on the ground vs. above the ground coop

[wildorchid053]

we are going to be building our second large coop. the first is raised off the ground about 2' with wood and vinyl flooring..it works great,, stays dry. now my question is.. if i put it on the ground with a dirt floor, how do you keep it from getting damp and stinky? i would think with the snow and rain the inside ground would wick the moisture inside the coop? would love to hear what you have and why

 

[CityChook]

You're right - it will be damp and stinky. And you'll have to shovel snow away from the door in order to open it.

 

[homeschoolmama]

My coop is on the ground-bare dirt under deep litter. It is dry as a bone in there. The chickens love to dust bathe in the litter. We had 10' of snow over the winter this year and no problems at all inside. I did have to dig to get the door open as well as dig out the run so the girls would come out more.

 

[sephiroth]

If I were building a permanent coop, I would keep the dirt floor. Wooden floors are expensive and require more care than a dirt floor. Just make sure coop and run are big enough and it'll be fine.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

If it was me, I would have a slight grade away from the coop, just so you don't get surface water running into the coop. Just like you do with a house. It wouldn't have to be much, to be effective. Other than that, dirt floor coops work great.