Design Flaw?

[NeuseWorks]

I've now built 25-30 small coops/tractors for 2-10 chickens but I have never actually owned any myself. I will be getting 2-3 pullets in march and have been building my coop. In all the other coops I have built I have had solid wood floors, for some reason I got a wild hair and made the floor in my own coop out of 2" wide wood slats. The coop is on wheel/legs and sits 3-4 inches off the ground. Is having this open floor system going to be a problem?

Under Construction Pics> http://www.neuseworks.net/files/coop.html

Thanks, Chris.

 

[allen wranch]

Possible problems might be:
Predator turning tractor over and reaching inside.
If lots of rain, it might allow the inside to hold standing water.
Possibility for feet to catch between slats and cause injury.

 

[NeuseWorks]

I guess it's good that it only take 4 screws to remove the whole floor.

 

[V Chic Chick]

Reminds me of the eglu, but I agree with what Carla said.

 

[Cetawin]

Personally opinion...slats are potentially hazardous as Carla said. If a predator is trying to come after them they are going to freak and anything can happen at that point. I would go solid floor...

The coop plan I bought calls for a wire floor...I am putting a solid floor in it because I have heavy breeds and a wire floor is not that great for them.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Agree with others on feet hazard and the risk of grabbability if something wedges its way under there (also, it sounds pretty weasel-permeable to me).

Another consideration is, the Eglu only gets away with having a slatted wood droppings thingie b/c it's removeable. The poo will get all over the sides, not just the top, of the slats, and will be an enormous pain to keep clean. (you do NOT want to be screwing and unscrewing the floor every week, after a few weeks the screws will no longer hold).

If it were me I think I'd jsut go ahead and replace it with a solid plywood floor *now*, before it gets all chickeny. OTOH I suppose you could try covering the slats with a carefully-cut piece of stiff vinyl flooring or cardboard. The problem with cardboard is that unless you use a lot of bedding (and probably in places even if you do) it will get damp and soggy and start to collapse and even mold.

JMHO,

Pat