What's On Your Coop Floor?

[CubbieFan88]

I'm wondering what everyone is using on their coop floors. Currently we are using shavings, but I'm wondering if there is something better we could be doing. We've tried hay in the past & certain elements of it I liked, but the snake risk was a bit too raised. I've heard great things about sand, which intrigues me, because Houston area we get our fair share of rain so I'm curious how sand would hold up. Run off isn't much of an issue. Our coop is built on top of a frame of cinder blocks. The coop floor is level with the ground outside. The cinder blocks do I great job of deterring the water, unless the yard starts to flood & even then the coop floor gets squishy, but not really flooded like the area outside (it got a big test with Harvey when our ducks were literally swimming in the yard, but the coop was simply squishy with a few puddles). I'd love to hear what you are using, why you like it, even if there was anything else you've used that you didn't like, and why. More feedback the better. With the new chicks coming in we are trying to revamp the coop to make it as efficient as possible. Thanks in advance! Pictures of the inside of your coop would be appreciated as well if they are handy. I love getting ideas & inspiration! Again, thank you for any feedback!

 

[Liz Birdlover]

I tried sand before, I live in Delaware & we get rainy months so I didn't care for how the sand held moisture. I'm back to using wood chips.

 

[3KillerBs]

I wrote an article about it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

 

[Smashlee83]

I'm wondering what everyone is using on their coop floors. Currently we are using shavings, but I'm wondering if there is something better we could be doing. We've tried hay in the past & certain elements of it I liked, but the snake risk was a bit too raised. I've heard great things about sand, which intrigues me, because Houston area we get our fair share of rain so I'm curious how sand would hold up. Run off isn't much of an issue. Our coop is built on top of a frame of cinder blocks. The coop floor is level with the ground outside. The cinder blocks do I great job of deterring the water, unless the yard starts to flood & even then the coop floor gets squishy, but not really flooded like the area outside (it got a big test with Harvey when our ducks were literally swimming in the yard, but the coop was simply squishy with a few puddles). I'd love to hear what you are using, why you like it, even if there was anything else you've used that you didn't like, and why. More feedback the better. With the new chicks coming in we are trying to revamp the coop to make it as efficient as possible. Thanks in advance! Pictures of the inside of your coop would be appreciated as well if they are handy. I love getting ideas & inspiration! Again, thank you for any feedback!

I'm in the Houston area too and as you can see from my avatar picture, have learned a lot about rain this year. I use a mix of pine shavings and pelletized bedding. The pellets were a game changer for us keeping the moisture down. I also sprinkle in some DE powder / coop refresher once a week or so.

 

[CubbieFan88]

I tried sand before, I live in Delaware & we get rainy months so I didn't care for how the sand held moisture. I'm back to using wood chips.

Thats good to know about it holding the moisture. Definitely scratches that off the list. Thank you!

 

[CubbieFan88]

I wrote an article about it:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

A fun read! Well written too! Thank you for sharing it. It definitely helped and gave me something to discuss with hubs to get his thoughts on it. The compost part will peak his interest.

 

[CubbieFan88]

I'm in the Houston area too and as you can see from my avatar picture, have learned a lot about rain this year. I use a mix of pine shavings and pelletized bedding. The pellets were a game changer for us keeping the moisture down. I also sprinkle in some DE powder / coop refresher once a week or so.

I don't know about this pelletized bedding. Mixing in with the shavings I like the sounds of. I've been wanting to do a coop refresher. I have seen Etsy has lots with great mixtures, but haven't quite taken the leap and gotten one.

 

[Liz Birdlover]

Thats good to know about it holding the moisture. Definitely scratches that off the list. Thank you!

I'm sure some love it in less humid environments, but I have a nose like a bloodhound, I smelled moisture & also when I would clean scooping poo clumps out, the sand was moist underneath, like the top sand was dry but the layer of sand against the floor wasn't so dry. I live in a humid state. It may work differently in a less humid area.

 

[Ponypoor]

I had dirt floors in my horse stalls and it was a constant battle to keep really clean, I put in paver bricks (unlock brick) and the difference was outstanding.

Now I have hens and I have a brick floor in there also (my hen house is in the barn), I use softwood shavings (same as stalls) and I clean poops out of the Hen House daily when I do chores so it's really easy - bedding stays dry, and no odours, this decrease in risk of diseases.

If I were to build an outside coop I would do a simple pole shed and put in a cement or paver brick floor - personally.

This solid flooring also has the effect of preventing rodents etc from getting in through the flooring.

 

[WhySayWhat]

Currently a mix of pine shavings and cut straw. The straw was in the nest boxes, but they suddenly decided it should NOT be in the nest boxes...and they've done a really great job of mixing it into the pine shavings. That being said...I'm toying with changing to sand in the Spring, so much easier to remove the poo in sand!