Chicken Coop Update: Curtains, Wheels & The Deep Litter Method

Take a look at what we did to bring our chicken coop back to life. I will show you how I made curtains for the nesting boxes, how we added removable wheels and prepared the coop for the deep litter method.

Why we needed an chicken coop update…

Let me start off by saying, chickens are gross, dirty little creatures! I never knew how dirty they could be, until I got my own and saw it first had. Everything you see on the internet that is bright, clean and cute, is definitely before a chicken even steps foot inside. After two years our coop was looking pretty bad and worn down. It was time for a facelift.

When we first built this coop, I used some old cheap paint I had on hand from years prior. It was interior paint as well, so not the right kind to use on a coop that would house dirty miniature velociraptors. The paint was stained from their poop and flaking off from the weather. We placed the coop down directly on the ground. No floor, no bricks, just on the dirt. I figured it would be fine for a while and easy to clean the bedding and waste from off the dirt. Oh, how I was wrong! The moisture held onto everything tight and made it clump together. It was a stinky mess. Since it was sitting on the ground, the bottom frame boards also had began the rot. The nesting boxes I built worked, but there was one flaw in the design…. There was a small space big enough for the chickens to climb on top and lay eggs, and hard enough for a human to get in there and collect the eggs. So naturally there was always a few unseen eggs on top of the nesting boxes slowly rotting. Yay. So with winter over and spring beginning, it was Operation Coop Rehab!

Before

We pulled the coop out and I got to work stripping it down and pressure washing it. I found more rotting eggs than I thought were in there.

After Pressure Washing…

Next came the floor

We replaced the rotting frame boards and then added the joist for the floor. It was a pretty simple.

After that, we added 3/4 inch plywood on top of the joist. The plywood was what we had lying around.

The wheels…

I had seen this tutorial here from freechickencoopplans.com on how to add wheels that can be removed and put on easily when needed. I showed it to my husband and we set off the Harbor Freight and Tractor Supply for the items needed. It was actually really easy and worked perfectly to get the coop from the shop back to the chicken coop area. With the added weight of the floor, we knew we would need some help moving this back into place.

Here’s A short video of how we installed the wheels onto the coop.

Here is a close up of the tires and bolts we used for the coop.

Chicken coop with the wheels in place!

After: The New & Improved Inside

As we built the floor, I started to think about what I wanted to put on it. I was afraid if we just left it bare the chicken’s funk would eventually mess the plywood up. We almost laid down some peel and stick tile. I thought that I could easily scoop, then hose the floor off when it got to dirty. Then I stubbled across The Deep Litter Method. After some research I landed on that option for us.

The Deep Litter Method

If you haven’t heard about this method, it’s pretty low maintenance, easy to clean and actually smells relatively nice.

Here’s the condensed version…. You put down a layer of 6 to 7 inches of shavings. Once they become soiled, you add more shavings on top. The goal is to always have it deep inside the coop, but not overly deep. The shavings will get compacted down by walking on them and natural settling, so you should never have a mountain of build up. You continue to add more and more on top when needed. It should never smell like urine or poop and should never be wet. The idea is to have the “browns and greens” at a good balance, like in composting. The chickens scratching at it will help it turn over. You should only have to change it out once or twice a year. You can then just discard the used shavings or use it in your garden.

This is why you see we added side boards inside the coop.

Time for CURTAINS….

I did not want the nesting boxes I had used prior, back inside the coop. Half the time, they all tried to pile in on top of each other in one box, even though they had three. So the idea was to leave the entire open area as one big nesting box for all of them. I secured and painted a board at the front of the nesting area to contain the bedding I would add.

With out the nesting boxes, it felt too open and not cozy enough. I scoured Pinterest and found a lot of pictures of chicken coops with curtains, which I thought was a brilliant idea.

Before…

I went to Hobby Lobby and found fabric with a pattern that I liked.

I hemmed all edges, then created a pocket across the top for the curtain rod to go through.

I’m not the best sewer, but I know how to get the job done. (I’m just glad that I’ve upgraded from safety pins and hot glue! haha)

After….

I like the pop of color and the cute factor of adding curtains for my chickies.

Lastly……

I painted the hardwire cloth with black Rust-Oleum paint (the one that come in a quart can.) so I could see through the wire better. And I also painted the chicken’s metal feeder.

See how nicely you can see through the wire without a glare or gray cast?

The Finished Product! Renewed and Clean…

I really think my chickens love the new curtains! They went and checked them out right away.

I hung them up at first with a small tension rod, which I don’t recommend. It’s not strong enough and does not get tight enough. I had an extra shower curtain rod and switched to that. It’s much stronger and stays put.

We also added a solar light from Tractor Supply to the front by the door. I still would like to add some landscaping around the outside, however that’s not high on the priority list.

You can also see how we put the entire coop up on blocks this time. There shouldn’t be any problems with rotting boards or the coop settling.

Take a look here at when we built this chicken coop.

Want to see when we found shiplap in our House? CLick here!