Need some input about coop design

[AmyFL5]

Hi all,
We are new to building a chicken coop. I am planning on using the lower level of our kid's playset, but my husband and I are having difficulty deciding how to do this. The biggest sticking point is the wood floor on the play set:
I want to remove it so the chickens can scratch around in the dirt but my husband doesn't want to remove it (he said it took a lot of work to put it in and doesn't want to remove it). My initial compromise was to perhaps cover the wood boards in vinyl (or laminate flooring) and cover it in hay. However a friend of mine said the chickens would peck at the vinyl and ingest it. Also, my friend said the wood flooring would make the coop more prone to smelling.
So my question for all the chicken gurus out there is what do you think? Can we leave the wood flooring or does it have to go. (I also plan on building a run that will protrude from the side of the structure).
Thanks!
Amy

 

[MoonShadows]

Hi AmyFL5,

If hubby is sticking to his guns about removing it, how about covering with a sheet of plywood and then putting down something like Blackjack57. A number of people here have used Blackjack57. It's like liquid rubber in a can. Dries within 24 hours, lasts a long, long time and protects the wood from moisture.

 

[Amethyste]

We covered the floor of our coop in sheet linoleum and stapled it down. Worked like a dream and made cleanup extremely easy. We covered it with shavings and sweet pdz/DE.

 

[beeksnfeet]

Just let our girls into the coop for the first time today and they love it. Our floor is covered with sheet linoleum also and it works fine. We used it in the brooder/ cage thingy DH built for them when they were in the house. I used double faced tape all along the edges and hope it will stick. So far so good. It was very cheep at Menards. Only 49 cents a square foot! We have had no trouble with them trying to eat it. They do their usual pecking, but never any damage to the floor. I then cover it with pine shavings and all is well. I have also been looking into using DE with the shavings, but have mixed reports on it. Some very reputable people say not to use it and others say it is just fine. What is PDZ? How does it work?

 

[Amethyste]

Just let our girls into the coop for the first time today and they love it. Our floor is covered with sheet linoleum also and it works fine. We used it in the brooder/ cage thingy DH built for them when they were in the house. I used double faced tape all along the edges and hope it will stick. So far so good. It was very cheep at Menards. Only 49 cents a square foot! We have had no trouble with them trying to eat it. They do their usual pecking, but never any damage to the floor. I then cover it with pine shavings and all is well. I have also been looking into using DE with the shavings, but have mixed reports on it. Some very reputable people say not to use it and others say it is just fine. What is PDZ? How does it work?

Sweet PDZ is awesome... you can get it from feed stores etc. It comes in pellets or in powder and its used to get rid of ammonia smells. I have used it in my bedding for years for the Ladies and it is amazing. Won't hurt them if they eat it, or bathe in it etc. Do a search on it here on BYC or on Google and you can find out more about it. Its really brilliant material

 

[Pharm Girl]

Linoleum will work as long as rain can't get inside. There is no drainage with it. The chickens prefer some sort of substrait (sand, shavings, etc) If it all stays dry, vinyl over wood should work well and help keep the vermin out. We had dirt floor with a skirt and the rats still dug under and got into the food! Wish I'd had such a floor in my coop. Use welded hardware cloth and shore it up tight!

 

[Alaskan]

I have a plywood floor in my coop, and it doesn't get smelly. I think if I had painted it it would last better, but it is fine the way it is.

 

[beeksnfeet]

Sweet PDZ is awesome... you can get it from feed stores etc. It comes in pellets or in powder and its used to get rid of ammonia smells. I have used it in my bedding for years for the Ladies and it is amazing. Won't hurt them if they eat it, or bathe in it etc. Do a search on it here on BYC or on Google and you can find out more about it. Its really brilliant material

Gona go with the PDZ.....the more I read, the more I like it better then DE. Thanks!

 

[moetrout]

I have vinyl sheet flooring over plywood. I use wood chips and a dusting of DE to help keep it dry and kill off any insects. 5 years and no problems. I use the deep litter method, which means I only clean out my coop twice a year. Just search dep litter method on here and you will find everything you need to know about it. Don't over think on chickens. Much of what we do we really do for ourselves. Chickens don't really need much.

 

[MoonShadows]

.
Don't over think on chickens. Much of what we do we really do for ourselves. Chickens don't really need much.

I am beginning to learn this fast now that I have my chickens. I keep saying to myself...."They didn't worry about this 100 years ago, and the chickens did just fine."