don’t seem to be brooding them?? The females are mallards and the male is a chinese. Will these two mate? I’m trying to incubate them in my kitchen right now. The geese are Africans. I’ve gotten one egg so far, but did not notice any brooding. They’re all 1 year old. When would they feel the desire to procreate? How can you tell if fertilization is happening? Do you even “do” ducks and geese?
Also, we’re down to 25 chickens, one mysteriously died about a month ago. However, we’ve still only gotten a maximum of 13 eggs, normally averaging 10 per day. I’m thinking of putting a plastic strap on those I happen to see in next boxes, as they probably wouldn’t be in nest boxes if they weren’t laying. Then when I think I have the layers all labeled, making some soup with the remainder. Do you have any other suggestions? Thank you for any info. June in AK
June, I had one duck when I was five. Does that count? I really can’t advise you on your ducks and geese. I do know it is best to house ducks and geese separately from chickens due to potential disease transfer. Your geese should be mature enough to have goslings. Do you have a quiet place for them to have a nest. I suggest researching how best to keep your ducks and geese. Are your African geese friendly?
How are your hens? If they are young, around six months they should be just starting to lay. Some chicken breeds are better layers than others. Also, age is a big factor. Generally speaking, hens lay in bell curve, peaking at 1-2 years and tapering off. I would give your hens a little more time. If they are older, they might not be laying as much. You can’t expect to get an egg every day from every one of your hens.
Thanks for your great questions….VintageGardenGal
One of my four hens has suddenly started to be more aloof and doesn’t
go round with the others for about a week now. Tonight when I locked them
in I noticed she was slepping in the mest box. This is the first time she has done this. She is laying and they all look perfectly healthy. I can’t see any signs of her being hen pecked. I love your web site and would really value your comments.
Deborah, is she brooding, meaning sitting on a clutch of eggs? Is her comb bright red or pale? It could be many things, and on the other hand it might be nothing. Observer her closely for a while… to notice anything abnormal. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
My chicken coop is being delivered in the next few days and next week we are getting our first ever chickens – 3 ex-battery hens. My problem is where to place the coop – i have grass and soil on one side of the garden which would be great for them to peck at but it gets the most sun in the summer. The other side of the garden is best for shade in summer and shelter from winds in winter but its a concrete hardstanding. If the concrete is best what should i put on the floor? Also recently i saw a picture of hens layoing in a bowl of sand do they like sand? thanks in advance for any help
Christine, I suggest the grass and soil side for your hens. You can always put a nice shade cloth over the top of your outside pen, or plant a nice tree for shade. Chickens love to take dirt baths, or create an indention in the soil to lay in. My outside pen is sandy soil. Please note that your grass might become dirt over time with your hens there.
I like a concrete or wood floor for a chicken coop, with a layer of bedding on top of that. It is easier to clean and keep out rodents. It is nice to have a grassy area or sandy soil area for chickens to roam about in an outside pen situation. If you have severe winters, then you must go with the protected area.
Maybe you can create a combination? An outside pen, and a protected chicken coop. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
Bonnie-
I have ample roost space for my four hens but only three of them use the roost. The fourth and largest hen prefers to roost on top of the waterer. It makes the water awful messy very quickly. I tried to put rocks on top to discourage her but she just sat on those. I am thinking she feels more dominant there with her court looking at her from the roost. Any ideas on a different water system or a different roost plan?
Danielle, my hen, Charley does the same on her waterer. You could try and move the location of the waterer and see if that changes anything. You could substitute something else for her to roost on (like a high box), and move the waterer location. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
Danielle, I had another thought on this. If you raise the height of your waterer with a brick or something stable it will be less convenient for your hen to perch on it. Try a different waterer height…..VintageGardenGal
Bonnie I have just realised you arevin Szn Diego. My son is studying there at SDSU. On secondment for a year from England.
I loved your chicken coop, if only the rest of us were so creative……I love it when we can enjoy animals an not just look at them as something to make money from
What an informative site on chicken-keeping here! I couldn’t resist getting 8 chicks this spring; they’re about ready to move into their new residence. I have a question:
The floor of the 4 x 8 coop is concrete. I’m thinking of using sandstone over the concrete, mainly because I have a pile of it I use for my horses’ walk-in shed. Should I be concerned about their consuming too much of the sand?
Joe, you don’t have to worry about chickens eating too much sand. By nature, they need a little grit to digest their food. They won’t be eating the sand. My concern is how easy is the sandstone to clean. Thanks your your great comment….VintageGardenGal
I just thought of something else. I’m planning roosting bar along the 4′ width of the coop, about 2′ high; but is 12 inches far enough away from the back wall? I’m building right-angle supports and thought 12″ out from the wall is enough, but I read your bar comes out 14-16″? Maybe I should give the chickens a little more credit for adaptability!!
Boy, a 4′ x 8′ coop is small! But it’s all the space I have for the moment. I’ve changed the design a dozen times. Do have windows in the shed, and the one window in the coop will go out to a 2′ x 8′ “sun porch! It’s covered in chicken wire with a grated floor; it will be placed under the window, like a window flower box. Haven’t yet figured out how to get them up to the window sill and out. Window is 4′ high–maybe a 2′ high bar in front of the window??
What fun!
