Henhouse floor styles

[MagistraTn]

I’m designing our coop and have some decisions to make. I’m 50something and want minimal workload as we age & our kids fledge. So far we’ve used dirt floor with woodchips, hay, grass clippings, shredded paper, pine shavings, etc. it’s not bad, but it’s difficult to clean, if only once or twice a year.

Looking for input. Thanks

 

[StinkyAcres]

I chose other. I prefer a walk-in style, vinyl floor (or any flooring that is smooth, waterproof, and durable), with the deep bedding method (not deep litter which is composting), and trays under the roosts to catch the majority of the poop (but don't need to be dumped often).

 

[SourRoses]

For the most minimal workload... consider that a solid floor like concrete will eliminate rodent problems. They can tunnel under dirt floors quite happily. And then you have the work of adjusting the feeding arrangement to defeat the rodents. We feed outside of the coop and pick up all feed each night. It's the most laborious aspect of our setup, with dirt floor coops.
Wood floor can also "help" avoid rodent problems, although they could eventually chew through. Those could be addressed as it pops up.

For bedding on a solid floor, pine pellets are the cleanest, driest, least smelly option IMO.
A poop board under roosts will also reduce your overall cleaning labor.

With an auto pop door, and a gravity feeder and auto watering system, you would have even less to do on a daily basis.
You could also consider roll-out nest boxes that have an insulated holding chamber, to preserve them while collecting eggs a bit less often. Just some ideas. One day I want a fully automated, completely secure setup too. Hehe. It's a matter of cost and priorities... but it's almost always harder to add a feature to an existing coop than to include it in the design in the first place.

 

[DobieLover]

Walk-in shed with floor paint painted wood floors converted to coop with poop boards and an attached predator-proof run and a predator apron around the entire works to keep rodents out.
I clean the boards daily.
I clean the coop annually.
Easy peasy.

 

[Noraaaaa]

Mine is a walk-in with linoleum flooring! Super easy to clean! I use shavings. The Wyandotte show coop has a roost where they poop on the shavings, my Silkie show coop puddle so they don't have a roost and my big nonshow bird coop has two rows of roosts with a pull-out poop tray! That has shavings on it as well.

 

[MagistraTn]

For the most minimal workload... consider that a solid floor like concrete will eliminate rodent problems. They can tunnel under dirt floors quite happily. And then you have the work of adjusting the feeding arrangement to defeat the rodents. We feed outside of the coop and pick up all feed each night. It's the most laborious aspect of our setup, with dirt floor coops.
Wood floor can also "help" avoid rodent problems, although they could eventually chew through. Those could be addressed as it pops up.

For bedding on a solid floor, pine pellets are the cleanest, driest, least smelly option IMO.
A poop board under roosts will also reduce your overall cleaning labor.

With an auto pop door, and a gravity feeder and auto watering system, you would have even less to do on a daily basis.
You could also consider roll-out nest boxes that have an insulated holding chamber, to preserve them while collecting eggs a bit less often. Just some ideas. One day I want a fully automated, completely secure setup too. Hehe. It's a matter of cost and priorities... but it's almost always harder to add a feature to an existing coop than to include it in the design in the first place.

Thanks, we had a terrible battle with a giant rat last year. We finally won, but now the food is out in the run and we have to take it in every night. There is still plenty of compost out there, though.

I sold hubs that my design would be less costly and more functional (with an added shed) than a Carolina coop ($$$). Not sure he’s going to go for a concrete floor, but we have to pour footers for the coop/run & greenhouse anyway…

 

[MagistraTn]

Mine is a walk-in with linoleum flooring! Super easy to clean! I use shavings. The Wyandotte show coop has a roost where they poop on the shavings, my Silkie show coop puddle so they don't have a roost and my big nonshow bird coop has two rows of roosts with a pull-out poop tray! That has shavings on it as well.

What’s under the lineolium? Do the chooks slip around if they get down through the bedding?

 

[Noraaaaa]

What’s under the lineolium? Do the chooks slip around if they get down through the bedding?

There is wood, but it's glued to the floor! Very cheep way to go! Makes cleaning super easy as well! Everything slides right off! Poop also does not get stuck. They do not- BUT I do keep apx. 2-4 inches of shavings in there at all times (fresh fuffed up stuff, it gets down to 1-2.5 when its packed). Sometimes they get patches where there are no shavings (like near feed area) but I haven't had any problems with slipping!

 

[MagistraTn]

There is wood, but it's glued to the floor! Very cheep way to go! Makes cleaning super easy as well! Everything slides right off! Poop also does not get stuck. They do not- BUT I do keep apx. 2-4 inches of shavings in there at all times (fresh fuffed up stuff, it gets down to 1-2.5 when it’s packed). Sometimes they get patches where there are no shavings (like near feed area) but I haven't had any problems with slipping!

So, it’s just a subfloor floating over dirt? And hwc skirt keeps critters out?

Sorry for tedious questions, I’m going to have to communicate everything to my builder.
(I do not know what happened to the format, sorry! I should know better than to post during dinner prep)

 

[Noraaaaa]

So, it’s just a subfloor floating over dirt? And hwc skirt keeps critters out?

Sort of! We raised the coop 4 inches of the ground. Its on sort of a platform. There is chicken wire between the ground and the floor. Then we have wood. There is now the linoleum in the coop. In the storage space we have noting, just wood. Here we keep food, shavings, crates, etc. We have a chicken door to the outside that has an automatic door. Then we have a large run that is attached to that. We have a roof on all of it. I will go get pictures in about ten minutes for you!!!

Sorry for tedious questions, I’m going to have to communicate everything to my builder.

TOTALLY FINE!!!

(I do not know what happened to the format, sorry! I should know better than to post during dinner prep)

ur good