Alder Fox
In the Brooder
Hi all! We are hoping to start chickens this summer. My husband is a builder by trade, so we've got all the tools and skills as far as building, but none of the experience with chickens or livestock.
TL;DR version - is a dirt floor coop a bad idea?
We bought a property that used to be a dairy farm, which came with an old barn. The previous owner had cows and horses, goats and chickens. He had a separate coop in the barn but the only thing left is the old hatch (which was up high on the wall). The barn needs some updating, we just rebuilt a sagging wall and poured concrete over a dirt section for our new storage area. But if we wait until the whole barn is fixed, it will be another 2 years!
Currently the barn doors don't lock, they are on open tracks. And one is missing off the back of the barn - that's at least a year away from building. The next large projects are concrete related, to fix the part that has been sinking into the ground over the years. They didn't pour a proper footing or use rebar, so it's not ideal.
However, I want chickens! So we've decided the easiest thing to do (ha!) is to take an existing stall and turn it into a large walk-in coop with a hatch to the back pasture for free ranging during the day. The stall is 14' x 15', my husband wants to build walls and a roof, enclosing in plywood and also insulating (since the doors are missing or open). I want to also add a window on a couple sides to let in the natural light.
The issue I'm trying to figure out is the floor - it is currently just dirt. The only concrete they had besides the stem wall is in the open bays. So stalls are all over dirt, and still have the old cow/horse dung. I know we need to muck out a good layer of the old stuff. And I was thinking of bringing in some fresh dirt before throwing down straw or shavings.
So this is the point where I need some expert advice - before we start - should we throw down a floor? Is the dirt an issue? We'll be putting in a french drain behind the barn this spring to keep any of the water from collecting under the barn. We're backed up to a large hill where the water loves to run down and pop up as springs in random spots.
We're also close to a lot of wildlife - spotted so far: black bear, cougar, bobcat, coyote, raccoon, possum, weasels, voles, deer mice, rats, moles, hawks, kestrels, ravens, eagles and turkey vultures. So predator proofing is a must!
Sorry for the length - any advice is much appreciated!
TL;DR version - is a dirt floor coop a bad idea?
We bought a property that used to be a dairy farm, which came with an old barn. The previous owner had cows and horses, goats and chickens. He had a separate coop in the barn but the only thing left is the old hatch (which was up high on the wall). The barn needs some updating, we just rebuilt a sagging wall and poured concrete over a dirt section for our new storage area. But if we wait until the whole barn is fixed, it will be another 2 years!
Currently the barn doors don't lock, they are on open tracks. And one is missing off the back of the barn - that's at least a year away from building. The next large projects are concrete related, to fix the part that has been sinking into the ground over the years. They didn't pour a proper footing or use rebar, so it's not ideal.
However, I want chickens! So we've decided the easiest thing to do (ha!) is to take an existing stall and turn it into a large walk-in coop with a hatch to the back pasture for free ranging during the day. The stall is 14' x 15', my husband wants to build walls and a roof, enclosing in plywood and also insulating (since the doors are missing or open). I want to also add a window on a couple sides to let in the natural light.
The issue I'm trying to figure out is the floor - it is currently just dirt. The only concrete they had besides the stem wall is in the open bays. So stalls are all over dirt, and still have the old cow/horse dung. I know we need to muck out a good layer of the old stuff. And I was thinking of bringing in some fresh dirt before throwing down straw or shavings.
So this is the point where I need some expert advice - before we start - should we throw down a floor? Is the dirt an issue? We'll be putting in a french drain behind the barn this spring to keep any of the water from collecting under the barn. We're backed up to a large hill where the water loves to run down and pop up as springs in random spots.
We're also close to a lot of wildlife - spotted so far: black bear, cougar, bobcat, coyote, raccoon, possum, weasels, voles, deer mice, rats, moles, hawks, kestrels, ravens, eagles and turkey vultures. So predator proofing is a must!
Sorry for the length - any advice is much appreciated!