Joe, you should be okay with 12″ away from your wall for the roost. Don’t know what you mean about “up to the window sill and out”. Chickens like a door entry close to the ground. They will get up high to look out however. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Bonnie,
I have a couple of questions. We’ve lost two hens within the last 2 months. I think the one who died recently is the one I saw excreting black grainy feces.
What would be your opinion on that???
Next – We recently bought two buff orpington roosters, their combs are drying out and scabbing up. I don’t see any sign of parasites. Should I try coating them with bag balm or vaseline to see if it helps?
Next – 2-3 of my hens have started losing feathers about their heads and necks. Would that maybe be from the roosters?? Or something else possibly.
Comment: We’ve so enjoyed our hens and their eggs, then the geese and ducks that we’ve gone a bit wacky. We have a garage full of brooders. 4 turkeys growing, 28 various breeds of chickens, 2 goslings and 3 ducklings. We also have 8 duck eggs and 5 goose eggs incubating in the kitchen and one of our ducks is sitting on 6 duck eggs. Man oh man, we’re being overrun! Tis fun, though. June in AK
Thanks for your reply, Bonnie. What I meant by “up and out” is that the window is about 3 1/2′ high. They need to get to the window in order to go out to the 2′ x 8′ screened cage I’ll build outside the window (like a flower box!). I’ve installed a roost 2′ from the floor today. They’ll have to go up another 1 1/2′ to get to the window sill and go out through the window to enter the “porch.”
What about putting sandstone on the concrete floor? Do you see any problem with that?
Joe
Sorry, I hadn’t read far enough to get your reply to the sandstone. If it’s safe, I’m going to try it. I have a fine-toothed fork which will pick out the manure and leave the sand. It’ll take just a few minutes to sift out the manure every morning.
I know river sand has been recommended for a chicken floor, but I don’t have access to any.
Appreciate your help!
Joe
i just got a coop and what is best for bedding hay or stray . also should i but food feeder inside coop or out side . if i let out in yard will they go back into coop at night on there own .what is the best thing to feed them and how often do you feed them . how may eggs can i get a week from chickens
Colin, if you go to my left side bar on my home page, http://www.vintagegardengal.com, under categories “chickens”, I have many posts written about your questions. I like to use pine shavings as bedding because I compost. Straw is good too, but I find a bit messy. I put my chicken food feeder in their outside pen during the day (unless it is raining), and bring inside their coop to deter mice and rodents. Depending on the age of your hens, a general laying mash from your local feed store is good. I also supplement their laying mash with treats like lettuce, chard, apples, etc. Chickens need a source of feed and water at all times. They need to eat continuously, unless they are sleeping, laying. Initially your hens of 1-2 years old will lay an egg almost every day. As they get older they will taper off somewhat like a “bell curve” on a graph. Even different chicken varieties will lay differently. Thanks for your great questions….VintageGardenGal
How long to you feed your chickens on chicken starter and what do you feed them on next? They are 13 weeks old and go through the chicken starter at an amazing rate. Thanks.
Louise, I believe there is a chick starter for day old chicks to about a month old, then a grow mash for ages 1-4 months, and then at about 4 months old, on you give your hens a well-rounded laying mash, and supplement with greens and veggies as treats. Thanks for your great comment..VintageGardenGal
I am just starting with raising chickens. I’ve already assembled the new coop (Ware Mfg) and am just waiting for the chicks to grow old enough (the feed store told me 8 weeks old is the right time to move them outside). Very excited about this new adventure with raising chickens.
Anyway, I read your piece about having a manure box for underneath the roosting bars to make clean-up easy. Quick question: Did you build your own or are they available online? If they are available online, what should I use for search criteria to locate a source of the same?
Thanks!
Cecil, I built mine out of lumber and 1/4″ wire mesh to the measurements I needed. I have not seen them online, but have not searched for them either. Try searching “chicken manure box” or “catch chicken manure box.” Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
The nice thing about getting things well in advance (since the chicks won’t be ready to go outside for at least another 7 weeks), is that it has left me with lots of time to work out the details of the coop and the run. I have the coop (prefab assembly from Ware Mfg) already up. The cedar wooden edges of the coop sit on a bed of river gravel to keep the wood from directly contacting the ground (I presume this should increase the life of the wood by keeping it slightly off of the moist soil). I was also planning on putting a thin bed of river gravel (dry of course) on the bottom of the coop floor and then (when the chickens are ready to move in) putting a thick layer of pine shavings over that). The coop, itself, sits under a semi-dwarf plum tree (I had read that having the coop under the tree gives the coop some shade and some shelter from the wind/rain). For added predator protection I am going to put 12″x12″ x 1″ concrete pavers around the outer edges of the coop (and later, the run when I have that installed). The mesh on the coop is 1/2″ . I had originally thought about putting the coop on a poured slab of concrete (for added critter protection) but figured the heavy concrete pavers around the edges would work well to prevent predators from trying to dig under the edges of the coop. Also I figured that a bed of dry river gravel would give a ‘semi-porous’ floor bottom underneath the pine shavings.
I have a garden, so my plan is to put the soiled pine shavings into a rotating composter so that everything is used well.
Basically I guess this post is just thinking out loud. I’m totally new to all this but have been trying to read everything that I can.
