Floor or No Floor?

[Calibirds]

We are a newbie chicken family. We have 3, three week old chicks and are starting to get the coop built. Do you recommend putting in a floor throughout the entire length of the run? I have read different opinions online and now I am totally confused. We are thinking we might build a raised wooded floor then cover with linoleum then cover with sand and then shavings. We live in Southern California and do not get much rain but we do live in the foothills and get predators like coyotes and raccoons, coyotes have never been in our backyard they just look through the fence but the raccoons are regulars. So, we thought the flooring would be an extra barrier for predators plus it wouldn't get muddy since the area where the coop will be in is just dirt ground. Any suggestions and thoughts?

 

[OldMcJohnny]

Hi Calibirds,

I'm in Arizona and our coop is built straight onto the ground with a dirt floor. However, we have different environmental considerations than you do. If you are concerned about predation, then you would want to make a wooden floor of some kind to help deter predators. There's nothing worse than having some of your chickens go missing! The rain could be an issue for you. The chickens aren't going to care too much, provided that they have a ledge or a shelf or someplace dry to go. It's really just a question of how muddy do you think it will get? If it's going to be bad, then a floor might be a good investment.

I hope that helps!
Ol' McJohnny.

 

[Calibirds]

Cool. Thanks.

Is there an advantage to having them on the open ground that they wouldn't get if we did add the flooring? For example they softness of the dirt. We get very hot and dry weather here and I was wondering if having a floor would help keep mites away. ???

 

[Pork Pie]

Hi and welcome to BYC. I'd suggest posting your question on the "Coops and runs" forum for further advice.

Best wishes
CT

 

[drumstick diva]

 

[BantamFan4Life]

Welcome to BYC! I'm glad you joined us!

 

[Calibirds]

Thank you! I'll take a look at how to do that.

 

[junebuggena]

The coop should have a floor. The run does not need flooring. To prevent digging predators, and 'apron'of hardware cloth around the bottom, extending along the ground by about a foot, should work fine. For added protection, you can put stone pavers over the apron. Giving the birds access to dirt is a good thing. For normal chicken behavior like dustbathing and scratching for bugs, exposed ground is important.

 

[Chad Duncan]

A chicken coop doesn't need to have a floor but if you require security then security will likely involve a floor. In the case you have described, it seems like you need a floor. If you have a fully secure predator proof run with the coop in the middle away from any edges of the run, you wouldn't need a floor.

 

[OldMcJohnny]

Cool. Thanks.

Is there an advantage to having them on the open ground that they wouldn't get if we did add the flooring? For example they softness of the dirt. We get very hot and dry weather here and I was wondering if having a floor would help keep mites away. ???

Chickens will often dig little depressions and cover themselves with fine dirt as a measure to fight off mites and to "clean" themselves. If you have the entire coop protected with a floor, then they won't be able to do this.