How to reinforce a wood coop floor? Plus new question about vents?

[shelleyd2008]

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Have you had any problems with rodents chewing their way in? That's what I'm most concerned about. The floor is 3/4" OSB, and will have 2x6s spaced 2 foot, so I think it will be strong enough weight-wise.

But we have a LOT of rats here, I'm wondering if just the wood floor would be sufficient? Probably not (to keep rats/mice out), and wasn't sure how to reinforce it against them.

ETA: I have also thought about getting linoleum for the floors, I was thinking of getting a big piece (not sure what size it comes in?) to cover the whole floor, no seams that way.

Get yourself a few cats. A firm believer in making your home a stressful environment for rats/mice!

Which would be a wonderful idea, if the dog didn't think any 4-legged creature smaller than herself must DIE!

 

[shelleyd2008]

Okay, so I think we're going to use some of the sheet metal for under the floor. We'll build the joists (set on 1 concrete block), then put the sheet metal down, then put the OSB board down. I would really like to have it higher than one block, but I don't have anymore, and don't have the time to get them. So this will have to do. I'll just have to make sure to keep the grass trimmed down real good around it.

Do I need to put wire on the sides of the walls as well? The sheet metal is going to be 'the siding', so I don't know if I'd need that or not.

And what do I do for vents? I was thinking of just putting some holes in the walls around the top (like rectangular, and covered with hardware cloth), but this would probably be too much when it's cold? Or would it? How many vents would I need for a 12x12 building? There will be quail and chickens in there for sure, I haven't yet decided if I'll put the guineas in there (probably not).

 

[Rare Feathers Farm]

They have some nice vents at Home Depot that you can close/open as weather changes. For that size building, I'd do at least two on the west, east and south sides. Also, plant decidious trees on the south & west and on the north & east--plant fir or pines to block the wind.

 

[patandchickens]

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You just want to make sure there are no exposed areas where the wall meets the floor -- where the siding meets the rim joists -- for rats to access bare wood. So, it depends on exactly how you're doing it, but you should be ok. Just look at it and think 'if I were a rat, could I find somewhere to wedge myself through or to chew?'

And what do I do for vents? I was thinking of just putting some holes in the walls around the top (like rectangular, and covered with hardware cloth), but this would probably be too much when it's cold? Or would it? How many vents would I need for a 12x12 building? There will be quail and chickens in there for sure, I haven't yet decided if I'll put the guineas in there (probably not).

Take a look at my ventilation page (link in .sig below), discusses all of this in a lot more detail. Long rectangular openings at the top of the walls are very good for wintertime ventilation, just make sliders or flaps or whatever that can close them down partly or totally as the weather requires. You want at least some of these vents on the usually-downwind side (on all 4 sides is ideal, but you can usually get by with fewer if need be). For summertime obviously you would want more than that - large windows that open, or a mostly-mesh wall (can be closed off for winter).

My general suggestion is that if you build at least 1 sq ft of vent per chicken (or chicken-equivalent

), or for a less-populated coop 1 sq ft of vent per 10 sq ft of floor, you will most likely have very sufficient ventilation to "play with" and won't come up short. (Except in very hot climates, where you'd want much more).

You can build less ventilation than this, and often it will be ok. However, "often" means "except sometimes it won't" and if your coop is one of those 'sometimes' you may find yoruself having frostbite problems or standing out there in a -20 weather hacking new holes in the sides of your coop

Personally I think it is better to build in all the ventilation you coudl ever need, and then *relax*

Good luck, have fun,

Pat​