Anyone have a drain in their coop?

[NicholeT]

DH and I are debating on the coop design if we should add a drain in the floor of the coop that would have a drain plug that we could open for deep cleaning. We plan to use vinyl sheeting on the floor and a shower type sheet good on the walls. We plan to wrap the roost bars and anything else they may roost on or poo on in a water resistant surface as well (as opposed to raw wood) to help with the cleaning process. We also plan to have it drain to a downspout that will shift the water to the back into a drainage ditch.

Anyone have any experience with this- Yay or Nay- thoughts?

 

[DobieLover]

Nay.
There really isn't any reason to do such a deep cleaning. And wrapping the roosts with anything water resistant will result in slippery surfaces that the chickens will not like and could possibly injury their legs trying to maneuver on. Wet cleaning chicken poop will create a huge stink. You want everything as dry as possible.

 

[mowin]

The only way I'd consider that is if it's a concrete floor.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

My 2nd coop had a concrete floor with a drain. I never used it. When I clean I don't actually take a hose and full on spray it down. So now my 3rd coop that is an extension of coop 2, has the drain completely covered with wood floor.

 

[3KillerBs]

Dry chickens are healthy chickens.

Wet cleaning a chicken coop is only necessary in the most dire and unusual of situations.

 

[Borders3]

DH and I are debating on the coop design if we should add a drain in the floor of the coop that would have a drain plug that we could open for deep cleaning. We plan to use vinyl sheeting on the floor and a shower type sheet good on the walls. We plan to wrap the roost bars and anything else they may roost on or poo on in a water resistant surface as well (as opposed to raw wood) to help with the cleaning process. We also plan to have it drain to a downspout that will shift the water to the back into a drainage ditch.

Anyone have any experience with this- Yay or Nay- thoughts?

To what reason do you think you will need to deep clean to such an extent that you take a hose pipe/pressure washer to it? Where would you put your chickens whilst you do this?
Chickens and any areas they are in, the drier the better, that is why you don't want condensation building up in the coop so have plenty of ventilation. So it's a big fat nay from me, if you don't want bare wood then paint it.