Flooring??

[sunflowerparrot]

I am building my first coop... was wondering what type of flooring to put in it? I'd like to not have any flooring; is that ok? If I just have the ground as flooring, what can I do in the winter about the cold ground? I live in south/central Kansas and the summers are very hot and the winters are very cold.

I was thinking of using a mixture of sand and shavings - putting 4 or 5 blocks of the shavings on the floor and a bag of sand - and just changing it out yearly - can I do that??

 

[thecoopbuilder]

A friend of mine used shavings and mulch from a lumber yard and his chickens did fine for the winter. His chicken coop was made of pallets and they lived in Idaho. That alone is amazing that the chickens survived a winter in Idaho
Good Luck

 

[joan1708]

There are experts (Harvey Ussery) that think dirt floors with litter work best, cooler in summer, warmer in winter. You just have to make sure you have the perimeter predator proofed, and protect the coop walls from the litter, because it is very bioactive and will rot wood fairly quickly.

 

[Leahs Mom]

I'd LOVE to have a dirt floor.
You might want to look at the book found at this link: http://www.themodernhomestead.us/

He has and reccomends dirt flooring with deep litter as the BEST situation including for provision of more food through the system. Here is a quote (bold emphasis added) from http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Small-Flock-Chickens-Basics.html:

"Housing

Housing for chickens can be extremely simple. If you already have an existing shed or outbuilding, it can probably be modified to serve quite nicely. The fundamental requirements are that the birds be protected from the wind or heavy drafts; and that they be completely dry. Chickens have a strong instinct to roost; so will be more content if furnished with some structure on which to roost.

It is important not to overcrowd your birds. Allow a minimum of three square feet per bird, up to an ideal five square feet or more. Of course, if the flock has constant access to the outside, they will do fine with less space in their "sleeping quarters" inside.

If you plan to build a new structure in which to house your birds, I strongly recommend that you keep an earth floor in the building, and cover it with a thick layer of high-carbon litter such as oak leaves, wood shavings, etc. (I do not think straw is a good litter material over earth floor, as it can support the growth of molds which can be a respiratory problem for the birds.) The constant scratching of the chickens incorporates the droppings into the litter, preventing the typical "caking" of manure which results in foul odors, flies, and possible buildup of pathogens. The constant mixing of the manure with the high-carbon litter results in a decomposition process similar to that in a compost pile. The billions of microorganisms driving this decomposition actually produce Vitamins K and B12, various natural antibiotics, and other immune-enhancing substances which the chickens ingest while scratching for and eating tiny critters in the litter. A study in the Ohio state university system in the 1920's demonstrated that chickens could obtain 100% of their protein from a mature 12-inch litter. You can periodically (say once a year) remove the litter and use it as compost without further processing.

If you have to use an existing building with a wood floor, that's okay. Here, too, you should lay down a thick layer of dry, high-carbon litter. (In this case, where the litter remains dry, a straw litter is okay.) Your poultry house will be far more pleasant for you and more healthful for the chickens. When you remove a mix of litter and manure from a structure with a wooden floor, you should compost it before adding it to the garden.

Whenever you notice a strong odor of ammonia, especially upon opening the poultry house in the morning, it is time either to clean out the litter, or add another layer of high-carbon material.
Joel Salatin has observed that, if allowed five square feet per bird, the chickens will continually turn in all manure laid down. At four square feet, there will be some "capping" of manure (accumulation of an impervious layer the birds cannot incorporate), especially under the roosts. At three square feet, there can be capping over all or most of the litter. If you find that the manure is building up in this way, simply use a spading fork to turn over the capped areas in clumps. The chickens will then be able to break up the clumps and work them into the litter.

Whatever shelter you give your birds should protect them from wind and sharp drafts; but at the same time should allow for adequate ventilation. I installed solid outer doors and inner frame doors with wire mesh. This configuration allows me to open up the house completely to air flow, while still keeping the birds confined and protected when desired. Also, the birds are able to sun themselves in the direct sunlight coming through the mesh doors and windows at various times during the day.
Please note that, if their shelter is tight and dry, chickens are very cold hardy. It is not necessary to provide artificial heat; and it could be detrimental to do so. [Occasionally single-comb cocks will get some frostbite on combs or wattles. If this becomes a serious problem, you could keep breeds with rose or pea combs instead.]

You will of course design your housing with predator protection (especially at night) in mind. But don't anticipate threats like dogs, raccoons, and foxes only - a least weasel can get through any opening large enough for a rat! (I once lost 19 young chickens to a least weasel!) And speaking of rats: Remember that they can be a serious threat to chicks. Half-inch hardware cloth is a great thing!"


Here are a couple links:
http://www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Deep-Litter-1.html

 

[KDK1]

Dirt is the only way to go for me. I've tried concrete (never again), wood at ground level and raised floor. Dirt with 6 to 8 inches of shavings works the best.

 

[sunflowerparrot]

wow - thank you so much for this information. I think this is the way I am going to go. I also think, based on another user's post, that I will put some bathroom panel sheets around the inside/bottom of the coop for easier cleaning and to keep the mulch off the walls and destroying the wood.

 

[whaledancer]

Dirt is the only way to go for me. I've tried concrete (never again), wood at ground level and raised floor. Dirt with 6 to 8 inches of shavings works the best.

Could you please tell me what the problems were that you experienced with concrete? And with the dirt floor, is dampness a problem when it rains?

 

[Coke]

if you have no floor you have to make sure that you have no animals around. chipmunks mice and other little critters will dig holes and tunnel into your chicken coop. there is food and warmth there. if i was you i would put in a wooden floor and put vinyl flooring then shavings. down forget the poop deck under the perches for easy cleanup. good luck

 

[HEChicken]

Dirt is the only way to go for me. I've tried concrete (never again)...

I too, would like to know why no concrete? I recently moved and my old coop had a dirt floor. At my new place there was a concrete slab that seemed the ideal place to build my new coop, which is what I did. I've put 3" of shavings over the concrete and plan on DLM, particularly over the winter months (I am also in SC KS so my weather conditions are similar to the OP's). My birds have only been in the concrete-floored coop for a couple of weeks so I haven't had a chance to encounter any issues yet and would like to know the answer to this question so I can plan accordingly.

if you have no floor you have to make sure that you have no animals around. chipmunks mice and other little critters will dig holes and tunnel into your chicken coop. there is food and warmth there. if i was you i would put in a wooden floor and put vinyl flooring then shavings. down forget the poop deck under the perches for easy cleanup. good luck

Coke makes a good point. In my dirt floor coop, the mice were terrible. While I think they'll probably find their way in somehow anyway, the network of tunnels they dug was astounding. If you set a feeder down for a week, by the time you lift it up, there will be new tunnels dug under it in the dirt.

 

[jpcode]

I have a dirt floor. I dug the foundation and have 3ft hardware cloth running all around with half below ground and half above. The coop has 2 in pvc pipes for its foundation so that there is a 1.5 ft gap between the dirt and any wood for the compost the build up. I fill mine with yard trimmings, anything I would normally put in my compost pile.

I am however considering building another that I could move around my yard each day so that my chicks can eat all the clover out my grass.