Floor help for small prefab coop please

[Oregonchix]

We have one of those prefab coops approx 3 ft x 6 ft and not very tall. It has no floor but we think we need one for predator control as well as cleaning ease. (The coop is inside a fenced run). Is hardware cloth recommended? Not sure if that is good for chickens to walk on. Should we nail it directly to coop floor or try to build some frame the coop sits on or ???? Have read about deep litter method but that doesn't seem practical in such a small coop as we couldn't allow much litter to accumulate due to space contraints. Perhaps setting on concrete blocks? Can't pour concrete foundation where we have coop.


Help! Chicks growing fast and we want to have everything ready for when they go outside!

 

[blucoondawg]

I would frame a floor of wood 2x4s and cover with treated plywood and screw the coop to it

 

[Oregonchix]

Plywood on ground sounds like a problem. Moisture? Cleaning??

 

[blucoondawg]

You would want to use treated wood, it doesn't rot, at least not in a very very long time, I wouldn't set it on the ground anyways I would put it on short legs or put concrete blocks under the corners and I am not suggesting simply laying a sheet of plywood on the ground, it would need a 2x4 frame under it just like any sturdy floor system. I have a 12x12 walk in shed type coop with a plywood floor, I didn't use treated because for a building that size 3/4 inch treated plywood is expensive, I used plain plywood and covered it with a healthy dose of boiled linseed oil and it is preserved quite well. It cleans up fine just shovel out the old bedding and add new. If you wanted to get crazy with your cleaning you could even mix up a light bleach solution and spray it all down and let it dry before adding new bedding however I don't see the point in doing that unless you get some serious illness problems. If you have proper ventilation you will not have a moisture issue inside the coop, maybe some water spillage around your waterer, that can be worked around. I have a plastic pan under mine.

You really don't "need" any floor, you say your coop is inside the run, so that is a plus as the predator first has to breech the run then dig into the coop, I would stick with the dirt floor as long as the run isn't in a low spot that will pool water, add a skirt of hardware cloth around the coop to discourage digging. If you don't want to do that your only other options are wood like I said or pour a slab, I would go with dirt before concrete personally.