I am planning on building my coop in my garage, with a doggie door going to the run out side. I am planning on the foot print of the coop being about 4x4 or 5x4 Originally I was planning on making a little box style coop raised off the ground about 6 inch. (I' m planning on having a few inches of pine bedding in the coop) My boyfriend thinks we should build the coop right on the cement flooring in the garage, with no wood under it. My concern is, will the cement be hard to clean, and will the cement get to cold in the winder time. (I live in michigan) The chickens will not be straight on the cement floor they will be on a few inches of pine shavings, but I still feel like it would be colder that way. What are your thoughts, which is better? I think the main reason my boyfriend wants it to just be straight on the cement is, that it would be a lot easier to make. Laziness.
We built our coop in the corner of our barn which has a concrete floor. If you do the deep litter method, gradually building up to about 10 inches by cold weather, it should be fine.
Is the cement easy to clean? What about mice? Do you have any issues with mice/rats trying to get into the coop?
I would think cement would be very easy to clean. I know alot of dog breeders that have the runs cemented so they can just hose them down. I think with a few inches of shavings on the floor, the chickens will be good. Good luck
I wouldn't raise it up just 6" - you'll be starting a mouse farm under there. Cement has some big advantages - verminproof, level, easy to clean, cool in summer, and if it's a large insulated garage then it'll help keep temps from getting so low in winter, too. The disadvantages of cement are that it is hard on feet (but, keep a good deep pack of litter in there and level any holes daily, and it'll be totally fine); it is cold in winter if the building itself gets real cold inside; and -- this IMO is the main disadvantage -- for several months in spring, it can make the building rather damp (unhealthy for chickens) when warm spring air hits the still-cold cement floor and condenses out to humidify the indoor air. The latter problem just requires being able to have Real Good Ventilation during that part of the year. I say the above from experience with horse barns -- my chickens spend their winter in an insulated, concrete-floored outbuilding, but their pen (which I did not build, just adapted for chickens) has a plywood-over-insulation-board floor. FWIW, I am building new pens in there right now -- for year-round use -- and am putting down sheets of OSB (like they use for subfloors in houses), primed and painted for water resistance and easier poo scraping, as a floor for under the bedding. I want the chickens to be able to snuggle down into the bedding for winter warmth if necessary without hitting cold concrete with their feeties, and because I am a bit concerned that I may have extra problems with damp litter in springtime if the bedding is right on the concrete. If I had a bigger budget I would probably use 3/8" plywood over foam insulation board instead (the pink or blue stuff, not the white styrofoam-y stuff which easily becomes a mouse hotel). That would be quite practical for a small coop like you're planning, though. Good luck and have fun, Pat
I realize this is an old thread but wondered if you could elaborate on your comment; "I wouldn't raise it up just 6" - you'll be starting a mouse farm under there." Does that mean deep litter method leads to mice? or just when it's DLM on concrete? I'm working on design too and would love to avoid problems too.