By the way, most of what I’ve read say that the chickens (at 8 weeks) will be ready to go out into the outside hutch. I live in a very moderate climate (San Francisco Bay Area) so we don’t have problems with snow or very cold night temperatures. I’ve also read that there is no need for any form of heating in the hutch (presuming one lives in a climate like where I live). So, I guess the body heat from the chickens that is captured under the coop roof and in the coop and the feathers on the chickens keep them warm? Keep in mind I am totally new at all this so I am likely worrying more than I need to. Naturally I want my chickens to do well…. Oh, one more question: Hopefully I have all hens (the breeder gives about a 96% – 98% accuracy in sexing day-old chicks ((goodness knows how they figure that out so early))). So somewhere around 5 months or so, they will start laying (and in prep for that apparently I will be feeding them feed that is enriched for layers). I assume that when I collect their eggs that I just pop the eggs in the refrigerator like I would regular eggs? It is also my understanding that as long as their is no rooster, all the eggs the hens lay will not be fertilized?
Sorry for the long post! ;0) Just have lots of questions, and likely more as I go along… :0)
Cecil, yes, it sounds wonderful. I compost every day with my chicken manure, soiled bedding, and kitchen scraps. Once your chickens grow into their feathers, they should be fine. I always close my hens up at night for precaution against cold and protection against critters. Just make sure you have nice ventilation for them. Yes, most hens start laying around 6 months old, and with no rooster around you will not have any fertilized eggs. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
I let my 3 battery hens rome outside their pen every evening for an hour before dusk the problem i am having is that my dogs follow them round and eat their poo will this do them any harm also can the chicken poo be dug straight into the soil or does it have to be composted down in a compost bin? Also in a bid to keep their coop warm and dry and also to make the wood chippings last a bit longer i have placed roof of corrigated plastic over the run ~ the sides of the run are still open and the hens have an all~weather pen, will they have enough ventilation on a hot day ~ i dont want to cook them!!!!
Christine, I don’t think it is a good idea to let your dogs eat your chicken poo. You can bury chicken manure directly, but it is such a great resource to compost with. You should try composting, and see if you like it. Compost is great for your garden….VintageGardenGal
We are close to finishing our chicken coop and we can’t find anything definitive anywhere on what is safe to paint or stain it. I’d like a redwood color, but when we built our dog house, Thomspons Water Seal said not to use it on pet houses. I have found lots of posts on line saying they used non toxic exterior latex paint, but can’t find anything saying it’s safe to use, just that they did.
Can you please tell me what is safe to paint or stain the outside of my coop & the fenced area?
thank you so very much!
Wende, I always suggest using untreated wood and plywood inside of a chicken coop. As far as paint on your outside chicken coop, I’m going to refer you to paint experts.
Poultry in general, are very sensitive to their environment. Thanks for your great question….VintageGardenGal
One of chickens found a purple plastic Easter egg in the yard, she has taken liken to it… should I take it away from her. She checks on it and will sit on it when she’s out in the yard.
Darlene, I think you should let her have it, unless she gets broody and sits it on it for hours like she is incubating an egg. I don’t think it will do her any harm. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
I found an old treated landscape post and cut off the rounded ends to make roosts. They appear to be perfect shapes; now I’m wondering about the “treated” part.
Just finished my coop; it’s in a small shed, where I installed a roof vent–the hot air goes out. All windows are screened with hardware cloth. Very comfortable.
I Used sandstone for the floor–soooo easy to keep clean. They love to take sand baths. Bought a “lobby kit”–short handled dustpan and broom, but I substituted the broom for one of those short-handled miniature leaf rakes. So easy to clean up morning and night.
The chickens love their outside “sun porch.” I installed a raised 2′ x 12′ screened (hardware cloth) cage outside their coop window. It sits on supports attached to the outside of the coop, up about 4′ with poultry grates for the floor. Droppings fall through the grate to a sand box of the same size built on the ground.
As you come up the driveway, you see them strutting like royalty or sunning themselves. I’ve never had tamed, friendly chickens before. The three “reds” came up first; then the two Bantams. One of the three Leghorns will eat from my hand but retreats, “DON’T TOUCH ME.” I’m workin’ on her–she’ll come around.
My neighbor put a couple of eggs in the coop the other day. These chickens are only nine weeks old! I shared my excitement with her and told her I couldn’t wait to see what they’d “lay” the next day. Heck, free eggs! I had to tell her that I’m not as dumb as I look!
What fun! It was a good idea to get these chickens, but if I were to sell the eggs, I’d need AT LEAST $24.99 doz.!!
Joe
Joe, your chicken coop arrangement sounds wonderful. Some nice thought and design went into it for your chickens. Shortening your brooms and rakes for ease inside your chicken coop is a wonderful tip. Sandstone is a great floor for chickens. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
I didn’t see your question and about the sandstone, Bonnie. As I said in my earlier post, I have a short-handled dustpan and miniature leaf rake and they work great. I sweep the droppings into the pan morning and night–never much accumulation. They spend a lot of time out on their “sun porch.” The long-handled tools didn’t work very well in my small coop.
The chickens do pack down the sandstone, but it loosens up easily with a bit of raking. I put in only about 2″ of sand; I’m going to bring in some more–they like to dig in it and dust themselves.
Joe
Hi Bonnie,
I love your informative site! My husband and I just completed our chicken coop tonight and will pick up our three 6 month old hens this weekend. We have place their roost about 4′ 6″ off the ground over top of their laying boxes. Is that too high for them to reach?
