How to fix "gaps" in chicken coop floor?

[twoacresofhappy]

My husband found a couple pictures of coops made from pallets, and, without any sort of plans, he decided to give it a try. It's a bit of a mess!

He decided to a do a "false floor": the coop is on ground that slopes slightly, and elevated a bit (but not a lot - maybe 4" on one side, and 8' on the other side, and the "floor" consists of four pallets placed on a few cement blocks, and then with plywood overlaid atop the pallets. The problem is that there is a sizable gap (2-3") all along the edges of the floor. He thinks we can use some leftover aluminum flashing along the perimeter. Do you think this will work? We also have roll of leftover linoleum which I'd hoped to put atop the plywood to help when cleaning the coop, but obviously I don't want to do that until the gaps are resolved.

Please - any advice? He's going to be going leaving soon for several months, and time is of the essence anyway because the chicks are already four weeks old! We are in the southeast, so moisture/humidity is going to be a problem, too.

Our coop is going to be inside a perimeter fence, and we do have dogs, though in the heat of the summer, they'll be inside, not out. I've heard coyotes near our property before, and with only a 4' high fence, I want to try to keep the girls as safe as they can be. I was planning to bury/fan out some chicken wire to help provent animals from digging under the coop, but I still want to have those gaps resolved.

Thanks in advance!

 

[zbit]

The flashing should work fine provided it covers the gap and rolling out the linoleum over the plywood and flashing will reduce any risk of chicken injury from them fussing with the flashing edges. Even with the humidity/moisture the flashing should suffice until he returns and you can then decide to keep that on the perimeter of the floor or use another material.

 

[twoacresofhappy]

He thinks the flashing would be sufficient anyway, but then, he's been trying very hard to keep costs down to a minimum. Should I plan on something else instead? If the flashing is a short-term solution, I would be grateful for suggestions on what to do afterward. Thanks!

 

[zbit]

The flashing should hold up just fine and block that gap up without any issues. Keep an eye on craigslist, freecycle for other things you might want to make useful to use in the coop later (leftover building supplies, crates for nesting boxes etc.. It sounds like you will have a completely covered floor which is all that will matter. If you are still concerned with the flashing in the gap after he returns and are able to find some free wood you can "edge" the floor with wood. He did a nice job making the coop with what he had available and the chicks should love their new home.

 

[twoacresofhappy]

Thanks, zbit! I think it'll look adorable when we're done - I just want to ensure that the details are taken care of, too. I'm relieved to hear that aluminum flashing should be sufficient!