1x1 hardward cloth for floor of coop?

[clport]

My coop is raised off the ground about 2 feet. It is 4' wide x 8' long and about 5' high inside at the peak of the roof. I currently have 1/2 x 1/2 inch hardware cloth as the floor of the coop. I like having the extra ventilation an "open" floor allows. I previously covered the floor with a sheet of plywood for the really cold nights during the winter, but took that out 3 months ago. Anyway, my problem is that the poop the girls do when roosting isn't falling through the 1/2 x 1/2 inch hardward cloth into the poop pit below the coop. Some of my girls like to roost way up high in the rafters and I have a poop board under that roost. However, more of the girls like to roost much closer to the floor and I can't fit a poop board in under them there. It's not only a problem at night. We have so much rain that the hens spend lots of time during the day in the coop to avoid getting wet and they don't hop on the roosts, but instead just mill around on the floor of the coop. It has turned into a big pain in the bottom to clean now. I'm looking for information on where to find 1x1 inch hardware cloth as I can't find it locally or in my initial online search. I'd also appreciate hearing if anyone else has encountered a similar problem and what you did to fix it. Thanks for the help!
Carol

 

[patandchickens]

If you are looking for 1x1, it will not be called "hardware cloth", it will be called 1x1 welded wire mesh. That may help you in your search -- it is not a particularly unusual item, any well-stocked farm supply store or feedstore should either have it or be easily able to order it for you.

I don't personally see it as being a great solution to your problem, for several reasons, but if you want it, that's how to look for it

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[clport]

Pat,
what would be your problems with the hardware cloth/welded wire?

 

[elmo]

Poop tends to stick even to wire with wide openings if it hits wire as it falls. You could try it, but be prepared for the same problem.

If you put in a solid floor, you could put in an inch or so of sand, then pick up the stray poops with a kitty litter scoop. That's what I do, and it cleans up in a jiffy.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

If you go to wire that's big enough for poop to fall through, it's also big enough for a raccoon to reach through and grab your chickens through the wire. Many chickens have been killed this way. Is the area under the coop secured from raccoons? Or can you make it secure?

 

[clport]

WW-Yes, under my coop could be secured from predators. It isn't now and we definitely have coons around our property, but they haven't tried to get into the coop to my knowledge. I think my girls would throw a fit if one did and I would hear the ruckus because I sleep with the window open by my bed (even in the winter) and the coop is close to the house.

elmo- I have considered going back to a solid floor with sand, but I really like the extra ventilation the open floor provides. I have too many hens in there right now (12, due to a long story) and the open floor keeps things a little less nasty-smelling for the girls. I don't see a way to provide as much ventilation with any alteration to my coop and still keep it predator proof and weatherproof. I am planning to do sand in their run this summer, however.

I suppose I could just remove the low roost which is causing the problem and make those girls go up higher to roost and put another poop board under them. They are also wanting to roost in the nest boxes and that makes a mess, too. I change the hay in the nests a couple of times a week because it accumulates poop piles.

 

[P2PFarmstead]

Glad I found this thread. Building a new coop and the 1x1 came to mind as a good idea, but as woodlandwoman mentions, a raccoon or weasel can easily put their hands through. I hadn't thought of that! Here in SoCal, a rattler or gopher snake can get through, too.
So now I'm considering just building in a deeper tray and filling with sand as Elmo suggested.
Good thing I'm doing my design in pencil!

 

[LaurelC]

I was looking into this option. When i had a stationary coop i kept a sheet of plywood covered in piece of vinyl and used it like a drawer to collect droppings. With our mobile coop that I just built, I used poly flooring specifically because it's designed for poultry, and I was concerned that with welded wire or expanded metal they'd cut their feet up and i'd always be dealing with bumblefoot. https://www.farmtek.com/prod/ft_poultry_fencing_flooring/HA2215.html

 

[Krugerrand]

Glad I found this thread. Building a new coop and the 1x1 came to mind as a good idea, but as woodlandwoman mentions, a raccoon or weasel can easily put their hands through. I hadn't thought of that! Here in SoCal, a rattler or gopher snake can get through, too.
So now I'm considering just building in a deeper tray and filling with sand as Elmo suggested.
Good thing I'm doing my design in pencil!

Many people see these older threads and pass over them. Feel free to start a new thread with you planning ideas and you'll get lots of good feedback. .... especially with nice drawings like you have so that people can offer concrete advice.