Dirt Floor?

[DawnSuiter]

Quote:
I have several sand floors on dirt. I think they work GREAT until you want to do a deep cleaning, which I didn't want to do for over a year. But now, I'm left with the feeling that I can't really get those coops clean, unless I completely shovel them out including a few inches of the "dirt" underneath (which in my case is clay)

This spring, we will be removing the largest portion of the sand floors (river sand or course construction sand w/pebbles), laying down a THICK coat of driveway gravel, and then sprinkling heavily quick-crete all over the rock & watering it down to make a "chip" concrete floor. Something that can be hosed down, sanitized if need be.

I added large rocks to one of the coops already and it is SO MUCH Better even for the sand to just sit on gravel/rock instead of dirt.

In the beginning, I used woodchips too for everything, but dirt/clay & organic materials just make for compost, and I did not like the effect of a composting bottom layer.

My suggestion would be as follows if you really dont' have any money even for a chip floor

A layer or two of black 6mil plastic goes down first to make a "pool liner", then fill it up with whatever you like, wood chips for instance as you suggested. In this way, the woodchips should not become "one" with your dirt floor. And then in the spring you can haul the entire thing out, see if it worked for you, and repeat or try adding a floor, concrete or whatever strikes your fancy.

 

[scooter147]

I had dirt floors for years and they work well. keep a generous layer of straw or shavings in the building. Rake out 3 or 4 times a year as needed.
Potential problems. 1. Drainage. Hopefully the water drains away from the building on all four sides, if it doesn't it will prevent problems of a muddy coop. If it doesn't a simple trench in the problem area away from the coop generally will solve the issue.
2. predators. A dirt floor can invite predators to dig under the walls to get at the birds. I simple buried 18 inches of hardware cloth around my coops and never had a problem with digging prdeators. Although they did try they left holes up to the point of reaching the hardware cloth.

 

[Sissy]

I have 2 coops on dirt and the other 2 are on plywood floor
and the wood is best for me much easier to clean,using Deep litter method
so now I will try the straw over the dirt as I have been reading
here on Byc it seems to have good end results for dirt floors yesterday we had
we had a nice warm day today its rain again
so it will be ol muddy again.

 

[Crunchie]

If I'm understanding correctly, the building you have is pretty much weatherproof? In that it's going to stay dry, regardless of the elements outside? If so, dirt will work just fine if you go the deep litter route. A layer of sand over the top of the dirt would probably be nice, but not necesssary.

Most of my breeding pens are in 72' X 24' (?? guess-timation on the depth) metal building that is open completely on one side. I live in MD where the winters are mild, and the open side faces south--it stays dry no matter what. The building has a dirt floor that is somewhat loose and a little bit sandy. I use a good layer of pine shavings on top of the dirt. Every couple of weeks I rake over the top to remove the big stuff--big poo and feathers, etc.--then just put a light layer of fresh shavings down. Once or twice a year I rake everything out and start over again. It works just fine--the bedding stays dry and it is easy. I use stall dry underneath when I do a total cleaning, and I periodically sprinkle poultry dust on the floor when I rake the bedding over.

I was told that having a dirt floor makes mites & other pests more of a problem. I don't know if this is true or not, but I do have to be diligent about keeping up with mites, more so with the birds that live inside than the ones that live outside and free range. Also, the loose dirt floor is easy to dig under--we have to keep chicken wire around the perimeter of the pens to keep critters out. My smaller breeding pens and chick brooders have complete wire bottoms (on the dirt, with shavings on top of the wire just like the larger pens, so that the birds are still "on the ground") to keep predators out.

I think that you could have a nice set up with a nice large building like that.

Good luck!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Dirt is a perfectly reasonable floor, esp. for a big building like that, assuming it does not flood in thawy or stormy weather.

