My wife and I are just getting ready to get started with chickens her in southern ohio, so we're starting to build a coop. Our birds will be free range and cooped up. I've been reading alot about coop flooring and I think I'm going to go with a raised, treated plywood floor- possibly coated with linoleum for easy cleanup. (will the birds peck and ruin the linoleum?)(is it okay to use treated wood?) Now- what to put on top of that? We've been hearing that pine shavings are the best, but we've also heard that the pine pellets are good to with less cleaning. The thing is, we plan on composting the waste and using it on our gardens. My history with pellets, is that it turns to sawdust, which then takes a long time to break down in compost to be able to be used in gardens due to the acid content. But then the pine shavings break down sooner, and are a lot better for gardens, but have to be cleaned out of the coop much sooner. I'm also trying to make a decision about insulating the coop? Can anyone help? Advice?
I used an exterior grade plywood, 3/4" for my coop's floor. I used a rubberized roof coat product (Blackjack #57)I got from Lowes, to cover and protect the floor. This stuff totally seals and protects the floor, and seals the gap where the floor meets the wall. It really becomes part of the floor. It has been down on my coop's floor for three years, and the last time I cleaned out the coop, it looks as good as the day I put it down. Vinyl and linolium tears and breaks down after a while in a coop. They moisture and other crud gets in between it and the wood floor, and nothing good can come from that. I use pine shavings in my coop. I do a total clean out twice a year. In between cleanings, I'll add a bag as needed as the shavings break down. I compost the waste. As far as insulation goes, I didn't insulate my coop because chickens already have perfectly good insulation themselves for the cold, and don't need any help from me. I can see the merits in insulating the roof, to help with summertime heat though. If you do insulate the walls of your coop, you will have to install interior walls. Otherwise the birds will just enjoy the heck out of shredding the insulation. Also, with interior walls install, you will have provided a nice hidden place for mice, bugs and who knows what else to set up housekeeping of their own. Jack
Our coop floor is raised 4" up off the ground and made of 1 x 6 wood planks with a generous layer of pine chips. 4 x 4s on the ground act as floor joists. The thin slits between the planks allow for spilled water from the water containers to drain. Most all of your poop will below your roosting bars. You can use poop boards and scrap them daily if you wish. I place my waterer and heat lamp below my poop board table to keep them clean. Any type of slick flooring would not be a good choice.
Plywood will work fine. Treated plywood will be ok if it is covered and chickens are not walking on it. I myself used cheap 7/16" OSB for my floor and then covered it with linoleum. No they won't peck off the linoleum. The untreated thin OSB I used for my floor is not really recommended since moisture from the underside will eventually rot the floor from the outside in. My coop is 4 years old and holding up fine. I suspect the floor will last a good long while even still. I am in SouthEast Michigan and I do not insulate my coop and the chicks are just fine. I used 1/4 OSB to cover my walls and then painted it. Don't over do it! Everyone wants to when they first start out, but it's really not necessary. Chickens are pretty darn hardy and only have the most basic of needs. Enjoy!
