Building a chicken coop with a 8x8 chicken run wanting to wire the floor to prevent animals to get i

[giddyupgang]

I want a small run attached to the chicken coop but I want to wire the floor with 1/4 or 1/2 inch t keep animals out when Iam not home I will also have a run beyond that to let them out in the grass when Iam home, the other reason to wire the floor is that it going to be a tractor coop which I can move around the yard and move the run which will be 12x12 so that can have fresh yard all the time any thoughts thanks ps first time having chickens

 

[Ridgerunner]

A 12 x 12 is nice but you may find an 8 x 16 is easier to build and move. It is a little smaller, 128 square feet versus 144, but you might look at that. Lumber in 8’ lengths are going to be less expensive so you’d have less cutting and won’t have to brace where you join them, at least across. You will probably have a wire top so as long as you don’t have a wet snow or ice build-up this isn’t very important, but you might need a heavier timber to span a 12’ span versus 8’. It will be stronger when you move it too. Just something to think about.

Instead of wiring the floor I suggest you look at using aprons. Attach wire maybe 18” to 24” wide to the bottom of the run so it lays horizontal. Overlap the corners. The idea is that a digging predator goes up to the fence, starts digging, hits the wire, and does not know to back up. Aprons are really effective. You would need to devise a way to lift that off the ground and attach it to the run so you can move it, but I don’t see that as being really difficult. That might be easier to move than a wire floor. It should be lighter and it won’t sag onto the ground which might make it harder to move.

You would probably need to have something to lay on it to hold it down, but a 2x2 or something like that would be simple. And that would adjust to uneven ground pretty well. If you don’t have either a bottom or an apron, it’s pretty easy to have a gap under the bottom so something can just crawl in without digging.

I don’t know how big a risk this actually is, but with a wire floor I’d have some concerns of the chickens getting their feet caught under that wire floor with it sagging to the ground when you move it. I did not use a wire floor, or aprons either for that matter, when I had my tractor but the chickens were pretty good about walking along with the tractor when you move it if you take your time.

Good luck!

 

[giddyupgang]

Thanks for ur thoughts maybe I did'nt explain it correctly what iam building is a 16x8 ,half will be the coop other half will be so they can go outside of the coop, Iam using 4x6 for the base of this and 2x6 to frame the floor ,the hole length of the coop then I was going to put pressure treated plywood in the coop part and put wire on the orther 8 feet then have a door from the part that goes outside and add a 12x12 run so they are in the grass and the coop will be on wheels and about a foot off the ground all around that's why I was going to add a12x12 area off the part that goes outside and it would be easy enough to move , or should I just plywood the hole 16 foot , I was just thinking then there poop would fall though that part of the coop, seems I always over do it but I want what's best for the chickens I seen some say don't let them walk on the wire others say it's fine so I would like the right answer thanks again just trying to figure it out and only want to do it once

 

[Ridgerunner]

At a presentation by a poultry science professor he was asked about chickens being on wire. This was a raised wire floor, not floor on the bottom of a movable tractor which I though is what you are talking about. A raised wire floor is fine, with one qualification. Some wire, not all wire but some wire, has small sharp pips on it. Those come from the manufacturing process. All of those should be on the same side. So if those sharp pips are on the underside where they are not walking, it is not a problem. If the wire has those pips and they are where the chickens are walking, it can chop up their feet.

This is from a chicken professional that has raised championship show chickens and has bred some interesting project chickens. He has seen thousands of chickens raised on wire. He is very active in 4H. It is not from someone that has never tried to raise chickens on wire and is concerned about how it must be uncomfortable. It is a good question but the answer is that it works fine as long as you don't put those sharp pips where they can walk on them.

Rub your hand over the wire. If you feel sharp pips don’t let them walk on that side. They are actually big enough to clearly see but you can feel them also.

I have raised ½” hardwire cloth on the bottom of my brooder and in my grow-out coop. The poop falls through that until the chicks are maybe 3 to 4 months old, then it starts to build up and not fall through. With older chickens, I’d suggest you use 1” wire so the poop will fall through.

 

[giddyupgang]

Thanks for ur help so if I put 1 inch would that be ok for the smaller ones until they get bigger?

 

[Ridgerunner]

I don’t know, I use ½” for chicks. What you could do is put something on the floor, a sheet of plywood maybe, until they get bigger. If you look at their feet their toes spread out quite a bit but I would have some concerns with young chicks.

 

[giddyupgang]

Thanks again I've been reading a lot here so much to figure out I like the water nipple ideal and the feeder bucket I also seen where u could use pine needles for nest and the coop glad I came to,this site it's great

 

[giddyupgang]

Hi ,need a little help have the coop made and getting ready to build some external nesting boxes so I can get the eggs without going inside I seen community boxes and single ones as I have 25 chicks I was going to make 8 boxes 16 inch deep and 14 inch wide and 16 inch tall or can I make just one big box with 3 or 4 holes in it or do they like the confinement

 

[3riverschick]

Hi ,need a little help have the coop made and getting ready to build some external nesting boxes so I can get the eggs without going inside I seen community boxes and single ones as I have 25 chicks I was going to make 8 boxes 16 inch deep and 14 inch wide and 16 inch tall or can I make just one big box with 3 or 4 holes in it or do they like the confinement

Those are big boxes. usually 14 x 14 for adult large fowl. get them too big and then 2 girls try and fit in them. Can smash the eggs. need one box for every 5 hens. no, not one big box. Then they try to crowd together, the rooster may even try to get in with them. Not good for the eggs. what breed do you have?
Best,
Karen