Coop Floor Question

[NaeNae]

I have been browsing through the images in the coop design section and I have noticed a lot of the coops are elevated. CDan I ask why the coops are off the ground? is it a space saving thing?

IF you had/do have your dream hen house .... would you used a cement slab base or have the entire coop elevated?

Basically I have a blank canvas so to speak. I LURVE one of the designs in the above mentioned section and am wondering whether it best to pour a slab or not.

Also (watch out dumb newbie question) whats the go with Lino? do the parasites etc get underneath?


Thanks

Nae x

 

[Mahonri]

Elevated coops can give more run space.

Slabs are good.

I have linoleum but I am in DRY Arizona. We sweep and mop the coop weekly.

Got 7 blue eggs today.

 

[Arielle]

You might want to use the search feature and find discussions about this. You are not the only one trying to decide. THe basic upshot is, do not concrete the run; coop? IT has good points and negative points. Probably the most important aspect is to have a flooring that can be cleaned and disinfected periodically. Hope this helps. I'm a newbie and still learning, too.

 

[elmo]

If you're building a small, "reach in" coop, it makes sense to elevate it so you don't have to bend over to access the inside of the coop. I personally don't see the point of putting a vinyl floor. I did paint the plywood floors of my coops with a couple coats of Kilz, then added bedding (sand, in my case). I never see the floor anymore, actually.

Perhaps if you're doing the deep litter method and the bedding gets soggy, a vinyl floor would better help protect the wood from rotting than simply a coating of paint.

 

[NaeNae]

I currently have a small coop and I just have straw/hay in there as its something we have plenty of just laying about the run is on grass and as its small its movable.

I guess my reason for asking is I am hoping to build a permanent structure that will withstand the elements AND be relatively low maintenance and create as little smell as possible. It will also need to be walk in size as I am already sick of bending (after a week

I have been admiring an open air fancy thing (sorry cannot recall the correct name of the coop) its MASSIVE which is basically what I am looking for but am wondering from a cleaning perspective what would be better.

As for flooring can someone please let me know the pros and cons for the types you use:

for example wood shavings, sand, straw etc etc

especially in times of crisis (needing to clean and dust for parasites).

Thanks so much again

Nae x

 

[jafo]

We currently use the "deep litter method" and it works well for our 8 Orpingtons in our 6 x 8 x 6 coop, we change it out twice a year, spring and fall, ,,,,HOWEVER, if we were to really get "into it" My "ultimate coop" would be a slab, with radiant heat, off a zone from my home, with it's own t-stat. 2-3 inches of sawdust on the floor. It would be 20 feet long, and 12 feet wide, 8 feet high at center with a 4-12 pitch. 2 x 4 construction, insulated, with paneling. 4 x 8 grain room, Lots of windows, great manual venting,12 interior nest boxes, 2 x 2 x 12, elevated, 2 feet, with a slant roof, elevated poop board under an 8 foot long, 3 rack roost, automatic pop doors (2), fans for air circulation on hot days, waterers, and lights, both heat lamps and regular lighting. (controlled by 3 way switches from the coop and our home) Design build kinda, but it would be an awesome coop for up to 40 large breed hens.

 

[GeneJordan]

We elevated ours only about 4 inches to keep rain water and other critters out...

 

[babyrnlc]

We started with ours elevated. We only wanted 4 chickens. When we decided we wanted 8, we enclosed the bottom part and made another coop. So we have one elevated and one on the ground. I actually prefer the one on the ground. It is a tractor and we move it. I have to put hay in the top and clean it out every day. IF I had it to do over and we knew we were getting 8, I would have just enclosed the whole thing and have it with no floor and not do it the way we did. We also have a portable detachable pvc run to go to it, so we may just eventually enclose the whole thing.

 

[greyhorsewoman]

We built a 10x10 elevated coop, because if we didn't do a 'permanent' structure, we didn't need a building permit. We enclosed a the back corner of our barn (with a concrete floor) as an additional 'coop.' The elevated one is easier to clean and keep predator free. But both are quite workable.

 

[JackE]

Mine is raised to lessen the chances of rats or other pests setting up house under there. You set the house right on the ground, You are asking for trouble. Also, setting a wooden framed structure right on the ground is asking for moisture/rot and dampness problems.
As far as the floor covering. I use a rubberized roof coat product that I got from Lowes. I have read that parasites can hide under the linolium or vinyl floor coverings. Then they craw out at night to feast on your chickens. The stuff I used seals the floor to wall seam. It is like a totally water proof membrane cover the floor.
Pouring concrete might be the best way. But it would also be one of the more EXPENSIVE ways tyo go. For me, elevated wood floor made the most sense.
Jack