Ex carport coop

[Retvi]

I have my seven hens in what used to be a covered carport. (Their outdoor run will be done this spring.) The problem is that it has a dirt floor. So, the walls, 'furniture', and their water are always COVERED in dirt! I mean, the light colored walls are brown! What would be the best way to have the floor so this won't happen? Cement? Some sort of plant?

 

[Cluky]

Sand? I covered my coop floor with sand, on top of cement. And during winter "insulated' with straw. I love that setup.

 

[3riverschick]

Sand? I covered my coop floor with sand, on top of cement. And during winter "insulated' with straw. I love that setup.

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River sand,not playgrund sand. River sand is cheaper and doesn't have as much silica in it.
Best,
Karen

 

[gryeyes]

When I bought my house/property in April, 2011, there was one of those carports (laughingly called a garage in the realty description) - the property inspection report recommended either major repairs or simple demolition.

It's been transmorgrified into my 20 X 17 coop. A front wall was built with a people door; Dutch style. Two large, wide ladder roosts were built and installed, on sets of hinges so I can pull them up to clean under them, if I so desire.

The floor is dirt, although there is a solid concrete foundation under the three wall sides. The front wall is built on buried railroad ties. My contractor ran (better) electricity and water to the coop. He also installed the automatic chicken pop door I purchased. He thought it was pretty clever.

First, I hang two large, metal feeders from the rafters on chains or wire cable. All the way down to six inches off the floor for the bantams. I have two other PVC feeders I built set in corners so there's a source of feed for lower ranking birds which bossy hens might keep from a favored feeder.

The auto-waterer is set on a board placed across two plastic milk crates into the corner nearest the Dutch door. There's a two-by-four on the floor making a barrier for the deep litter which is all over the rest of the coop.

Deep litter methods work best on dirt floors. My litter is now six inches deep in most places; it's time for me to add a few bales of pine shavings.

 

[schmism]

you can pack 1/4" minus gravel also known as chat. this will pack down hard when wetted. Another option is AG lime which will also pack down hard when wetted. Both are tradtional natural floorings for earth floor barns.

 

[Retvi]

Awesome! Thanks for the ideas. Pretty soon, you'll be able to tell that the walls are aqua, not brown!