Floor Material for Small Coop and Run

[dsbailey70]

True about the air, especially here in this part of SE Texas. I think that there are more refineries here than anywhere else...lol

 

[MrsCheekinLady]

@chicmom I'm sorry Hun I didn't mean to come off mean I was unsure if you meant play sand but you meant quarry sand. Makes sense now!!

 

[tridentk9]

Far better choices for your chicken keeping are: Brooder - pine shavings, Run - dirt, Coop - pine shavings or straw

Why is dirt better than sand? Wouldn't you have the same problems?

 

[dsbailey70]

I use shavings in my roost, nesting boxes, and will do so on the brooder setting up. Haven't yet decided about the floor of the coop and run.

Bottom Line: Concrete slab (with something on top of it), or keep the dirt floor as is?

 

[cree57i]

I have been using construction grade river sand and LOVE IT! We have red clay which does not drain so it is great in the run. Inside I just take a kitty litter scoop and lift out the poop. On the Poop boards, I use PDZ and it is awesome. I have few worries with bumblefoot because the sand is soft and keeps feet clean. They have a ready to use place for their dust baths. It is usually very humid here, so the sand does not mold like hay and is much easier to clean than pine shavings. In the nest boxes, all you have to do is brush the sand off and you have poop free eggs. Right now I don't want my coop any warmer than it has to be, so the sand helps keep it cooler. In the winter, I may do something different, but I am 100% happy with what I have for now. I have linoleum under my sand in the coop.

 

[Brenda8591]

I am new also, I live in Florida, so I have sand. My concern is how would you get the Oder out of the coop? I'm strongly considering a sloped concrete floor so I can wash it everyday. If the rain stops soon we will have the 4x4 s set today. My run is going to be about 8 x 12, and will be natural sand. I free range my 4 pullets and rooster out side the run, I live in a wooded area with lots of places for them to hide during the day. One more question if I may. I have two little red chickens that I got from Ace Hardware at Easter and all of a sudden they've decided they don't want to go to bed in the evening and we have to play chase, what should I do? ( do I need a few more hens for the rooster?).
Thank you for your time
Brenda

 

[faro]

We built a coop that we can pull to different pastures, so it has a grass floor. They have nesting bowed with straw. Is that okay?

 

[sumi]

We built a coop that we can pull to different pastures, so it has a grass floor. They have nesting bowed with straw. Is that okay?

That is perfect!

 

[faro]

Thank you for your encouragement! We are very new to this. Will they dig for dust to dust bathe or do I need to provide something? We got our first egg today

!

 

[MarinMom]

Similar to what others have said, I use river sand in my coop run. We are in Northern California and I like that I can soak the sand and it will stay cool. The girls love to dust bath. Haven't had issues with bugs., etc. but maybe I am not that astute. I use pine shavings for inside the coop (bottom is plywood). I am making a new coop for some new chickens next spring and intend to do plywood covered in linoleum.

As for rain, we don't get that much but do have times when the area "floods." I just direct the water elsewhere and it works out fine.