Comments on: Chickens & Chicken Coop FAQ

By: Bonnie Manion

Bonnie Manion — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 18:34:43 +0000

Melissa, yes. At first I always put my feed bucket inside my coop at night. After, 8 years time, I started to get pesky mice inside my coop at night looking for the feed. I then resorted to putting my feed bucket away in a galvanized clean garbage can, inside my storage shed. My chickens were fine with the change. Chickens once they are up for the day like to eat continuously, so don’t forget their feed or treats by mistake. Thanks for your comment…VintageGardenGal

By: Melissa

Melissa — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 22:33:38 +0000

You said that you put your feed “inside for the night to protect it from rodents.” Do you mean inside the roost box or away from the coop? We have a very small urban coop (roost box with run), so I was going to put water inside the roost box and outside in the run. However, with limited space, I was onlyt going to put food/grit/oyster shell out in the run during the day. That is sufficient, right?

By: Ginger

Ginger — Sat, 25 Feb 2012 06:01:29 +0000

I want to live in Kathy LaFleur’s coop! It’s about the cutest thing I’ve ever seen in chicken housing… What a clever lady:)

By: Bonnie Manion

Bonnie Manion — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 23:22:21 +0000

I can only give you suggestions, but chickens like dirt, weeds, and grass, and not so much rock. They might like the rock for height, but you might want to create a dirt floor for them. Most of the heavy breed homestead breeds like the Orpingtons, Wyndottes, Rhode Island Reds, Barred Rock breeds are docile, friendly, and not flighty. If you have close neighbors, avoid getting a rooster.

I suggest maybe a heat lamp designed for animals, something similar to when chicks are young, and don’t have their feathers yet, which hangs from your coop ceiling. I always suggest you talk to your local feed store, since they have similar customers such as yourself, and know your weather environment.

Welcome to the wonderful world of chickens…. VintageGardenGal

By: S & R

S & R — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 17:43:36 +0000

Hi Bonnie,
Like some of the other folks who write to you, my husband & I are new to raising chickens. Your column is so informative and a pleasure to read that we’re certain you can help us get started the right way.
Here goes:
We want to raise about 6 hens for laying eggs. We are nestled here in the mountains of NC and among forests. Much of our property is rock….reallly BIG rock. Our entire back yard is one big rock with no grass or dirt.
Is it a good place for the chickens to run? We were thinking of building their (covered) run over that area since it’s the largest for them to use.
Or would it be better to build their run over grass and areas with dirt instead?
Also, we have neighbors within “earshot” and want to get a docile, quiet breed just to ensure peace. What breed would you recommend?
Lastly, our winters can be cold (around 5 to 15) at night. The coop will be draft-free but not insulated. What is the best method for safely heating the little ladies especially at night?
Thanks in advance for all your help!

By: Bonnie Manion

Bonnie Manion — Mon, 30 May 2011 14:22:05 +0000

Angela, my outside pen is a soft sandy soil floor, which actually permeates droppings and spilled drinking water. You want something that is soft on their feet, easily to clean. I rake my soil level, add soil when necessary. Make sure you have a shade cloth, or landscaping providing some shade for your chickens, too. Good luck…VintageGardenGal

By: Angela

Angela — Mon, 30 May 2011 01:56:52 +0000

I am new to raising chickens. We just received our 5 chicks and have ordered a coop. We are planning to make our own run. What is the best way to make sure the run is kept clean?

By: Bonnie Manion

Bonnie Manion — Fri, 27 May 2011 23:58:22 +0000

9Chicks, I have a wooden floor in my chicken coop. I have not heard of linoleum for a chicken coop floor, but I think it would be easy to wash down, etc. Your chickens will be fine, they will not hurt themselves with a linoleum floor. What you do have to watch out for is nails, sharp points or objects, sticking out anywhere. In that case, remove nails, or bend them over. Good luck….VintageGardenGal

By: 9Chicks

9Chicks — Fri, 27 May 2011 14:42:46 +0000

We live on 10 acres in NW Florida and are on our first attempt at raising chickens. Our 9 girls are now about 8 weeks old and we are really enjoying them. We are housing them temporarily in a 8×10, 6′ tall chainlink dog kennel which we covered with wire. To the top we also added a waterproof tarp. We added a large igloo style dog house for shelter and some limbs for roosts. The ‘floor’ is dirt and we have added pinestraw which seems to work well so far – we had quite a storm last night. I added some additional straw this morning and the chickens seem to be happy as clams. In the meantime we are converting an old wooden storage shed into a real henhouse with a run. The shed is off the ground about a foot and has a wood floor. I read about someone putting down linoleum type flooring and running it up a few inches onto the walls to make it easier to clean. It seems a good idea, but I wonder if the chickens would peck at the floor even if with straw or hay on top and if it would hurt them?

By: Bonnie Manion

Bonnie Manion — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:59:00 +0000

Diana, I have heard it is best not to house chickens with ducks and geese because of transferring of disease. You could check with http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com who hatch and sell all of them.
If you are cleaning your chicken coop on a regular basis, I don’t see a problem. However, there are certain chemical ammonia’s that can break concrete down. You would need to consult an expert on that. My chicken coop floor is wood. I use ample bedding (pine shavings), and clean regularly putting into my compost. My hen’s manure has not affected my floor. Good questions…VintageGardenGal