Concrete - good or bad run floor?

[sraduil]

We are evaluating the best location for our first chicken coop. We have a slab of concrete back by our shed (which has electric and water access already). The location is perfect for a coop (thinking the size for about 8-10 egg layers). I'm thinking that the concrete is not a good flooring for their run, but would work for the coop foundation. Is there anything I could put down on the concrete to make it work for their run or part of their run? Or should I just give up on that idea, and design a run that goes onto the grass? Thanks in advance!

 

[dsboyce]

We are using a concrete floor covered with a thick layer of straw. It seems to work well and it's easy to clean.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[chfite]

Concrete would be easy to clean, but I would not spend money to install concrete. Dirt with sand works quite well and is self-cleaning.

Chris

 

[S1ilkieGirl99]

concrete in my experience is the best flooring to prevent predators such as foxes from digging. it also keeps the chickens claws nice and short, sparing the worry of trimming them. I would put some green in the coop though if you don't let the chickens roam free - grass and other green food is good for their diet, and also makes life more interesting

 

[RuanMac]

I'm trying to decide on this myself. My area has fox and Coyote as main preditors with raccoon and mice/rat as secondary. Digging is a big concern for me and I'm leaning toward concrete for main run, and sand for secondary.

 

[Folly's place]

I had an old concrete foundation with a damaged concrete floor, and that's where my coop and run are located. Love it! Nobody can dig in, and it works fine for me. I put rubber stall mats over the coop floor, and use deep wood chip litter. The mats made shoveling it out easier, and helped control dampness. The run area gets chips also, just not deep. Mary

 

[ChickenTonight]

I am in process of making a chicken run on concrete floor. I have made a besser block wall and will soon fill it with soil. This way I can maintain landscaping in the run. I have concreted lumber in the blocks that holds the net for the area. My chicken coop is mobile so it can sit in the run. I will upload a photo once done.

 

[sraduil]

Thanks everyone! I'm now excited that we already have the concrete slab for the run.

 

[K9Dave]

Seemed to work out pretty good. I'm not in the market to build a solid run as we are re ting but when I saw the subject, I couldn't help but look for future plans. We are hoping to build a cabin one day and a concrete floored run and coop area will def be a must. I'm a blacksmith so a welded frame, animal wire area to protect from predators is my future plan I think. Thanks very much for asking the question. That's why this place is so valuable.