Thx Lynda
Lynda,
Yes, I think that it is too high for a roosting bar. As your hens age, it will be harder for them to reach that height, too. Also, having your roosting bar over your nesting boxes is not ideal, for cleaning and keeping your nesting boxes and eggs clean. Thanks for your great comment..VintageGardenGal.
I can’t keep my young pullets from sleeping in my nesting boxes. Any suggestions on how to keep them out?
Steve, do you provide a roosting bar for them, too? Are they warm enough in their coop? I would just let them be, and they will figure it out. Thanks for your great question…VintageGardenGal
I purchased 15 Buff Orpington chicks this spring. I only have 12 left. (A raccoon tore the chicken wire off the front of the coop and pulled out 3 and left two others with missing toes from which they have healed.) They arrived May 16th. I have them on Dumor starter/grower until 10 weeks and they seem to be doing great, except they do not roost. I have a roosting bar about 7″ from the bottom of the coop and they sit on it during the day but huddle up together at night. I live in southern Ky so it is very hot here. They are about 9 weeks now and weigh 2-3 lbs so what can I do?
Thank you for your response,
Amme
Anne, see my post, http://www.vintagegardengal.com/2009/03/31/backyard-chicken-coop-roosting-bar-manure-box/
I think your roost might be a bit too low. My roosting bar is 2’6″ above the coop floor. Try raising it to at least 2′. Your pullets are still young. As they mature they will most likely use their roosting bar at night. Right now they feel comfortable huddling together at night, which is normal. Have to watch out for the raccoons. Thanks for your great questions….VintageGardenGal
Hi, I have one chicken that will only lay in the bush I didn’t realise she had even started laying she has only laid 2 eggs but will not lay in the nesting boxes. The other chicken that has started laying is laying in the box. The chicks are 20 weeks old. Thanks
Louise, your one chicken that is laying in the bush, might catch on from your other hen laying in the nesting box. Usually, if one hen starts to lay in a particular nesting box, the others will follow suit. You could just keep your hens in their coop for a while, and not let them outside. Your hen might catch on to the nesting box then if she has no other place to lay. Give them a bit of time, they are still quite young. Are your nesting boxes, quiet, non-bright light to invite your hens to lay in them? Thanks for your great question….VintageGardenGal
I have 4 hens in my backyard, and I just found your blog. I LOVE it! I do everything with my chickens and my hen house just like you, except I have one comment on your roosts. Chickens cannot grip a round dowel like other bird species; their flat, flexible feet are better suited for scratching and dust baths. I prefer to use 2×4′s with slightly rounded edges. I install them with the 4″ side as the perching surface. The wider surface lets the chickens’ feet remain in a more natural position and lets them support their breast when they roost at night. This sleeping position is particularly helpful in colder climates because they can cover their toes as they roost (which is harder to do on a round dowel). Anyway, like I said, LOVE your site, your advice, and all your wonderful pictures!
Mama Hen, whatever works for you. My hens have had no problem with the round dowel I have provided for their roost. Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
I have 14 chicks ( Reds) born and they are now roosting inside of my little Bantams chickens house. We have another place for them but we don’t know how to get them to move in. It is next door. We keep putting food there but they are not taking the hint. They are getting bigger every day….Any ideas? Thanks Gail
Gail, is there a pronounced leader in your flock? Try and catch and move the leader, and maybe the others will follow. Place food and treats like lettuce, apples, too.
Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
Louise, I am a first time urban chicken farmer with 5 hens. I reased them from 1 day old chicks. They are 4 months old now and I keep reading that they sleep on perches. My 5 hens sleep in a corner of the coop all huddled together each night. It’s not cold outside, maybe in the mid 50′s. Is this normal?
Karen, are you providing a roost for them? They are still young, and will eventually find the roost. Are they out in the night air, or do you have them in a coop? They could be trying to keep warm, and feel more protected. What kind of a chicken coop arrangement do you have? Thanks for your great comment…VintageGardenGal
I stopped joking about my large, family farm-fresh egg facility when a cashier at the local supermarket asked my wife if we were selling eggs. I have only six hens that have just started to lay. What fun! If I sold eggs, I’d need $30 a dozen to pay for the cost of the shed I had to renovate to house them.
Speaking of the “perfect roost,” I’d mentioned earlier how I sawed the top of a landscape post to use the large, rounded side of the post for a comfortable roost. The other night, I went to check on the ladies, and one hen was roosting on a wood projection that supports the window when it is partially opened. It projects out from the window casing about 6 ” and is 3/4″ wide!! Oy veh!
As you say, Bonnie, chickens do find their way to the nests . . . eventually. I did find ONE egg in the corner of the coop UNDER the nest boxes. That happened only once. They use all four nests now.
Joe
Hi! I have 4 free range hens. They are 14 weeks old. We have a roost in their coop for them but they will not use it. Is this okay? They sleep in a pile all together. I worry about them but they seem perfectly happy and healthy. Not sure why they will not use the roost??
Thanks,
Jen
Jennifer, they are still a little young and enjoy huddling together for warmth and security. As they get older they will become bolder, and use their roost. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
Jennifer, for the next couple of nights, you might try going into your coop after sunset and physically placing your 4 chickens on the roost, gently, one at a time. They will flap a bit, but will settle down quickly in the dark. After a few nights, they will get the hang of it and will enjoy the new vantage point in the coop.
