Floor Plug???? Yea' or Nea'

[tiffanyg2]

QUESTION!!!!!!!!!!!!

What do you think about the idea of cutting out a plug in the floor of the coop. That way if I want to remove all the sand out of the coop if it should need to be changed out I could sweep all the sand to the plug open it up and whoosh it all falls out of the coop onto the ground?? I would cut a square shape out of the plywood floor and then latch it back on, also I would have to cut a square out of the vinyl linoleum floor from the inside. I figured it would be easier to design this now verses later when everyone is living inside! LOL Let me know your thoughts, pro's and con's Pretty Please!

 

[3goodeggs]

Every time I clean the coop, we bring in a hose and wash the walls and screens and scrub the floor.
It would be so much easier if we put in a shower drain. I have to get the wet vac and suck it all out.

I was thinking we could put in a dry well. the coop is off the ground with buried hardware cloth all around it. if we made a bend in the pipe and had the dry well so we could get to it, and screwed down one of those shower grates, it should work. I could put it recessed and put a plug in that to keep out drafts and insects.

How big do you plan on making your coop? I shovel it out into trash cans. but we are 12x8 and it is nice and roomy. if you are going to have to bend in and be uncomfortable, then I can see a poop-y door.

I will glad to hear the comments on our ideas. Anything that makes that job easier, I am all for.

 

[ll]

I was thinking of this same type of idea - I think it is a good idea.
I was thinking of putting hardware cloth in the hole so nothing can come up through it - I like the idea of a plug better.

I would definitely hollow out the ground below a bit and add stone for drainage, then you can hose away remaining "particles".

Good luck!

 

[tiffanyg2]

Quote:
Well the Coop is basically 5.5 X 3 I'm only keeping 4 girls once I rehome the boys! So it's not a huge coop and the girls will be free ranging through the day. I planned on using sand in the coop~ you know kinda like the cat litter method and scoop out any unwanted clumpy poo's. Now I figure from time to time I may want to remove all the sand and replace it so I invisioned me trying to get grains of sand out of the coop

LOL So I figured a plug would work awesome. I really don't want to resort to spraying the inside of the coop to much with water because I don't want to cause any damage to the water getting into the crevices. I am painted everything with a semi-gloss for easy cleaning and I will also have the vinyl flooring. I figured a small 5"x5" cutout would work just fine. and I can put some weather stripping around it and a latch to easily attach it! Here's a picture of the openings I have I made access doors on either side of the coop and it will be on a 2 1/2 ft base.
Here's the main doors...

This screen door opens completely up for another access in!

See I would think it was make it easier to clean with a plug! and from what your saying it might be easier for you to~ Can you add it to your existing coop?

 

[Krunchy]

A drain would make it a lot easier I'd suggest this type

Then you could use a drainage piping and use direct where the water goes if you hose it out or just stick a bucket under it.

If your worried about something coming through the drain you could put a screw on cap/plug on the end or a 45 degree elbow and a cap/plug..

 

[spotstealer]

You could also just make an access door along the side that goes all the way to the floor. You could then just pull everyting into a wheel barrow (you could even put some screening over the wheel barrow to sift out the waste and re-use the sand. I use a long handled dust pan to pull everything over te edge. It reaches all the way across the coop floor and is clean in a matter of minutes. I built mine so I can access it without going directly into the coop. I use shavings right now, but plan on sand here soon

 

[3goodeggs]

Quote:
yeah, that is what I was thinking.
I think we could use an elbow and have the dry well outside... or a flexible pipe to direct water/fertilize the corn or something, and only take the plug out of the outside end when washing.
yeah, that'd work and make my life so much easier.

I think the sand /cat litter method idea is good, but the pine shavings may be easier for you. They smell nice, you can put a poop board under the roost and just pull it out every day.
We have 24 chickens (I didn't really expect them all to live so I over ordered) and that's a lot of chicken dust. the screens get clogged if they don't get washed. with just a few chickens, I think your idea will work fine. I like the wheel barrow idea too. we are too big for that... but, I am ashamed to say that this morning I woke up thinking about incubators and another coop. so the next one may be high enough for that

 

[tiffanyg2]

Quote:
Yeah I like the idea but its to late for me to make a flush wall! So I will definately make an opening~ So now I just need to determine whether I will use a drain style (Thanks Krunchy) or just make a cutout with a latch! SO many decisions but so much fun designing everything! Thanks for all the helpful tips

3 goodeggs~ that's alot of chickens! I will definetly do the sand, atleast I am going to try that first! I hear so many good things about it~ so I must experiment and see! But they are so addicting so I can see why you are thinking about another coop and an incubator

 

[DaddyChicken]

Here is what I did...

 

[3goodeggs]

oh I like that! you can just get a hoe and scrape it all out.
if it were on an incline you could hose it out too.
my brain gears are turning quicker now.