Complete Newbie...Going to try and build a coup!

[Ajax10]

Okay, I have been wanting to have chickens for years and the kids have been asking. I have been noticing that most of the coups are built on a foundation of aggregate and sand as opposed to having the chickens on dirt/grass. Just curios why and where can I learn about that on this site?

I live in southern California in an urban medium sized city and only allowed chickens, no roosters. I realize I have much to learn from reading some posts.

Looking forward to this!

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC!

 

[drumstick diva]

Welcome to Backyard chickens.

If you build a coop with a grass floor, the chickens will reduce it to bare ground in no time. A dirt floor will became a mud puddle, neither one prevents rats and other predators from burrowing under to eat eggs,chicks, chickens. If you are in a very rainy area, you might want a coop on stilts so the inside of the coop won't turn into a pond.

Sand, stones etc, offer good drainage. In my opinion it's better to have a coop with a genuine floor - wood probably with linoleum over it, to make it easier to clean. Some prefer a concrete base to offer the most protection against diggers

You may find explanations for other types in the coop section, It's a very good read.

 

[Michael OShay]

Welcome to BYC. Glad you decided join our flock. I'm a big fan of coarse sand (or fine, smooth pea gravel) for the floor of both coops and runs for the following reasons:
Coarse sand and desiccates droppings, drains well and does not retain moisture, does not decay or degrade inside the coop, is inexpensive, is eco-friendly (it can be removed from the coop/run, washed dried, and re-used), is a natural grit (do not use fine beach sand as it can sometimes impact chicks' crops), is easy to clean up (just some scooping every few days and an annual change), keeps chickens feet cleaned and nails manicured (cleaner feet means cleaner eggs, especially in rainy conditions), provides a natural dust bath, no decomposition is required in the compost pile (it's a great soil amendment to compost), it keeps coops cooler in the summer, and is an outstanding choice in winter as it evaporates moisture rapidly (reducing the risk of frostbite),
Raising chickens is a wonderful experience for children. My granddaughter (pictured in my avatar) loves our chickens. Please feel free to ask any other questions you may have. We are here to help in any way we can. Good luck in getting chickens.

 

[nj2wv]

welcome to BYC !!

 

[N F C]

Welcome to BYC!

Drumstick Diva and Michael O'Shay have given you some excellent tips on coop flooring. If you have more questions, feel free to ask.

It's nice to have you here!

 

[MagicPidge]

Okay, I have been wanting to have chickens for years and the kids have been asking. I have been noticing that most of the coups are built on a foundation of aggregate and sand as opposed to having the chickens on dirt/grass. Just curios why and where can I learn about that on this site?

I live in southern California in an urban medium sized city and only allowed chickens, no roosters. I realize I have much to learn from reading some posts.

Looking forward to this!

If you have a lawn I would highly recommend a chicken tractor (which has no base). Less mess to clean up.

The whole chicken coop foundation thing is probably due to some of the predators y'all have over in the States which can burrow under coops, chew through wires, etc. I've never had to worry about that myself, being from Australia, but I'd expect that to be the reason. The more secure the better?

At any rate, welcome to BYC!

 

[Ajax10]

Now that I have demonstrated that I am a total newbie having spelled "coop" wrong, (educated by one of my kids!), I am going to give this a try. Hopefully I won't have a real chicken "coup" on my hands if I don't build this right. Thanks for the starter info folks. To be continued....

 

[Ajax10]

Okay I'm back a year later. Time to get serious about the coup. I'm thinking about getting some real time feedback as I build this. Maybe we'll call it a BYC community project. I'll take whatever experienced input I can get. I'll take some pictures of my plot and post some ideas.