I am a new chicken owner with my 4 almost 3 week old chicks living in a nice big box in my garage, and being that is so warm here, spending the day in their new home outside, a great Chicken tractor I found. I was brainstorming on how to create a roost, as I rummagaed through my shed of treasures I found a small step stool wood ladder, and a great big branch I had saved(who knows why). so I set up the ladder which has about 2-3 steps, and I jerry rigged my nice big branch through the top of the ladder and,,,,,,,voile another more natural perch! I think I created a pretty awesome perch, so when the girls move outside permanently I hope they will be very happy! I really enjoy everyones chicken stories!
Jenny, very clever. Your girls will love it. Thanks for sharing….VintageGardenGal
One of the chickens (have two) is laying oddly shaped eggs, they are normal except for the shape… what is wrong? Thank you.
Darlene, how old is your hen laying the odd-shaped eggs? is she starting to lay, or is she an older hen? She might have something internal going on. I really can’t say. Does she appear to be healthy? Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
Hi,
I love your idea of the manure boxes but have another suggestion that works in all three of our coops and nighty night spots. We bought plastic boot trays at Lowes/Home Depot that are large enough for this purpose, have raised sides (they are meant to keep the water on boots and mud contained)…. we put them under the roosting bars and every couple of days we just pull them out, dump the contents in a muck bucket and take it to the compost pile. Works great and are only 5 bucks apiece. You can put them side by side for as long as you need to cover the roosting space.
Karen, you are a genius, what a great idea. I might even adapt myself. Thanks for sharing….VintageGardenGal
Hi,
Love this site as it is full of information, especially for a chicken beginner! We just got 5 pullets, 11 weeks of age. They are in their coop, have a great run, but will not leave the coop! They seem somewhat interested, but even with “treats”, won’t come down the ramp to check out the run. Any suggestions?
Blujay, they are still quite young yet, with maturity they will venture. Is the ramp too steep? Maybe you could just “hand place” them all out in the outside pen on a nice day, and see if they start exploring and stay.
Thanks for your reply! I am happy to say that with a little coaxing, our girls are finally out of the coop, and very happy to be exploring their new run:)
Bonnie,
Newbie to chicken ownership, but loving the adventure. Recently got 5 Rhode Island Red Pullets..have been inside in 55 gallon tub with heat light. they are 3 weeks old and all but completely covered in feathers..little bit on chick fuzz on their heads remain. Play with and pet them daily, so they are getting used to us. We just built a “chicken tractor” 8 foot long, 4 foot wide and about 4 foot tall that is raised on 3 1/2 foot legs with wheels. Our run will be the same size directly underneath. We have the interior laid out with our roost bar 2/3 up, and on the opposite side of the 3 nesting boxes…did the trays with pine shavings under the roosts to help keep the coop clean. Will have opening from the coop floor (with door of course) so they have access daily to the run..(which will be portable, so we can move their “treasure hunt”). We live in Indiana and my concern and question is this. In the cold winter months, we plan on keeping an infra-red heat lamp in the coop to prevent it from getting too cold. Do we need to keep at least one of the vented windows at least part-ways open to help with ventilation? and secondly, will they still come out in the run during the winter? ( sounds silly, but if you have never had them, you don’t know) A little concerned regarding the “critters” around the house. IS it nighttime that is most dangerous, so if we are sure to lock them up at night, they should be ok?
Tammy, what a nice set up you have for your chickens. I have always raised chickens in Southern California, but I’m from the midwest originally, and know about your winters. Personally, I would provide them some sort of heat source in the winter months, like you mention, and a window cracked for ventilation is important. Check with your local feed store, about what they suggest for keeping your hens warm during the winter months. Yes, you must protect your chickens from critters, on all sides, top, bottom, sides. Your protection must be secure and strong enough to keep critters out, and from getting in with your chickens. Every night I close my hens up, in their chicken coop. There is reinforced 1/4″ mesh wiring over the windows, and I have wood shutters that close over that. My doors are secure, and I have a little clip that keeps the door closed. Welcome to the world of chickens…VintageGardenGal
We are new to raising chickens my 14 yr old daughter really wanted to get them so we got a book that she studied since last fall and we just got our chicks, eight of them two 1/2 weeks ago (1 or 2 days old) and a woman that works with my wife loves our two kids (she never had children) so she spoils them once in a while. She is from Portugal and grew up on a farm so she really wanted to buy her some more chicks so she got us five more and they are only 6 days old now and smaller then the original eight. When would be a good time to mix the two different aged chicks ? I did read to wait at least two weeks just so we do not take a chance of introducing some sort of disease. Also I am converting an old dog run 10’ x 6’ is that enough room for our “bakers dozen” 13 chicks when they are full grown, we do plan on letting them out to free range as well while we are around. The coop we are building will be 7’ wide by 8’ deep with 8 nesting boxes should that be good enough for them? I do like the idea about the poop box under the roost. thanks Jim & Jill
Jim & Jill, welcome to the world of chickens. I’m not sure what breed of chickens you are raising, sometimes that makes a difference. Wait your two weeks, and then combine your chicks, the sooner you raise them together the better. They will have a pecking order. The ratio is three hens to a nesting box, so you are fine. You might be a little tight with your other spaces. Here is some general spacing information from another post of mine, If you are pinched for space overall, you might consider the Bantam chicken varieties. They are a smaller chicken that lay large eggs relative to their size. Their space requirements are 1 sq ft/bird inside coop and 4 sq ft/bird outside chicken coop, quite a bit less than the heavy breed chickens at 1.5-2 sq ft/bird inside chicken coop, and 8-10 sq ft/bird for outside pen. Silkies, with their head plumes, and Cochins with their heavily feathered legs are Bantams. I call them designer chickens, pretty and showy, but can be skittish and a bit aloof. You might want to get an assortment of breeds for your backyard flock for variety and fun, but preferably all about the same age. Good luck…VintageGardenGal
My hens are 1 year old and use to roost but now all 10 sleep on the floor. The only thing that has changed is that for the last 3 weeks I don’t close them in at night the way I use to. Also 3 of them are loosing their feathers on their back at the bace by their tail with red raw skin. Any advice would be great.