The biggest challenge is predatorproofing against things that dig. A generous-sized and heavy-gauge wire apron, like you might use around a run fence, will do a good job vs dogs and skunks and suchlike... but if you have ANY rats around, that requires a bit more work since they are such incredibly motivated and skilled diggers (and also smaller-caliber bodies). For rats, honestly unless the building is on a several feet deep concrete foundation I'd suggest burying hardwarecloth vertically, 2' deep all around the outside of the building with the upper part tied well to the wall (and flashing to prevent them from gnawing through the lower part of the wall). You might want to rent a ditchwitch for that, you'll end up with the trench a couple feet away from the actual base of the wall but that's better for the building's structural stability anyhow, just bend the upper portion of the buried fence towards the wall so that it can connect.

(e.t.a. - hmmm, if this was a hog barn maybe it DOES already have a concrete foundation under the walls, to keep the hogs *in* if nothing else? If so, you are golden, just fix the wiring and any bad boards and there ya go

)

Good luck, have fun, sounds like a great opportunity!

,

Pat

 

[ARose4Heaven]

We bought this place 3 years ago, and are just now getting around to finding out what works and what is useless.

Yes, I believe my building was once used for farrowing, so the sides are all hinged for ventilation, and ringed on the inside with huge thick old lumber that is probably worth a small fortune. It still has the original exhaust fan in it, but it has a bird nest in it, so will have to wait until the electric is reconnected to find out if it works. It is surrounded on at least 2 sides by concrete, so I need only be concerned about rodents on 2 sides. The floor is the most beautiful black dirt I have ever seen, and it will be weatherproof as soon as I replace 4 sheets of plywood on the end walls. I even have a water hydrant right beside the building, now, if we can just figure out where the valve is to turn it on... LOL I always put electric fence around my chicken houses, 2 strands to keep dogs and other small vermin out.

You all have made me feel much better about the building I have. I am really anxious to get started on this project. Sitting here in my cozy old farm house, listening to the ice and tree limbs skiddle down my metal roof. Gotta love Iowa.

 

[jacktheknife]

Fellow Poultry Enthusiast's,


I have a friend from 1959,
{the fourth grade}
who is the manager of the 'Aggie Feed Store'.
Randy deals poultry every day and 'he knows every thing'.

Randy says 'dirt, dirt, dirt' should be the flooring for poultry
because they pick up little disease organisms and 'get used to them' gradually.
And they are naturally innoculated from that paticular disease from then on.
Where as if they are raised on wire or wood they do not develop this natural immunity.
And when they are exposed to a disease germ, they just die.

I can't believe the pictures of 'chicken houses' with wooden floors.
With window boxes full of flowers.
They all look like houses and chickens don't live in houses.
Chickens don't live inside, they live outside.

The wooden floors are pretty but they are not for raising poultry.

Wire, concrete, anything but dirt and 'Randy say's'
your poultry will not develop natural immunity to disease and they'll all die.


Dirt!


Thank you...


J. Winters von Knife

{See the picture of my 'Show Coop' on the last page of my web site...}

http://jacksknifeshop.tripod.com/

 

[woolychicken]

I Have A Dirt Floor For My Chickens. My Sheep Live In That Area Before I Made It Into A Chicken Coop. They Have Pack The Dirt Down Like Cement. I Use Straw And Keep My Coop Cleaned Out Every Other Week. I Do Not Have A Thck Layer Of Straw On The Floor . I Am Always Worried About The Amoina Smell That Can Build Up Plus The Effects On Their Health If Exposed To Un Cleaned Condidtions I Bleach Off My Roost When The Temp Recah Over 50 Degrees And My Nesting Box Get Cleaned Out At Least Once Or Twice A Month . I Have Put Down Some Sand In Places. Next Year I Hope To Put A Place For Them Ot Take A Dirt Bath. But Untill Then When We Can, They Go Out Side And Enjoy The Few Days Of Above 30 Degrees Michigan Winter Weather
Good Luck On Your New Coop
Thewooley Chicken