Covering a Wooden Floor in Coop

[PhenixJiRa]

I have a 4'x7' coop off the ground so probably 4' tall from floor to ceiling.
In my smaller coop, I used poop boards but this coop is too long for me to do that without spilling the poop and knocking into things (there are 2 roosting bars and no way to know where they will roost each night so I can't just put boards where they 'might' go).

Currently, I have pine shavings in there trying the deep litter method. It didn't work last year because I only had 4 hens and other factors. I was thinking to try it year because I have four hens and five pullets (so I'll have 9 hens).

My issue is that the pullets are in there all the time scratching and kicking it out the hatch door or into the nesting boxes so I'm always needing to rake it around and smooth it out. I'm not sure how that will work with keeping smells down if I'm not able to 'layer' the pine shavings over the old shavings.

Will they get bored with this and stop (the hens don't do this as much)?
Should I just let the poop drop on the wooden floor and scrap it out every day or two?
Is there something else to put in there that isn't a big hassle?
I know some people use sand but I assumed that was on the floor of a shed-like coop rather than one like mine?

I'm over thinking this, I'm sure but I want to be prepared for this coming winter.

Thanks!!

 

[Debbie292d]

We've always used horse bedding pellets for years. We lay them about 2" thick on the floor and if chickens poop on them, they dry them out, thus making the coop dry and odor free. It may be worth trying those or at least buy 1 bag and see what you think.

We change them once a year, in the spring. We clean the coop and put it around trees, flower beds, garden, and in the compost bins.

 

[Debbie292d]

We've always used horse bedding pellets for years. We lay them about 2" thick on the floor and if chickens poop on them, they dry them out, thus making the coop dry and odor free. It may be worth trying those or at least buy 1 bag and see what you think.

We change them once a year, in the spring. We clean the coop and put it around trees, flower beds, garden, and in the compost bins.

If you would be getting big piles of poop every night, you may want to bring a hoe or big stick in there to just stir those areas every few days.

 

[PhenixJiRa]

We've always used horse bedding pellets for years. We lay them about 2" thick on the floor and if chickens poop on them, they dry them out, thus making the coop dry and odor free. It may be worth trying those or at least buy 1 bag and see what you think.

We change them once a year, in the spring. We clean the coop and put it around trees, flower beds, garden, and in the compost bins.

That’s interesting. I didn’t know about this product. So I can lay it out inside my coop and it will act like the pine shavings only better and drier?

 

[Debbie292d]

That’s interesting. I didn’t know about this product. So I can lay it out inside my coop and it will act like the pine shavings only better and drier?

Guaranteed! If it gets wet, it turns to sawdust but is still effective. Just try a bag or two and see what you think. We do not touch ours for a year. If the hens molt and feathers build up in there, we use a leaf blower.

 

[RaesChicks]

We've always used horse bedding pellets for years. We lay them about 2" thick on the floor and if chickens poop on them, they dry them out, thus making the coop dry and odor free. It may be worth trying those or at least buy 1 bag and see what you think.

We change them once a year, in the spring. We clean the coop and put it around trees, flower beds, garden, and in the compost bins.

Someone at tractor supply recommended this. How do you scoop the poop out? Is it safe to leave in there for longer periods of time? I’m running through 1-2 bags of flakes a week for my 12 hens in a 32sq ft coop and it takes me forever to clean it out.

 

[Debbie292d]

Someone at tractor supply recommended this. How do you scoop the poop out? Is it safe to leave in there for longer periods of time? I’m running through 1-2 bags of flakes a week for my 12 hens in a 32sq ft coop and it takes me forever to clean it out.

You don't scoop the poop out, ever. It dehydrates it. It turns to sawdust eventually, and that's when you'd replace it. It takes ours a year to get to that state though. You could walk in our coop barefoot right now, though I wouldn't do that in case there's a fresh one.

 

[Chickenclaude]

This is my 3 rd year using deep liter method. Every couple weeks I use a hoe to stur up the stuff on the floor(adding oxygen) and top cover it w new pine chips. It’s pretty deep now like 6-8”. I won’t clean it out until late spring. I just use tarps and hoe it on to them. Very little odor.
I use boards at the doorways to raise the edge and keep it in.

 

[PhenixJiRa]

This is my 3 rd year using deep liter method. Every couple weeks I use a hoe to stur up the stuff on the floor(adding oxygen) and top cover it w new pine chips. It’s pretty deep now like 6-8”. I won’t clean it out until late spring. I just use tarps and hoe it on to them. Very little odor.
I use boards at the doorways to raise the edge and keep it in.

Hi! This is what I would like to do. I am able to raise it in the door way but can’t go any higher for their hatch door which is at about 3 inches. So that means I can’t get to the nice 6-8” of shavings and that seems to be the key?

Question for you… I end up stirring every couple days or using a scoop to take out the top layer otherwise they step in it and take that into their nesting box. Do you not have that issue?

Currently it’s been in their maybe 3 weeks and I’ve stirred it and removed stuff and it’s now starting to get that slight ammonia smell (I’ve added much more ventilation).

 

[Chickenclaude]

This is my 3 rd year using deep liter method. Every couple weeks I use a hoe to stur up the stuff on the floor(adding oxygen) and top cover it w new pine chips. It’s pretty deep now like 6-8”. I won’t clean it out until late spring. I just use tarps and hoe it on to them. Very little odor.
I use boards at the doorways to raise the edge and keep it in.

I also raised the sides of the nesting boxes to keep stuff in. Yes they kick the stuff all over. I just add clean pine shavings so the eggs stay clean. In addition, if a nesting box seems dirty, I will dump that on to the floor and change the shavings in that box. I now have 8” of railing at the doors and 4” that they step over to get into the nesting box. If the eggs are clean, and no ammonia smell that’s good enough for me.