Floor of coop

[Agregg390]

Hi y’all! We are new chicken owners. My husband built a chicken tractor and I had a question. The inside of the coop looks like this. We noticed they weren’t roosting so we put a temporary floor with some shavings and they huddle in a corner at night. Right now they aren’t coming out of the coop ( I’m assuming because it’s 40 degrees) and looks like the image I posted. My question is is it ok to have the bottom just exposed wire? We live in TN for weather reference. We have the wire outside of the coop as well. And will have an electric fence for night time. But is that flooring a bad idea for chickens. They are currently 8 weeks old. TIA.

 

[mcdze]

thats all ive ever used is 1/2" mesh, and i spray it out daily, 1" chicken wire would stay cleaner but in the past ive had predators get under it and able to grab their feet, 1/2" is safer .. i made a 'ladder' leading up to the top roost, just pieces of plywood screwed to a 2x4 ..

 

[aart]

The inside of the coop looks like this.

So that's not a pic of your coop?
Would help to have pics of your actual coop.

Right now they aren’t coming out of the coop ( I’m assuming because it’s 40 degrees)

40°F shouldn't be too cold, unless brisk wind is blowing right on them.
How long have they lived in the coop?

We live in TN for weather reference.

Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[Agregg390]

So that's not a pic of your coop?
Would help to have pics of your actual coop.


40°F shouldn't be too cold, unless brisk wind is blowing right on them.
How long have they lived in the coop?


Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!
View attachment 3477060

That is a picture of our coop. They’ve only been out for 4 days. There also was a rain storm last night. Thanks for showing how to update location I’ll get that fixed.

 

[Ridgerunner]

We noticed they weren’t roosting They are currently 8 weeks old.

While I have had some brooder raised chicks start sleeping on the roosts at 5 weeks, most of them don't start sleeping on the roosts until 10 to 12 weeks of age. Some people would be out there putting them on the roosts at night to train them to roost but I don't see any reason to do that when they will figure it out by themselves eventually.

Right now they aren’t coming out of the coop
They’ve only been out for 4 days.

Sometimes when I first open the pop door every chicken is on the ground outside within 15 minutes. Sometimes it is three days. Once again, I don't worry about it. When they are ready they will go outside.

 

[mcard]

Newbie, have just gotten 3 hens almost a year old that are roosting on the pine shavings bedding instead of the roost, is there a problem with them roosting on the bedding? Have an A-frame coop.

 

[Ridgerunner]

is there a problem with them roosting on the bedding?

Not as far as I'm concerned. Chicks in a brooder sleep on the brooder floor without being harmed. My broody hens take their chicks to bed on the coop floor bedding. It does not hurt them. Some adult chickens sleep on the coop floor. I'm thinking specifically of Silkies that can't fly. Some Silkies will roost if they can get to them but some are quite content to sleep on the floor.

 

[mcard]

Not as far as I'm concerned. Chicks in a brooder sleep on the brooder floor without being harmed. My broody hens take their chicks to bed on the coop floor bedding. It does not hurt them. Some adult chickens sleep on the coop floor. I'm thinking specifically of Silkies that can't fly. Some Silkies will roost if they can get to them but some are quite content to sleep on the floor.

I read that parasites and bacteria could be a problem from roosting on the bedding, but you can get many answers on the internet? I will keep the bedding changed often, I do have roost but not tall because of my coop being an A-Frame, I could put a partial cover on the run end and add another roost that would be higher than the one inside the coop end ????

 

[mcard]

 

[Ridgerunner]

Yeah, you can read anything on the internet and never forget, this forum is on the internet.
If there are parasites or bacteria in the bedding your chickens have already been exposed. They are going to lay in that bedding during the daytime. What's the difference?

There probably are bacteria in that bedding since it is on the ground. Healthy soil contains bacteria. Parasites harmful to chickens are a lot more rare than some people would have you believe. I raise mine for meat. When I butcher chickens I look in the guts for roundworms or tapeworrms, haven't found any yet. I regularly inspect for mites and lice. I haven't found any yet in my flock. Dad did find some lice in his flock once, when I was a kid on the farm so I helped hm treat for them. Mites, lice, and worms do happen, to some people they happen a lot. But they don't happen to everyone.