Floor of Run and Coop?

[kpiddy]

Hi, I'm trying to decide what kind of flooring to use with my new coop.
I have hardware cloth and the easiest thing would be to attach a hardware cloth for the floor and then I can move the coop around the yard.
But will that hurt my chickens feet?

I could either dig a foot of hardware cloth into the ground or make a skirt. But that means my coop stays put.
What's the best thing to do in the way of flooring for the safety and health of the chickens?

Thanks, I'm new to raising chickens.

 

[Michael Apple]

You don't need any flooring on the ground. The ground should be dirt, sand, grass, etc. What you need is a large fenced yard. If you want more than two chickens, you're going to need a bigger coop also. Those little cage attachment coops make for some unhappy birds.

 

[cafarmgirl]

X2. Those are going to be some bored chickens if they cannot scratch and peck in the dirt or grass and dust bath, especially in such a small space. WIth flooring in the bottom of that cage they are pretty much just going to have to spend their days standing around. I think I would be using that pen for their nightime quarters and adding on a run for them.

 

[kpiddy]

Ok great thanks guys. This is a coop just for the night time for 3 bantams. They run around the backyard during the day.
I ended up building a 2 foot hardware cloth skirt around the coop to protect from predators.
Thanks!