Need a durable floor material for shoveling.

[RichM]

My cheap coop I bought on the internet is too small now! My birds won't go in at night now that they are all egg layers. I have to force them in until morning. I have to build a new coop!

My current coop has a sheet metal floor/tray, and I like that because it's very resistant to the moisture that can build up under the bedding, and I can scrape it with a flat head shovel without damaging it. However, my new coop is going to be significantly bigger than my first one, and I don't think it will be feasible to buy a flat peace of metal that will fit it exactly.

I'd like to design the coop so that I can open a whole side, shovel the old bedding into a wheelbarrow without damaging the floor. My first idea would be to make a removable wooden tray that fits the floor exactly, and just replace it when it wears out.

I'd like to know what others have done.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I use thin sheets of HDPE (high density polyethylene).
The poop strips right off. I cover it with pine shavings.
My coops are an odd configuration so I had to weld a couple pieces together but it is very durable. It comes in 4X8 sheets.
If you know anything about plastic welding I think you'd like it or even just use whole sheets.




this is after it is covered with pine shavings


If your birds don't have outdoor access, you'd have to trim their nails because they won't wear them down scratching on the plastic.
I get it from a place called low cost metals and they sell on ebay.
It comes in black, white, yellow, orange, blue and perhaps other colors.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/140546654617?_trksid=p2060353.m1438.l2649&ssPageName=STRK:MEBIDX:IT

 

[RichM]

Do you have to glue that stuff down? I imagine it is shipped in a roll, right? will it try to keep it's curve?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Yes, it is shipped in a roll but if you lay it out flat it will lose that memory. Probably faster if you put it in the sun.
What I did was put wood trim around the edges to hold it in place. You can see the edger boards in the last picture.
The stuff is really tough though.
I guess you could glue it. I never thought of that.

 

[junebuggena]

You could use self-leveling concrete.

 

[AEJEfarm]

I Used Behr deck over paint not only on the floors but also 6 inches up the walls. its scratch, stain and water resistant. I use a shovel to clean the coop as well and have no issues. Also you can get it in any color you want. every now and then I rinse the place out with a hose and don't have to worry about it affecting the wood. I would recommend it.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I can open a whole side, shovel the old bedding into a wheelbarrow without damaging the floor.
I'd like to know what others have done.

I use a sheet of vinyl flooring (the heavier the better) that is just friction fitted in the coop (my coop is only 4'x8') to run up the walls about 4" to 6". I shovel out the heavy stuff and pop out the vinyl flooring hose it off pop it back into place. I have had it about 4 years and it beginning to crack and show it age now (Canada winters) but a little duct tape can hide a majority of sins. Works for me.

Easy Peasy Japanese.

I use thin sheets of HDPE (high density polyethylene).

THIS SOUNDS GOOD...!

 

[HennyB]

I Used Behr deck over paint not only on the floors but also 6 inches up the walls. its scratch, stain and water resistant. I use a shovel to clean the coop as well and have no issues. Also you can get it in any color you want. every now and then I rinse the place out with a hose and don't have to worry about it affecting the wood. I would recommend it.

I was looking at this yesterday, and I see they have various degrees of texturing. Do you still like your choice and is it the most untextured version? I would imagine high texture would be difficult to clean out.

 

[RichM]

I was going to go with the least textured for sure. The texturing is so you don't slip and fall on the deck. Not an issue in a chicken coop.

 

[HennyB]

I was going to go with the least textured for sure. The texturing is so you don't slip and fall on the deck. Not an issue in a chicken coop.

I just had this crazy mental image of the entire comedic scenario playing out of someone slipping and sliding around on a poopy chicken coop floor.