New Coop and Flooring Question

[MelanieR]

I usually try to "search" old posts before I start new ones but I wasn't really sure what to search for to find my answer... thus... here's my post:

We have just converted a lean to garage/shed into a coop for our 17 5 week old chicks. Our 4- 12 week old EE's will move in with them soon and by this winter they'll have about 20 more living with them. The coop is about 11.5' x 17.' We live rurally so once all is said and done and everyone is fully integrated this coop will be used for laying and sleeping and they'll be all completely free ranged during the day.

The coop has concrete floors. What do I do about cleaning poop? Do I leave the cement floor and sweep up turds once a day? and spray down on occassion? Put litter down? If so, pine shavings? straw? How much? Where? Everywhere? I have vinyl covered boards under the roost bars that I can take out and spray off but right now the 5 week olds are spending much of their time in here and they are pooping everywhere. I've heard of the "deep litter" method but 11'x17' is quite large for that method isn't it?

Opinions? Guidance?

 

[Wrigley62]

That's quite a coop. Since it's that big of an area, I know it may be a chunk of change to buy, but, you might want to get a large piece of linoleum. It will be easier to clean than concrete. Concrete can absorb odors, not that you won't have any odors as it is, but, why add to the problem?
What you use as floor litter is up to you. Pine shavings, shredded paper, straw, etc. "we" all have our favorites. I use pine shavings and shredded paper and it works great! Try different things to see what works best for you.
You will get alot of really good advice on this site, you will also get alot of "I'm right, no, I'm right".
Like I said, try different things to see what works best for you.

Good Luck MelanieR

Wrigley62

P.S. You could also block off part of the coop so it isn't such a large space to clean, just an idea.

 

[PeepsAreForMe]

I agree with Wrigley62's suggestion to block off part of the coop. It does seem like quite a large area, and I know I would not want to clean it!! I'm amazed at how little space they actually need in a coop, and they still pile up on top of each other. And I would think such a large area would not be too warm in the winter, although you will have something like 40 chickens in there right? I can only imagine what that will sound like at dusk! LOL Linoleum on the concrete sounds like the way to go. My husband is building me a new coop and I plan to put that down inside.

On a slightly different note, Wrigley62's comment - about everyone thinking they are right - my husband asked me just last night how do "my BYC friends" know what to do about blah blah blah - I told him that 95% of people on this site are 100% helpful and don't insist their way is the only way, rather they say what works for them and what their experience is, and offer alternatives. It is quite refreshing! You can usually tell who's blowing smoke.

Now back to you MelanieR - do you have any pictures? Everyone here loves pictures!!

 

[MelanieR]

You know, I'm a portrait and wedding photographer so I've got a nice camera and lots of know how and yet, every time I'm out working on the coop with DH all I have is my cell phone camera. But here are some WIP photos.


Past that door is the other half of the garage. You can see the windows that we plan to hang. This wall is the future site of the nesting boxes. This is the 17 foot wall. Improvements and safety additions have already been made to this door. I took this right after it was hung.


This is our interim entrance/exit to the chick run. The guillotine door goes up today. At night we've been putting a piece of plywood and some big concrete bricks to keep the intruders out.


Chick run. We're going to double this in size and cover this (eventually) so the chickens have a place to go in the winter if it's too cold to roam the yard. This will also be (eventually) hung with siding.


And just in case there are any chicken housing nazis out there that think my building isn't safe enough for the chickens (it's not safe enough at night yet!) this is where they sleep. Although with every passing night they get madder and madder when I put them up. Would't you with all this space???!!

 

[MelanieR]

Thanks for the suggestions about the linoleum too. I actually already mentioned that to hubby when we started this construction and he told me he wasn't laying floor for the chickens until he has layed the new hardwood floor in our living room that he's been wanting to put down for over a year now. That does seem fair doesn't it? ;-)

I'll have to find a good interim solution until I can bring that up again.

Might be able to shut half of it off but then that will leave them without half of their roosts too.

 

[PeepsAreForMe]

LOL I would not like to be cramped in there at night! Just a thought, wouldn't a concrete floor make it colder in the winter? Even though their feet won't be directly on it. Thanks for the pictures!! They will be spoiled once they move in and will forget all about that small area they used to sleep in!

 

[MelanieR]

That's what I told hubs: "I'd be spitting mad if I were them.... so if you could finish this up ASAP that would be great."

Next batch of chicks gets here July 16th week so I need my brooder back by then.

You're right about the cold... maybe I should lay down litter???? hmmmm.....
I should really quit putting the cart before the horse.....

 

[BigRooNTN]

Well here goes my "opinion" and I am a newbie on here so take it with a grain of salt. Putting the lineolum down will make it easier to clean where the concrete is porous and will hold bacteria and diseases and mites etc. (You get the picture). And.... I don't know of any Chicken Police or Housing Nazis that are watching do you?

Trying to make a "Funny" Hope you take it that way. And it looks very safe to me. Be Blessed.