Eoin, sometimes when they are cold, they prefer to huddle and sleep together. Maybe you still need to close them up at night, depending on where you live. Do you have a rooster in your flock? Loosing feathers, and raw back is usually signs of a rooster on your hens. Thanks for your questions…VintageGardenGal
I have 2 older hens and have 5 young hens about 6 weeks old. I have separated the coop with
wire so they see and hear each other, but the older hens cannot get to the younger ones. I also
have 2 roosters about 3 weeks old, and have no idea how or when I integrate them, or the others for that matter.
Also how high should a roost be for them. The 2 have been roosting on the top of their laying
boxes and it is gross, so I am regrouping the coop so that they have a separate place to roost.
thanks very much…
Penny, be prepared. Anytime you have different ages of hens, and roosters, there is going to be some adjustment for them all to live happily together. It is called the pecking order, and it always in a chicken flock. Look under my category “Chickens” on my home page. I have many posts on chickens, and one specifically on roosting bars. My roosting bar is at about 2′. Thanks for your sharing…VintageGardenGal
Bonnie,
I am planning to convert my children’s unused playhouse into a henhouse. It seems the majority of houses I see online are elevated. Should I see about elevating the playhouse? I am not sure how difficult this would be. It is 6 feet by 8 feet and I am sure, quite heavy. Thanks for any advice on this conversion…. I have never actually seen the inside of a henhouse and am pretty uncertain as to how to proceed!
Kala
Kala, elevating your chicken coop is prudent to ward off rodents and critters. Also, it saves your chicken coop from rotting in the soil. I have lots of inside chicken coop photos on my posts. Go to my home page, http://www.vintagegardengal.com, “chickens” category on left hand side bar. Stroll through the different posts. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
Hey thx for your post. I was reading about coops for a few days and surfing all around but didnt read anything about manure boxes until i saw this.
After reading it i went and checked the makeshift roosting box i threw together the night i got my first chick and it was full of poop. So it really helped when i was designing thier new home( ended up gettin a second chick the next week). My girls are bantams so i used a cookie sheet and half of a plastic kids gate and its working perfect. Line it with some newspaper and your good to go.
thx again for the great idea
Jason, glad to be of help. Enjoy your bantams! VintageGardenGal
How did you construct your manure box? The photo shows only a small portion of it. Is only the top part (wood frame with wire mesh attached to it) removable?
Thanks!
Louisa, it is a wooden box with a removable 1/4″ wire mesh top. I can remove the entire manure box out of my chicken coop, or I can remove the wire lid and skim manure droppings. It works well. The size of your manure box can be in proportion to your roosting bar, positioned above it. Thanks for your question….VintageGardenGal
Dear Bonnie,
i am thinking about getting a couple of chickens and converting an old dog house to a chicken coop. Is it possible for the chickens to spend all day in my fenced in yard and only sleep in the coop? I have a swimming pool but also lots of yard to wander and eat bugs in. i also have a 7 year old dachsund terrier mix. Will these things be a problem for the chickens? I really am a novice and have done very little research.
Kathy, my suggestion is too create a secured (wire enclosed on all sides, top, and bottom) outside pen connected to your chicken coop. When you are home and keep an eye on them, let them out in your yard. You will have to experiment with your dog, whether he will get along with them, or not. Good luck….VintageGardenGal
Hi Bonnie,
I have the most remarkable flock of young hens who will soon be coming of age. They adore roaming around the ranch I teach riding lessons at, and are getting better all the time about returning to their house when told. (Too many four legged and hawk type critters to leave them out for too long at a time). My question is…. What time of the day or night do they tend to lay their eggs, and how do I discourage them from laying in cushy hiding places like the haystack or bushes?
Thank you,
Lilli
Lilli, your sweet hens will soon be laying an egg every 24 hours, or one a day. My experience has been that hens generally lay earlier in the day, but they can lay in the afternoons. Laying hens prefer a quiet, low lit spot, where they can lay their eggs undisturbed. Provide ready-now nesting boxes in their pen for them to get familiar with. Chances are they will gravitate to their nesting boxes naturally, as they begin to lay. I also tend to keep my hens in their chicken coop the first half of the day, and then let them out to roam (watched) in the afternoon, generally after they have all laid their eggs. If you collect your eggs at the same time each day, you’ll get a better comparison and count of how your hens are laying. You might even want to keep a tally of eggs per day you receive. Thanks for your great question….Bonnie
You mentioned that chickens don’t sleep in nesting boxes. Well … I got 1 that does. This particular chicken here lately sits in that box most of the time while rest of hens are free ranging. Also, this certain chicken keeps sitting the other hens eggs.
