Need help with my coop floor and roof

[auntbee]

Dh made a small coop before we got chicks when I went out of town (so, without consulting me and without any research). He made it about 4x4 and the highest part of the roof is about 6ft, and it slants downward to about 3 1/2ft (this is where the nesting boxes are). The floor is 1/2in hardware cloth and it's raised about a foot. I've told him that it is too hard on the chicken's feet, but he doesn't want to redo anything. Also he thinks they will just spend most of their time in the run (16ft x 8ft) and then sleep on the roots, so it doesn't matter. I'm worried about winter, we live in utah, and while it usually doesn't get bitterly cold here, we do get a lot of snow and it's often in the teens/20s so I'm thinking they won't want to spend a lot of time outside. Wouldn't there be a draft that would be bad for them? Could we just lay down some kind of flooring on top of the wire? Also, I don't think it would be too hard to extend the length of the coop, so do they need more room? This coop will be for about 4 hens.

Also, the roof is just wood right now (NOT water proof), so I know we need to put something on it so the girls don't get wet. DH doesn't want to do shingles. Any other ideas? Thanks!

 

[arlee453]

I use a wire bottom coop and it works fine -as LONG as you have some way to rake out. 1/2" hardware cloth will collect the poops stalagmites after a while.

My coop opens up i the back and I use a hoe to rake out the stalagmites every month and then I can rake out the poop from under and shovel it into the wheelbarrow. I have about 20" clearance under the coop for this purpose - It would be really hard to get it clean under neath with less than 18" clearance.

BUT I live in NC - where our lowest winter temps are usually no lower than low 20s and that's just for a couple hours just before dawn in the COLDEST days.

If I lived where you are I'd definately put something down in the coop for the winter to reduce drafts and make it more winterproof. Even a few layers of cardboard would be a good start and would be easy to discard when warmer weather comes around.

As far as the roof.... tar paper will work - a copule of layers will keep the rain off, but won't look very good.

Shingles are great...but if the roof is plywood, a couple coats of a good outdoor paint would probably protect the wood OK for as long as that little coop is going to work for you, IF it's fairly watertight already. If it isn't watertight already, you'll have to go with tar paper or even tin. A 4x8 sheet of cheap tin is less than $15.

 

[Alaskan]

could you just toss a scrap piece of vinyl flooring on top of the wire? Remember though, you do want some kind of venting.

Not sure about the wire and their feet. *shrug*

I would drive by some construction sites...that is such a small roof, there is bound to be a scrap piece of roofing tar paper you could scrounge.

As to size, that size should be fine for 4 hens. It works out to exactly 4 square feet per bird.