Making cleaning easier with a wooden tractor coop and interior lights question

[grnidone]

I've been using contact paper on my coop floor because even with my wood treated with poly, the poop sticks like it's made with cement.

This works well, but I need to change out the contact paper every few weeks when it just falls apart.

I'm thinking of using car mats under the perch. Have any of you tried this?

<added later> I just found this and it looks *great*: https://www.americanfloormats.com/smooth-marbleized-runner-mats/

Also, I'd like to put some lights in the coop that will help my girls find the perch when it is dark outside. I've noticed when they can't see the perch, they snuggle together in the nesting boxes or just outside the nesting boxes on the floor. (And they seem half-asleep the next day like they didn't sleep well.)

Should I go with motion detector lights? Is there something battery powered?

 

[eggbert420]

Most chickens get on the perch before dark.

 

[grnidone]

Yeah. They should. Mine don't. I had to use the flashlights for my girls tonight. Not a huge deal, but they were standing on the floor of the coop until I shone a light on the perch.

 

[eggbert420]

 

[TalkALittle]

I used the cargo area mat from my old SUV in my coop. Just pulled it out and hosed it off when it needed cleaning. Worked great!

 

[dheltzel]

You can try adding a light, I would go with a temporary one, like a "trouble light" on an extension cord, until you see if it helps. I don't know that it is the lack of light keeping them on the floor. I have some birds that refuse to roost no matter what.

 

[tomwinfl]

Haven't tried it yet, but I've been thinking a good cheap surface for easy cleaning might be that corrugated plastic stuff they make campaign signs out of. They come in all sizes, and there should be a lot of it available.

 

[dheltzel]

Haven't tried it yet, but I've been thinking a good cheap surface for easy cleaning might be that corrugated plastic stuff they make campaign signs out of. They come in all sizes, and there should be a lot of it available.

I would think that would crush and break when you walk on it. It seems rather lightweight to me. My "go to" for easily cleanable surfaces is a good quality vinyl sheet flooring (Linoleum). The home centers often have end pieces of mis-cuts that are half off, making the good stuff about the same price as the cheap stuff off the roll.

 

[amanda1]

We have lineolum on the floor of our coop. The only problem is when they jump off the roost (they never use the ramp I built for them) they often skid or slide on the floor. We use pine chips and it makes the floor slippery. So I bought two cheap rubber car floor mats to place on the area where they jump down. So far it is working well.