There will be times when a hen sleeps in her nesting box, preferring it over a roost. What you are describing is a hen that is brooding, or sitting on eggs (naturally incubating) to hatch chicks. There is no harm in what she is doing. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
I love this manure box idea!!! Thanks for a great idea!!!
)
I have just acquired 2 isa browns from a friend (they have left 2 siblings behind). They don’t seem to want to get into their upstairs roost. I want them up there so that I can close them in for the night for safety. Any ideas?
Jo, give them a treat every day about the time you want them to come in and roost. They should be coming into roost at dusk naturally. Try a treat to encourage them…..VintageGardenGal
Hello Bonnie
I have just discovered your site in an effort to understand the best way to create compost right in the coop, as described by Gail Demerow in her Storeys Guide book (p139) where you keep it moist, and build it up so that it ferments, keeps a flock warm in winter and has fewer flies.
We have 11 hens (all rescued) and a 5×6′ elevated coop with five nest boxes and two roosts, pine chips on the floor. I wonder if you or your reader friends have any experience with this. My spouse is concerned that moistening the litter in cold weather will create unhealthy conditions for the hens. Advice appreciated. Thank you.
Ann, I am unfamiliar with Gail’s book. I can only give you my suggestions. I like to remove the manure out of the coop everyday, and compost it along with my kitchen scraps. I would be afraid of ammonia building up in your situation. You can always try it, and see if this method is successful for you. Thanks for sharing….VintageGardenGal
We are over half way through building our new (bigger) chicken coop, and the nesting and roosting area is sitting at one metre above the ground, with a ramp (with rung steps) to get up. But the ramp looks long and I’m not sure the chickens will make it up there. Now is the time to lower it if I need to. Do you have any experience with the height of the ramp that they can manage?
Tahmina, you should be okay for now. Hens can somewhat jump/flutter to a high nesting box. However, keep in mind, as your hens age it will be more difficult for them to get to their nesting boxes. I suggest you lower them now while building them. Thanks for your comment….VintageGardenGal
Thanks for the information – we just got two red sex link hens today. We’re still trying to figure out the best spot for the roosting bar. After reading your info that has helped. The inside of the coop is small, but knowing that’s where they’ll poop helps to know how to situate it…
Austin, glad to be of some help…VintageGardenGal
Hi Bonnie,
Just found this site and needless to say, the information is priceless!
I am new at raising chickens and swore that I would not name them in fear of becoming too attatched. Well……One is named “sneezy” because she sneezes all the time. About 2 wks ago she started sounding very croupy also and I brought her inside and fixed the cat carrier for her to stay in. After putting her bedding in, I fixed her some warm applesauce along with a bowl of water. I then wet 1/2 of a small towel , warmed it in the microwave and rubbed some Vicks Vaporub into it. I then held her with the warm side of the towel on her chest and gently rubbed her beak with the little bit of vicks left on my fingers. I put her in the carrier about 45 minutes later and awoke the next morning to a much happier, healthier chicken. She still sneezes but sounds normal again-no more croupy noises and labored breathing. Crazy huh?
Cheryl, maybe something worked. If she persists in sneezing, wheezing, you might want to take her to a vet who specializes in chickens in your area. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal.
I’ve been checking out plans for a chicken tractor and it seems that none of them have roosting bars. I’m glad I found this site and your information, because it seems like a pretty important element to me, and I’ll be integrating roosting bars into my plans.
Thanks.
Judy, I tend to think of chicken tractors as temporary, or daytime, rather than an actual coop. Hens do like a roosting bar at night. Thanks for your great comment..VintageGardenGal
Bonnie we have found that the roof over the nesting boxes should be on a slop that way they chickens cant stand on them and make a mess… hope that helps.
one of my Buff O’s has a dirty looking butt. How and should I clean it?
Lettie, I use damp paper towels with a little dish soap. Your hen might have worms. Check with your local feed store for worming products. Good luck..VintageGardenGal
should I use food grade DE and how much? Thank you for answering. I have 6 BO’s and they are just a delight. They free range on about 3 acres of our ten. Is it bad that they scratch under the oleanders and cottoneasters? and last they eat layer crumble, they did not like the pellets and I put in oyster shell. Do they need grit or anything else? They don’t like veggies carrots, cabbage, celery but they love corn chips and cherrios and dried corn tortillas and they raid the cat dish of dried cat food if they get to it before I can pick it up. One is broody I think but 4 of them look just the same. I was getting 4-5 eggs a day and they started laying Dec 6 last year is every one laying? But they have gotten down to two to none these past days is it normal?
Lettie, what is food grade DE? Oleanders are poisonous I know. Don’t know about cottoneasters. You have fast food chickens, ha ha. Chickens will molt and take a break from laying. It is usually when the daylight length begins to shorten fall into winter. Every breed is a bit different. Thanks for sharing..Bonnie
Bonnie,
One more thing in my compost I have worms but I have a lot of whitish fat grubbies. Both ends look the same and they sort of look like the picture of meal worms. I don’t recall seeing them in the compost bin last year, or any year before,when I turned it or spread it in the garden. But there are hundreds of them in a single turn of the compost. Is that normal? Where did they come from? You are the only reply I have ever gotten from posting a question. I hope I am not scaring you off.
