Construction wood

[Wendyfox9]

I don't have chickens yet, but I have the coup and am contemplating building a sort of lean-to for the food, water and a place for them to get in out of the rain and/or sun. I will keep them free range in my fenced back yard. What kind of wood do I make the floor out of so it doesn't rot, but they can peck on?

 

[DobieLover]

I don't have chickens yet, but I have the coup and am contemplating building a sort of lean-to for the food, water and a place for them to get in out of the rain and/or sun. I will keep them free range in my fenced back yard. What kind of wood do I make the floor out of so it doesn't rot, but they can peck on?

Can you post some pictures of your coop and the area you are thinking of putting a roof over?

 

[perkolator]

Raised floor or ground level?

If it’s protected with a roof or from lots of water/mud exposure, any wood (such as plywood) should be fine for years. Will last longer with something on it obviously.
If on the ground I’d consider simply using concrete pavers because they won’t rot and are easy to clean off. Chickens can peck on hard surfaces like concrete, it’s not like they’re going to wear their beaks down to nubs

 

[NatJ]

If you're worried about chickens eating the wood and poisoning themselves: they won't usually eat enough to cause trouble.

 

[Buckeye Amy]

Honestly if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would have preferred a dirt floor. I don't have any flooring issues until winter. When there's snow on the ground the girls refuse to go outside. And in NW Ohio, winter can be a long ordeal. All that wet poop piles up, and before I know it I've got a wet, stinky, horrible mess that is not pleasant to deal with in the dead of winter. If I had dirt floors, that moisture would drain in to the dirt floor.

As it is, I have a wood floor with a 3/8" conveyor belt covering it. I work at a conveyor belt factory so it's free for me. However, it is as slick as a greased pig on a butter slide if it gets wet. So of course I put pine shavings down on top of the belting. But still the aforementioned poo in the winter sits on it and never drains.

I recommend you think about the conditions you will be dealing with throughout the year before you decide on a floor. Once it's in, it's pretty permanent.