Building a coop on sand - Advice with the foundation

jendodd

In the Brooder
9 Years
Aug 10, 2010
21
0
22
Hi everyone!

I'll find out next week if I get to be a part of a local test site for urban chickens! When the project manager came over to check out our space, the area that will work best for the chickens is currently sand. We put up a big play area for our daughter this summer in the backyard, and decided to sand the whole 1/2 of the backyard. It's about 6-8 inches deep.

The coop will be pre built and brought it and I was wanted some advice on the best way to prep that space for the chickens to avoid predators digging in to the coop. I was thinking of getting concrete blocks or paving stones to put under the sand and elevate the coop and run slightly on the blocks where the coop and run will be put. (To avoid mixing sand from in the run and other sand in the area)

Also, any advice on what I should mix something in with sand for the run?
 
Hi jendodd, I put my coop on concrete blocks. I buried the blocks so that they were just right at about ground level, making sure they were all level and square and then packed soil in around them. I only did the outline of the coop. Depending on where you live, the sand should be just fine.
 
You could put concrete/pavers there or you could elevate it with brick or landscape timbers/4x4s and use some hardware cloth under the sand. Either should work. Sounds like you are pretty lucky having this opportunity. Congrats!
 
What about making a frame out of wood that was the same dimensions as the bottom of the coop. You could use 4x4's and secure the bottom of the coup to them so nothing could lift it up and squeeze between it. You could bury them a little bit but leave enough sticking up so the sand floor was elevated.
 
We have a sand run for our girls. It works great as the coop is totally covered and the sand dries the poo out so quickly it doesn't attract flies. We even scoop it like a litter box.
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The area that worked best for us was already filled with pea gravel and naturally drains well as its slightly sloped. My hubby measured where the supporting posts would be and dug out 4x4 holes which he then cemented the posts in. We don't experience a lot of below freezing days in the winter so no issue with them heaving.

He dug a few inches of the pea gravel out in the entire bottom where our coop would be and put 1/2" hardware cloth on the ground covering the bottom of the coop's foundation. Then he framed it in with 2x4's. He attached the hardware cloth to the 2x4 frame. He screwed 6" deep cedar boards to the 2x4 frame to keep the sand in. Filled the frame with 6" of river sand. Settling eventually lowered it to about 5" but some does find its way out when they scratch a lot near the edge so may have to add a little sand each year--not sure since it was built this spring.

We love it.
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We are really lucky to have this opportunity, and I feel really lucky to have this resource!
 

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