BrainSTORM or brainFART??

[JK Farm]

We're in the process of finishing up my new 12'x16' chicken coop. It's the Taj Mahal of chicken houses if you ask me.

Anyway, I was thinking about the flooring and all of a sudden it hit me: can I use cementboard (wonderboard, backerboard, whatever it's called) as the flooring since it's water resistant and doesn't mold, rot, or decay?? I've tried finding what it is made up of to see if there is a possibility of it somehow being toxic to the chickens and can't get any concrete

results.
Anyone out there know the make-up of cement board? Has anyone else ever done this? It seems like a great idea...

 

[JK Farm]

Never mind. I've been informed that this is indeed a brainfart.

 

[4 the Birds]

Uh... sure Brainstorm.

Cement board will work fine. Personally I do not like using the stuff. It is VERY heavy, cost more than wood, and you need a carbide tipped saw to cut. Since a wood frame or joists are typically set below then I would just go for wood to save money. Pressure treated wood will last longer than you plan to keep chickens. Cement board is waterproof and great below tile though.

 

[locoguru]

"cement"board

 

[locoguru]

I put linoleum down.

 

[JackE]

Sounds like you have a walk in coop. Cement board is not meant to be used alone as flooring. It goes over a subfloor, usually wood. It's only 1/2" or so thick, it would not stand up to be used as flooring. You would probably end up going through the floor at some unexpected point.
Now, if you were to use it over a wood subfloor, there is the danger of moisture getting trapped under it, and eventually rotting the floor out. Maybe moisture can't get through the board itself, but it probably would find it's way through at the joints/gaps between boards.
Get yourself some Blackjack#57 rubberized roofcoat from Lowes, and slop a thick layer of that down, and forget about the floor. I've had this stuff down in my coop for over three years, and it has held up great and done the job for me. This stuff after it cures/drys is like a rubberized waterproof membrane over the floor. Nothing can get under it, the chickens can't do anything to it. IMO It's the BEST coop floor treatment you can do.
Jack