Ideas for temporary housing

[Leitirmhor]

So long story short, we ended up with some chickens, and did a quick and dirty conversion of a lean-to into a coop. Now that I am hooked on chickens, I want to make some upgrades to the lean-to to make it the permanent coop. One of those upgrades is pouring a concrete floor (it's currently a dirt floor with SoftStep tiles in top, and a MASSIVE pain to clean). My question is, what have other folks done when they've had to move the crew out for a few days?

Thanks!

 

[black_cat]

How old are the birds?

 

[Leitirmhor]

How old are the birds?

All over a year old

 

[aart]

One of those upgrades is pouring a concrete floor (it's currently a dirt floor with SoftStep tiles in top, and a MASSIVE pain to clean).

Why not just remove the tiles?
(I'll bet that's a PITA!)

My question is, what have other folks done when they've had to move the crew out for a few days?

How many birds?
Do you have a garage or other secure outbuilding?

 

[3KillerBs]

Why not just remove the tiles?
(I'll bet that's a PITA!)

I second this. There's nothing wrong with a dirt floor in the coop as long as you've got an anti-dig apron outside it to keep predators and vermin out.

Do you have a large dog crate and a shed you could shut them into at night? Or, if your run is secure you could set it up in there while you worked on the coop itself.

This is my Temporary Accommodations for 4 unexpected chicks.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/mini-coop-or-integration-pen-from-a-large-dog-crate.76593/

 

[Leitirmhor]

Why not just remove the tiles?
(I'll bet that's a PITA!)



How many birds?
Do you have a garage or other secure outbuilding? The biggest issue is that the coop is a closed in lean to, up against the shop, so it can only have an apron on 3 sides (the shop is also a dirt floor...it's about a thousand years old lol!). The run will be predator proof, and their yard beyond currently has 6 strands of electric fence around it (we have high drive dogs, so keeping critters out out is being taken very seriously). Right now the run is made up of chain link panels, but we are going to make it out of welded wire horse panels and add hot wire to that as well.

18 birds - which are not ours. We were looking after them for a friend at first, but then we decided to get our own, and were hoping to pull out the temporary set up and do the renos after her birds left and but before we moved our birds in (they are currently in a small tractor and only 6 weeks). I am just not seeing any sign of her birds leaving anytime in the near future (that's a whole other can of worms)...hence the question of what to do with them.

I would like concrete so I can pressure wash, and to help with predator proofing, since we can't do an apron all the way around. The south wall is attached to our shop, and I can't dig there...but the shop floor is also dirt. We have already had a rat issue, which we caught early and dealt with, thankfully. The chicken run is also going to be renovated once we get a minute, and will be made out of welded wire horse panels with electric fence along the bottom and top. They also have a bigger yard that has 6 strands of hot wire around it as well as chicken wire.

The suggestion of an out building did give me an idea though, so thank you! I think we might be able to set up an old dog kennel (7.5'x13') in our pole barn for a couple of nights to let the concrete cure. Or would you just set up the kennel in their yard for the length of time it would take to cure the concrete?

 

[aart]

for a couple of nights to let the concrete cure.

Concrete really takes more than a few days to properly cure.
28 days for the highest structural integrity, at least a couple weeks minimum for a slab.
Might want to research that.

 

[Leitirmhor]

Concrete really takes more than a few days to properly cure.
28 days for the highest structural integrity, at least a couple weeks minimum for a slab.
Might want to research that.

Ok, so then is a kennel in a barn a viable option?

 

[neo71665]

Aint any way I would do a concrete floor in a coop or run. You need to look into deep litter method.

 

[aart]

Ok, so then is a kennel in a barn a viable option?

If it's secure and well ventilated, sure.

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