Dirt Floor?

[mossy_oak23]

I currently have a dirt floor in my coop. I put straw on the floor once a week but the floor gets wet just because its a dirt floor and my chickens are roughing it in there coop. Is it bad to have a wet floor? Is there something you can suggest putting on it or should i just put a piece of plywood down? Negatives to using a plywood floor? Thanks.

 

[mossy_oak23]

i have 6 chickens that are a cross with a meat bird so they are always eating and always crapping if it matters.

 

[miss_thenorth]

Why is it wet? If it is constantly wet, that is not a good thing--then you need to address drainage issues, and plywood will not fix that. If it is just because it has been raining lately, then keep up with keeping it dry, and replace straw as often as needed. Also shavings absorb more, straw just kinda lay on top. a wet floor will eventually bring mold.

 

[mossy_oak23]

I found some mold today by there waterer and shoveled it out right away. im not exactly sure why its wet. Its really moist in the air here lately and the whole field the coop is in has wet mushy soil.

 

[crazyhen]

It got really wet here too. I have a dirt floor in part of my coop which I intend this week to address. It is clay and the moisture seeps up through it in rainy weather even though there is good drainage. I am going to put a raised floor with plywood and linoleum in it. I have a second section that I have wire and loads of sand in. It also works well. I do like the ease of cleaning of the linoleum area is the reason I am switching over. Then in rainey weather it will stay dryer. If I want sand or wood chips I can use them on the linoleum as well for then to dust in. Gloria jean

 

[mossy_oak23]

when you say raised you mean you are just putting a piece of ply wood on deck blocks or bricks to get it off the wet ground? I find whenever i set something on my floor it just molds underneath.

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I use the deep litter method on my dirt floor.
I keep dumping shavings in from my DD Guinea Pig cages and the chickens keep grinding it down to dust. Twice a year we shovel it out for our gardens. I let ours free range though and they only stay in there at night or go in to lay eggs.
I do take a potato rake and move the manure around from under the roosting poles about once a week. They turn most everything else. I can not imagine how nasty it would be without shavings in there, not to mention what it would do around the foundation of my coop.
There are 70 +/- standard chickens in there at night. It measures 10X14.
The floor is not wet unless we get torrential downpours and it has flooded a time or two. Nothing like watching the feeder go floating by! Ah, country life!

 

[mossy_oak23]

would putting saw dust and shavings collected from a saw dust collecting machine (

not sure the real name) be beneficial to add to the floor?

 

[mossy_oak23]

Quote:
anyone know about using saw dust???? I have 2 full garbage bags currently at the curb for pickup that I can use if its not a bad idea.

 

[Mezaz]

We raised broilers and they never seem to eat anything other than their feed. So the sawdust should be ok. But broilers are incredibly dim so you may want to watch them. If you have a dirt floor definitely go with the deep litter and don't use hay or straw! I have tried to use those for the past 5 years and it's hold moisture really well, but that's not a good thing in a coop. Do the shavings and fill up like 12 inches and keep adding. When it gets a wet spot or crusty spot give it a turn like compost. If your chickens will scratch for seed sprinkle some on the litter every few days and let them turn everything up for you.