Thank you for your replys,
Lettie
Lettie, I have those grub worms in my compost bin, too, and consider a good sign the compost is healthy and doing its thing. Hundreds of them might mean something is off? Can you ask your local nursery or farm bureau? A friend of mine thinks those grubs eat plant roots, and are not good for the garden. I have always thought they were a good sign. Thanks for your great comment….Bonnie
have a 4x4x4 dog house converting to a chicken coop. thinking of 4 chickens, is it practical to think I can put the nesting box inside? how far off the floor should it be and how much higher should the roosting bar be? thanks Jon
Jon, please see my post on nesting boxes and manure box under “Chicken” category. Thanks…VintageGardenGal
How high should I make the perch from the ground?
Tyler, it depends on your particular coop and arrangement. I think my roosting bar in my chicken coop is about 2′ above the chicken coop floor….VintageGardenGal
Will cats eat chickens? I have baby chicks now and thought about getting some farm cats but not if they will eat my hens.
Maybe, cats are great hunters and will kill squirrels, gophers, wild birds. I would protect your chicks from all potential predators. Thanks for commenting….VintageGardenGal
Cats will go after chicks, but I’d be surprised if they attacked full grown chickens. We have 9 chicks that have been in the house for 1 1/2 weeks now, but we always keep them protected from the cats, who have shown “interest” in the chicks.
I am impressed by the instincts the chicks have. When we have the chicks out to play with them, if a cat walks nearby, one or two of them will chirp in a distinct manner alerting the rest. Then they all get really still and stare at the cat. And they’ve never been attacked; they just know the cat is a predator. It’s really cool.
How high off the floor in a coop does a roost have to be?
Kerry, it depends on your coop space and arrangement. I believe mine is at least 2 feet off of the coop floor. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
I am not quite sure how the manure box works.What does the screen do? can’t you just have a box to catch the manure? when you move the manure to the compost bin does the bedding compost too? You said:” I skim the screen and bedding with manure from the box, and take it to my nearby compost pile…” I am not sure what you mean by skim the screen? We are new to chickens and need ideas that helps keep the coop clean. Your site is very helpful.
Fay, the screen somewhat catches the manure, so you can skim it off. Some manure will fall through the wire and in the manure box, too. Also, the screen keeps your chickens from walking in their manure constantly and making a mess. Just lift the screen lid, and scoop manure and bedding. Yes, you compost with your bedding, too, whether it is straw, pine shavings, etc. Good luck…VintageGardenGal
Thank you for the reply. This is our first time with chickens. Our chicks are 3 and 4 weeks old (2 different groups). We wanted 5 of each kind, but could only buy in groups of 25. (so had 50 chicks) gave away 20 silkies-but no one wanted any of the leghorns, so we have a lot more chicks (30 not 10) than we planned for. Their yard is large, with both trees for shade and grassy sunny areas, but the coop is only 8′ x 10′ and 9′ high. Is this too small for the number of chickens? We made it with 2 roosts, but may have room for a 3rd. We may take some of the chicks to the local farm auction, but I am getting attached to them. It will be hard to give them up –especially the 5 I named (they always run up to greet me,fly to my hand- flying already!). They are a lot smarter, and have more personality than I ever imagined. This is an adventure.
Hi Bonnie,
We have three 26 week old chickens, two faverolles and a black australorp. The faverolles are happy to sleep on the roost we have made, but the australorp keeps sleeping in the nest, no matter what we do. I dont think she is cold, because she has done this all through summer as well. We have tried blocking off the nest, but we don’t want to do this too much in case they decide to start laying! Do you have any suggestions to get her on the perch?
Carolyn, let her sleep where she likes. She is young yet. I agree, you don’t want to block off the nesting boxes. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal
hi my hubby and i have had our chickens for almost 6 months and we just had our first egg however its been at least 2 days since her first egg…is this normal? we have them in a coop with a perch but no nests…should we make her a nest to lay in? what are your thoughts? thanks!
Shari,
Yes, give your hens some time when they are just beginning to lay. Hen production over their lifetime generally lay in a bell curve. Egg production varies a bit from breed to breed. Young hens should give you just about an egg a day for the first couple of years. Yes, you definitely want to provide a safe, clean, quiet spot for them to lay their eggs. Otherwise they will lay everywhere, and you will not see them. Thanks for sharing…VintageGardenGal
Hi. My chicks are 8 weeks old. I sanded down a lilac branch for a roost in their hen house, and they have been using it like smart little chicks from when they were 5 weeks. My question is however, do chickens need or like a perch to sit on in the outside chicken coop area? I lock them up in the hen house at night. The only thing I can think of is when it get’s in the 90′s that they actually may perfer to sleep outside. Thank you!
Sandra, chickens like to perch up off of the ground at night in their chicken coop. They feel safer. For their safety, I would not leave them out to perch at night, because of predators. My hens have never roosted up in trees when I let them out of their coop in my garden. So I would say, no, you do not need to provide an outside roost. They much prefer to make mud baths in the dirt. If you are worried about heat in the summer, make sure you can open up some windows, or some sort of opening for air circulation but not draft, (reinforced with metal bars and at least 1/4″ wire mesh, to keep predators from trying to get into your chicken coop.Thanks for sharing….VintageGardenGal
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