Dirt floor over concrete, has anyone else done this?

[hayley3]

I predict that you will have dust from the dirt too.

I think that if you keep it dry, you will have quite a bit of dust no matter what bedding you use. Whether the dust will be worse one way than another, I'm not sure.

I cleaned my last barn one time in 13 years but I never had to clean inside the chicken coop or stall, as it were. But the ground was natural dirt.

Also I found this...https://www.thefeatherbrain.com/blog/toxic-chicken-coop-pine-shavings

 

[aart]

Also I found this...https://www.thefeatherbrain.com/blog/toxic-chicken-coop-pine-shavings

 

[ackie]

My floor is dirt (not dirt over concrete, just dirt) and it's very compact in some (most) places but our ground is also clay so I suspect that has something to do with it. I throw pine straw on it, which they definitely move around into piles like someone suggested yours would do with the dirt.

 

[KarynVA]

I cleaned my last barn one time in 13 years but I never had to clean inside the chicken coop or stall, as it were. But the ground was natural dirt.

Also I found this...https://www.thefeatherbrain.com/blog/toxic-chicken-coop-pine-shavings

You can find 'evidence' that anything is toxic on the internet. For example, are you certain there is no lead in your dirt? It could be toxic.

 

[Ninjasquirrel]

I hate shavings..after having lived with them for a year, the dust is awful....I have a 24x24 garage and I gave the chickens a 16x16 area in that with an attached lean-to of 9x24, but this is basically where they go when I am gone or it's raining...and to sleep. They can't use the lean to dust bathe in because it doesn't dry out enough (although I fixed the french drain that was there and extended it further out with a solid water pipe..I had no idea there was a french drain that ended under the lean-to.)
I'm gonna try the dirt, I just hope I don't have any major issues.

Let us know how it goes. As I stated I'd imagine it would get muddy but it will most certainly be an interesting experiment. Best of luck!!!

 

[hayley3]

You can find 'evidence' that anything is toxic on the internet. For example, are you certain there is no lead in your dirt? It could be toxic.

I can definitely say that pine shavings puts out a lot more dust...a lot more. We are cleaning up a years worth of a partial garage and it amazed me how bad it was. Just that alone makes me not want to use it.

 

[hayley3]

Let us know how it goes. As I stated I'd imagine it would get muddy but it will most certainly be an interesting experiment. Best of luck!!!

Yes I can't wait to compare them.

 

[aart]

We are cleaning up a years worth of a partial garage and it amazed me how bad it was.

A years worth of shavings is full of pulverized poop and well as spilled feed, pin feather sheathings.
What kind of shavings do you use?

 

[hayley3]

A years worth of shavings is full of pulverized poop and well as spilled feed, pin feather sheathings.
What kind of shavings do you use?

I use flaked pine shavings.
My chickens only roost inside at night, but granted there's a lot of poo where they roost. I only had pine shavings in the front half of the garage, which is why I've been working on their living arrangements.
I no longer feed them inside the coop because of the rats.... although I managed to eliminate those buggers for the time being.

 

[FlightyChicken]

I'm very close to ordering my dirt, so just wondered if anyone else has added dirt over a concrete floor?
I have always had my chickens in a pole barn with a dirt floor and loved it but I'm just wondering if I'm missing anything. I'm hoping the dirt will be the same but I think actual dirt hardens after it's been under a roof for so long, although chickens can still scratch it and make a dust bathing area, and not sure topsoil will do that.
I'm installing 6 inch pressure treated lumber around the perimeter to keep in the dirt and I'm planning the dirt height to be about 5 inches.
My pop door will be way above that.

I don't know if this would be helpful, But we have 2 barn stalls (Used to be for horses, now we use it for chickens ) and we have one with shavings, and one with hay on the bottom of the concreate. I would like to know what would happen with dirt, I would predict that your chickens would spill water and It would get muddy, but if possible tell me how this works out!