Coop Floor?

[ssramage]

Thanks to everyone for the help on picking/modifying a coop. We should be having it built in the next week or so.

My next question is around the floor of the coop/run. Based on the design of this coop, I can see the floor becoming a nasty, muddy mess if I'm not careful.

Starting from scratch, what would you do? How and how often would you maintain?

Thanks for all insight. Still pretty new to this.

 

[SueT]

Our coop floor is wooden planks, and has not become nasty muddy at all after about 4 yrs. I keep shavings in there at least 3" deep, and when I sweep it out the floor looks fine. You might also consider putting sweet PDZ over the floor it absorbs odor and moisture. Our coop is 5' X 9' and we have 10 chickens.

 

[Shadrach]

Thanks to everyone for the help on picking/modifying a coop. We should be having it built in the next week or so.

My next question is around the floor of the coop/run. Based on the design of this coop, I can see the floor becoming a nasty, muddy mess if I'm not careful.

Starting from scratch, what would you do? How and how often would you maintain?

Thanks for all insight. Still pretty new to this.

A lot depends on how much time your chickens are going to spend in the coop.
The chickens here are out of the coop all day unless they are laying.
I used sheet plywood for the build, including the floor. I don't put any bedding as such on the floor, only in the nest boxes. I've found a bare floor makes poop inspection a lot easier, especially if you know where a particular chickens roosts.
There are some pictures of the type of coops I build in my coop page.
I clean in rotation, 5 living coops in all and 2 others used for isolation. So, on average they get cleaned out (full strip out, floor scraped and brushed) once a week on average.

 

[ssramage]

Sorry, just to clarify, the coop being built does not have a permanent floor at all. So it will be dirt or some covering over the dirt.

 

[SueT]

Well you want to protect the chickens from predators digging under the walls, and a floor provides that.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Just so we are all clear......

Coop=enclosed portion where they sleep and lay eggs
Run=exposed area where confined birds spend the day

In the picture you posted I DO see that the coop has no floor.
Have you read up on "deep litter"? It is what many with dirt floors do.

 

[ssramage]

Just so we are all clear......

Coop=enclosed portion where they sleep and lay eggs
Run=exposed area where confined birds spend the day

In the picture you posted I DO see that the coop has no floor.
Have you read up on "deep litter"? It is what many with dirt floors do.

Correct. My coop and run are all dirt floor.

I have read some on deep litter, and that's kind of where I was going with my question.
My initial thoughts was to lay cinder blocks along the foundation to raise the coop about 8" and then do deep litter in the entire run and coop.

I'd put either wire or boards on the ground to protect from predators. Then a ton of pine shavings/leaves/hay/etc to give me 6" or so of bedding throughout.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Putting boards is essentially making a floor.

I do have floors in my coops. I find them easy to maintain.

Adding wire can create problems if it is where chickens are walking. The wire will degrade over time and chickens can get some nasty injuries to the feet when scratching about where wire is below.

I would do an external apron of wire to keep critters out.

 

[Acre4Me]

Correct. My coop and run are all dirt floor.

I have read some on deep litter, and that's kind of where I was going with my question.
My initial thoughts was to lay cinder blocks along the foundation to raise the coop about 8" and then do deep litter in the entire run and coop.

I'd put either wire or boards on the ground to protect from predators. Then a ton of pine shavings/leaves/hay/etc to give me 6" or so of bedding throughout.

Sounds great! Raise it up a bit on blocks to keep the wood drier. Depending on type of block, you will want to prevent any voids from becoming mouse/rat hidey-holes.

And while I don’t think this would be a common issue , a BYC poster posted awhile back that the cinder block they had placed their waterer on became a death trap to a chicken. I guess chicken had tried to get in it/go through to the other side but got stuck and died.

Lots of mixed material of various sizes for deep litter.

 

[aart]

I would do an external apron of wire to keep critters out.

Yes!
Going around the concrete blocks might be tricky, but it can be done,
need to find an example of that.
Good examples of anti-dig apron installation:
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1110498/wire-around-coop#post_17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208