coop floor

[vinegarhill73]

My coop has a plywood floor right now. i have not moved my chicks in yet. Can i use vinyl tiles or are they too slick? I really dont want to leave the plywood exposed.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Sure you can use linoleum flooring but needs to be covered with bedding like sand or shavings otherwise they may slip.

 

[21hens-incharge]

I painted mine with Porch and floor paint. I clean it every 2 weeks and so far so good at almost a year of chickens in it.
In my old coop I had linoleum and it worked well. It is a matter of choice IMO.

I do use pine shavings too. I forgot to mention that.

 

[KathrynOKC]

I like your idea about the vinal flooring, and so happen that was what I put into today. I'm currently building my coop and the timing couldn't have been more better for me to become a follower of BYC.

 

[Sonya9]

Vinyl is okay but it can also harbor bugs and mold underneath.

JackE did a thread on a roof sealant called blackjack 57 and a lot of folks here use it, I did and I love it. It seals every nook and cranny, is totally waterproof, not slippery, and extremely tough.

If you have free vinyl tiles sitting around they would probably be fine and you could pull them out and replace them later. If you plan to buy flooring just for the coop then I wouldn't use them, water and gunk will eventually seep inbetween the tiles.

 

[mib1]

It is best to use a floor or is it ok to have a dirt floor in the coop?

 

[21hens-incharge]

I have used both. I had a barn stall that I had made into a coop at one place I lived. It was not an issue except when a broody hen made a nest in the corner and a HUGE snake made its way underground and came up beneath her. Luckily I was in the coop doing some chores when it happened. The snake did not survive. The hen was shaken up but ok.
In my current coop I have a painted plywood floor and it is working very well. I have also used linoleum on the floor in a couple other coops. It is good in that it cleans easily. Over time moisture and bugs will find a home under it though.
I prefer the painted plywood. (I used porch and floor paint from Home Depot on the floor)
That's my 2 cents on it.

 

[vinegarhill73]

Im really new at this but I think it just depends on how easy you want the cleanup to be. With the tile, i think it'd be easy just to sweep it up and mop when needed. I was able to find a box of flooring for $15. But my coop is raised with a plywood flooring. If it weren't I'd be thinking differently.

 

[aart]

I used a single sheet of heavy duty foam backed vinyl flooring bent up the walls 6-10" and put DE underneath it all around the edges.
It is slippery with shavings, especially at first....but they get used to that and the slick surface wears down eventually.
I use a 2-6 inches of kiln dried large pine shavings and it keeps things dried up, but I have a poop board too, poops don't stick to the vinyl.
Change all the shavings out twice a year and send to compost.

I would not use tiles because any moisture spills(tipped over waterer) or overzealous wet cleaning(IMO completely unnecessary) will work it's way thru the seams and underneath.

 

[mib1]

Thanks everyone for all the input I'm getting ready to build a bigger coop and want to do it right.