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rabbit hutch as bantam coop

post #1 of 2
1/3/11 at 1:33pm
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I have an old rabbit hutch that I have converted to a bantam coop. I made the coop 2 floors, so that the bantams had access to grass/dirt via a ladder. Unfortunately, some malicious critter dug underneath the coop and took the previous occupants away. How do I make the coop safer from critters? Not sure if I should add chicken wire to the floor of the coop?  Also, the top floor currently has chicken wire, but this set up doesn't not work well with clean-up as there is no pull out tray and straw falls to the bottom floor. Since adding a tray is not an option, should I install plywood or vinyl squares?  Any ideas would be much appreciated.

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post #2 of 2
1/4/11 at 9:28am

To prevent predators from digging in from underneath, extend whatever you're using for the run material (hopefully not just plain chicken wire, as predators can get through it easily) and bury it in the ground. Form it in an L shape underground to make it even better.

And I'm not entirely clear about your floor question, but it sounds like you have a section of floor where the flooring material is only chicken wire? Wire flooring is generally not preferred for any animal, chickens included. Put in a solid floor... vinyl over plywood would be the most sturdy. Plywood alone is porous and difficult to clean. Using vinyl alone will likely give you a weird hammock effect over time, making it a bear to clean as well!

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Horizon Structures Chicken Coops - pre-built, portable, predator-proof! Click here to check it out!
Horizon Structures Insider
» Get the latest news and updates at the Horizon Structures sponsor page.
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