Preparing deep for litter coop, and modifying prebuilt

[Pouletmaman]

You're getting a bit beyond my knowledge.

The people at your building supply store might be able to give you better information. I just know that we've got crushed blocks under one of our sheds because they were installed wrong.

That totally sucks about your shed! Thank you for the insight though

 

[Pouletmaman]

Ok that's good to know. To keep diggers out you may still need to apron around as well (lay hardware cloth flat on surface around outside perimeter) as 12" deep may not be deep enough to exclude pests and predators.


I assume so, in order to get a flat foundation to rest the coop on, but I have very little experience working with cinder blocks.

Frost heave shouldn't be an issue around here. It can happen but in general we don't have issues with that, as it doesn't get cold enough fast enough.

Good idea for apron too. Since that’s been our only problem so far, but we were using a tractor for adults. This is a new set up for babes. More risk for rodents

 

[perkolator]

Looking at the size of your coop compared to mine that’s on block, I would probably dig out the center of your foundation so it’s flat, to lay HC across the whole bottom to the OD of your bricks instead of a skirt perimeter on the surface. Put down a couple inches of the packed sand for the blocks to sit on. Probably three tall for the height you want.

Dry fit the blocks, then rebar stakes in the corners and between blocks here and there - only concrete filled in a few key places to minimize permanent structure, the rest of holes get packed with rocks/sand and then the top is capped off with concrete. I chose to set anchoring bolts in the concrete to bolt down the coop structure, yours you could maybe set some galvanized plumbers tape in the concrete to screw onto

If you filled most of the 3 blocks height with mulch/bedding I’d imagine that should be plenty of depth to not dig into the buried HC. Mine is about 4-10” deep and they don’t really hit it, the hole fills back in before they get that deep.

I did both a skirt and the floor, but the floor is all you’d need really on that small footprint. I started with just the skirt and thought I was good to go, but then a freaking mole dug into the middle of the run while I was finishing up the walls. Mole/vole/gopher holes were a problem in the old coop setup and we had mice using them. I wanted zero rodents getting in the new setup.

 

[3KillerBs]

but then a freaking mole dug into the middle of the run while I was finishing up the walls. Mole/vole/gopher holes were a problem in the old coop setup and we had mice using them.

Interesting. I have mole tunnels everywhere in the yard except in the chicken coop. When I move the fence the mole tunnels vanish.

I presume that my little dinosaurs are eating the moles.

 

[perkolator]

I presume that my little dinosaurs are eating the moles.

Possibly, mine will kill moles if they get a chance - They got one in the extended run just the other day. My concern is other rodents using the holes since it’s what I dealt with before