pellets over cement

[sangel4you]

So we are going to be building the girls a coop and pen inside an old barn that has a cement floor in the stall and some old leftover dirt, etc (whatever that jukn is). My first question is should we shovel out the dirt? And my second is, we were thinking about doing deep litter and just shoveling the stall our once every few months...has anyone ever done deep litter with wood pellets on a cements floor like that? Thought about putting some hay under the pellets as well to act as a moisture barrier and insulation in the winter. What do you think? MY girls are 6 wks old and I need to get moving on this coop but I am VERY indecisive! Thanks!

 

[what eggs]

A link
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=179983

In my climate the springs are rainy and the summers very humid so we had our storage shed and coop built on cement raisers. The floor in an old tool shed is dirt and it oozes moisture on the really humid days. I think that link has people who use a dirt floors and what litter they use. In my climate with a stall like yours I would probably leave the dirt and put a layer of sand or pavers over it then start the deep litter method. Good luck on your coop, it is so much fun creating a living space for them.

 

[sangel4you]

looking for more input soooo bumping it!

 

[GardeNerd]

I have cement under my coop and run, but they are outdoors. I have a few inches of sand in the run and shavings in the coop. I am very happy with both. The sand is easy to rake the droppings and debris out of and it drains nicely. It is also easy on the feet.

I have no experience with using pellets or hay or straw.