Dirt floor coop + deep litter?

[igorsMistress]

I'm planning to build another coop (I got rid of my bird and sold my previous coop) and this time I'm going for broke and building on a permanent foundation. I want to do a layer or two of cinder blocks and then go wood framing up from there. This will leave a dirt floor, which I want to use the deep litter method for ease of maintenance. Is this a good plan or do I need some sort of covering for the floor? I have clay soil and I will have a french drain or something similar to keep water from entering on the uphill side.

I have my coop on a block foundation with a dirt floor. I’ve made changes to the coop but that hasn’t changed over the years. Definitely consider environment though. We’re very dry most of the year, also very hot in summer, and I have to wet down the litter fairly consistently.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

How deep will foundation be below grade??

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View attachment 3142263

Central Virginia, USA. USDA zone 7a/b. I'm right on the line.

Foundation will be ~12'' below grade on the downhill side. Probably 18+ inches on the uphill side. I have to get below the frost line (12") everywhere for the footer. I'm not 100% committed to the cinder blocks, but I have the blocks and I think it would be the cheapest secure (predator proof) way to put in a dirt floor. The alternative would be to build an elevated coop built on concrete piers dug to 18" and metal mounting plates set in the concrete for 4x4s. That would limit the size of my coop to the amount of polymer material I have for the floor and probably make raising meat birds labor intensive. I don't have definite plans of raising meat birds, but I want to build extra room into my coop from the start. My last coop was small and it worked, but I could ONLY have 3-5 adult birds or pullets and had no room to isolate, raise chicks, etc.

Open eaves are just the start of good ventilation. You will want about half of the front wall of the coop to be ventilation, especially if you are in a place with heat.... and especially if meat chickens will be in that coop.

If the run is at least partly covered then it can shelter the wire side of the coop.

Also, if the run is 100% secure from predators then you can skip the opening and closing of the pop door and that equals less work for you.

As to meat birds.... the amount of stank and poo that they produce is WAY more than "regular chickens", which is why most people prefer to segregate them. But also... you only have for 2-ish months... so at least it is over and done with quickly.

I will have an automatic pop door on the coop no matter what kind of run I have. Is there a recommended square footage or square inches of ventilation per chicken or per cubic footage of coop to provide adequate ventilation? There's plenty of ways to add vents at this point in construction (planning).

 

[enrgizerbunny]

I have my coop on a block foundation with a dirt floor. I’ve made changes to the coop but that hasn’t changed over the years. Definitely consider environment though. We’re very dry most of the year, also very hot in summer, and I have to wet down the litter fairly consistently.

We're hot and humid during the summer. My selected location gets morning sun and afternoon shade. I can't see myself wetting down bedding at any point.

 

[3KillerBs]

Is there a recommended square footage or square inches of ventilation per chicken or per cubic footage of coop to provide adequate ventilation?

1 square foot of ventilation per adult, standard size hen is the recommended minimum.

I'm in the NC Sandhills on the 7b/8a border and find that I need either DEEP shade or 2-3 times that amount to keep the coop under 100F on a 90F day.

Forgive me if I already linked this article to you. I forget what threads I have and haven't posted it in: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/hot-climate-chicken-housing-and-care.77263/

 

[igorsMistress]

We're hot and humid during the summer. My selected location gets morning sun and afternoon shade. I can't see myself wetting down bedding at any point.

If you can compost without adding water great, but the coop will have a roof. You might find that changes things a bit. Maybe not, I dunno. If I don’t then nothing decomposes but we are very dry.

 

[aart]

Foundation will be ~12'' below grade on the downhill side. Probably 18+ inches on the uphill side. I have to get below the frost line (12") everywhere for the footer. I'm not 100% committed to the cinder blocks, but I have the blocks and I think it would be the cheapest secure (predator proof) way to put in a dirt floor.

It would certainly be pretty predator proof.

 

[enrgizerbunny]

If you can compost without adding water great, but the coop will have a roof. You might find that changes things a bit. Maybe not, I dunno. If I don’t then nothing decomposes but we are very dry.

That desert heat compared to mid Atlantic heat is just a different animal. I've experienced both, but there's enough moisture in the air for compost to break down and more than enough heat. Evaporative cooling is totally ineffective here and in fact makes things worse most of the time due to the higher humidity.

 

[igorsMistress]

That desert heat compared to mid Atlantic heat is just a different animal. I've experienced both, but there's enough moisture in the air for compost to break down and more than enough heat. Evaporative cooling is totally ineffective here and in fact makes things worse most of the time due to the higher humidity.

In that climate sure, it’s like our monsoon season. We can use evap the rest of the year, but that regular hvac for that time of year.

 

[3KillerBs]

That desert heat compared to mid Atlantic heat is just a different animal. I've experienced both, but there's enough moisture in the air for compost to break down and more than enough heat. Evaporative cooling is totally ineffective here and in fact makes things worse most of the time due to the higher humidity.

In that climate sure, it’s like our monsoon season. We can use evap the rest of the year, but that regular hvac for that time of year.

And this is why we always ask people for their location because it makes SO MUCH DIFFERENCE!

 

[igorsMistress]

And this is why we always ask people for their location because it makes SO MUCH DIFFERENCE!

Bless my heart.