Concrete floor coops

[CackleFruitCrnr]

For those of you with concrete floors in your coops, do you have a drain for water drainage when cleaning? If so where does it drain? Down into the ground or somewhere else? Also how do you keep rodents out and how do you prevent clogs? I plan on putting pine shavings over the cement.

Thanks!

 

[light-bright]

I can't give any advice but I'm also interested in the answer!

 

[wolfrosie]

I think the shavings are supposed to absorb most of the moisture but I can't say anything as I use a prebuilt chicken coop with a wooden floor… The coop's been stable for so many years so I assume the shavings is enough to prevent any mold from their waste. I sweep it regularly and have never noticed anything. In order for water to effectively drain you would have to have the water be able to be directed towards the drain… so I can't imagine it would really be all that effective considering you would have to put in a slant to actually lead water towards it. I'm not a professional architect though.
For keeping out rodents there's a couple things you could do depending on how you want your coop. If you put down cement so that the coop is elevated on top then rats will not be able to dig in it. But if you put walls around it they can chew up over the cement and then get inside. But you could also have the coop up off the ground, plant metal or a wire skirt, or put down gravel around it. Peppermint is also a deterrent but not really necessary if your coop is already rat proofed. Just depends on how you want it really.

 

[CackleFruitCrnr]

Wolfrosie, where did you get your pre-built coop?

 

[Howard E]

In the traditional chicken house with concrete floor, it did not have drains. The slab itself was poured on top of the foundation footings, with a gravel back fill beneath it. The gravel backfill also had drain tile in it (under the slab) to eliminate any moisture from coming up from below. They did not use a moisture barrier, but you could. Essentially, the floor was elevated above the surrounding dirt, so the elevation kept it dry. They wanted their concrete floor dry as a bone.

Either they did not have the resources to flush/hose it out, or never saw the need to. Most moisture created by the birds went out the door with the litter, or if well ventilated as it's supposed to be, evaporated and drifted out the window.

 

[Folly's place]

My coop is on an old building foundation, with a damaged/ broken concrete floor. It's a nice coop, but definitely NOT able to be hosed out or really scrubbed down. I shovel out the shavings a few times every year, sweep out the cobwebs, and call it good. My flock is not managed on a commercial all-in and all-out basis, but rather with additions and subtractions as time goes on, so it works for me. I do think a drain in the floor would be difficult to manage with the bedding. Mary

 

[CackleFruitCrnr]

Great info Mary! Thank you so much! The more I try to wrap my brain around the drain the more it just doesn't work. My coop will be the same...small number of ladies, adding and subtracting as necessary. Just seems a concrete base would be cleaner.

Thanks again!!

 

[wolfrosie]

Oh, when I said "prebuilt" I meant the building was already built on the property. I don't know exactly how old it is but I know it's been there for at least 3 years before I moved here. It's not really rat proof but the chickens only get as much food as they will eat for the day and I keep it tidy, so rats are not interested in setting up shop in there even with my neighbours who like leaving their garbage everywhere… Haven't had any problems and hopefully it stays that way.

 

[welby1205]

Mine is on concrete that was already there. It's on a slope a bit, but it's going along just fine. We will be using sand in the coop, and no, there won't be any drainage in there. Any gaps between the wood and concrete will be sealed to keep moisture out.



And the girls are always going in there when they are out, lol. But now with the door I think they will be upset that they can't. I'm so ready for them to go in there!

 

[CackleFruitCrnr]

Very nice! What will you seal the cracks with?