Maybe I headed that wrong! Wire bottom or solid bottom?

[Dr.Doorlock]

My girls are spending their first night in the soon to be finished Coop De Ville, the Cadillac of Coops. Since I got conflicting information about what kind of bottom to put on my coop, I made it convertible for the seasons. Take a look at:

http://mysite.verizon.net/reswuzne/ConvertibleCoup.wmv

 

[Omran]

I think it nice idea, my question is : what if the chicken made it real dirty in winter, will it be easy to open it when you need?

I got both my coops on solid floors,one is concrete floor, and the other one is wood floor.

omran

 

[ranchhand]

YES! What a great idea, the slide-in floor!

I built my first coop when I lived in Austin- I had 1/2" hardware cloth for summer ventilation, and for winter warmth I cut several pieces of plywood to fit the floor. Worked like a champ. The plywood was small enough that I could handle the pieces alone. Scrape into the compost and return to the coop. I like the sliding floor better. Naturally, when you remove the sheet, some is going to remain, but all at the end and easy to clean.
Thanks for a great idea!

Dang, I thought I'd had an original idea, calling mine Coop de Ville. Rats.

 

[Hoot]

Hey doc,

Great idea! I am considering the same thing. Here in Florida we don't get a lot of cold weather, but every few years we will get a few cold fronts that drop us down in the 20's.

I was thinking of using a sheet of formica laminant for the slide in bottom. It would be easy to clean and water resistant.

Most of the time the girls will have a 1x1 wire under them for ventilation.

Hoot

 

[texas_chick]

why not use coroplast as a cover/slide in? Or is that too slippery? It's cheap and washable. (I used that for my guinea pig cage).
Love the sliding thing!

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
make it so that the slide out part is below the wire bottom and you can make it out sheet metal or whatever you choose..

 

[Hoot]

It will slide below the 1x1 wire.

lol...A chicken of a formica top. That would be funny.


Y'all don't need to give me ideas like that.

 

[jvls1942]

No matter what kind of wire you use for a floor, it is going to sag.

I assume you are meaning 1x1 chicken wire/poultry netting

that is pretty light guage wire and it will sag a lot..

 

[Hoot]

This is 1x1 construction cloth is what I have heard it called. Square holes. The coop it's self will only be a 4x4 and the floor will have 1 runner down the center. It shouldn't sag very much.

Slide in wind break will be 3 1/2 inches below that.

Hoot

 

[jvls1942]

Quote:
well, that makes me feel better.

I bought a cage at a rumage sale and the bottom slide out tray is only about an inch below the wire floor.. way too tight..

it was built for a parrot.. maybe they don't s--= as much as a young turkey does......