Duck Coop--Bottom??

[nmr]

I'm going to be building a new duck coops to separate my drakes and their girls. I'm thinking about doing the coops without a solid bottom. I was thinking I'd attach hardware cloth to the bottom and bury it---I just don't know if this is a dumb idea or not.

Thoughts?

thanks!

 

[Aunt Angus]

I understand what you're thinking. The issue is that hardware cloth breaks down rather quickly when buried (in my experience).

Can I ask why you're thinking of going without a solid floor?

 

[nmr]

I understand what you're thinking. The issue is that hardware cloth breaks down rather quickly when buried (in my experience).

Can I ask why you're thinking of going without a solid floor?

Mostly to save on wood and get a new coop built quicker. I was also thinking about experimenting with deep litter.

 

[raingarden]

Good drainage is, by far, the most important thing in a duck house. Buried wire will rust through in short order. If it becomes exposed there will be sharp little pieces of wire everywhere and you will be digging it all up.

 

[ruthhope]

My coop has hardware cloth for its bottom and I like it as it drains well. I use it to keep out predators: my son has had a raccoon try and fail to dig under his tractor to get to his ducks. After two failed attempts one night to dig under in two places, the raccoon has not returned.

The hardware cloth is not buried in soil -- which in our cases is very sandy. My coop and my son's tractor are on top of the soil. But the hardware cloth is buried by the deep layer bedding. When I dig out the bedding in the spring, I will renew the hardware cloth if needed.

 

[KaleIAm]

The issue is that hardware cloth breaks down rather quickly when buried (in my experience).

Does it? Dang. I've got hardware cloth outside underground beneath our aviary and as a skirt. Approximately how long does it last?

 

[citymeetscountry]

Does it? Dang. I've got hardware cloth outside underground beneath our aviary and as a skirt. Approximately how long does it last?

I’m wondering if they mean that chicken wire deteriorated quickly. Almost everything I’ve read recommends hardware cloth as an apron, I feel like if it deteriorated quickly that wouldn’t be the recommendation?

 

[citymeetscountry]

We just built a drake house without a bottom. It’s an A frame with a buried predator apron. The other duck house has buried chicken wire with lots of straw on top for the floor. We have rocks around the main duck house.

 

[Aunt Angus]

Does it? Dang. I've got hardware cloth outside underground beneath our aviary and as a skirt. Approximately how long does it last?

Oh - it's fine for a skirt. A skirt is easier to replace if it breaks down. It takes years, but it would be under the coop, which would be much harder to replace. I had it under my first coop, and it got kinda rusty after just 1 year (I saw where it was attached to the bottom of the coop - hard to explain). Maybe it was because of the way my land drained or my soil? Idk.

 

[Scobie Ducks n Such]

They do make alternate bottom materials available more easily like costed hardware cloth or hard plastic ware or resin with holes...