Question about coop flooring

[kendra1966]

We are just about to start building our chicken tractor which is being designed to use the frame of an old 8x4 trailer frame. My husband and I have different opinions about the flooring. I believe that it should have a solid bottom covered in some sort of inexpensive sheet vinyl. He wants to have only chicken wire as a flooring, meaning it would be open to the ground below. He says that during cold months he would put a skirt around the trailer to help protect from the cold.

Thoughts?

 

[Kilsharion]

We are just about to start building our chicken tractor which is being designed to use the frame of an old 8x4 trailer frame. My husband and I have different opinions about the flooring. I believe that it should have a solid bottom covered in some sort of inexpensive sheet vinyl. He wants to have only chicken wire as a flooring, meaning it would be open to the ground below. He says that during cold months he would put a skirt around the trailer to help protect from the cold.

Thoughts?

Chicken wire flooring is a bit thin and not at all predator proof.

If he's insistent on a wire flooring, 16 gauge ½ inch hardware cloth would be more secure. However, I'd not recommend it. Wire is hard on the birds' feet among other things. If he wants a floor that will allow pooh to drop through (I'm guessing that's his reason since wire's more expensive than lumber/vinyl?), he could consider slatted flooring, or a floor that is entirely a ramp raised at night after the chickens roost.

Ours have a solid wood floor with a ramp off to one side of the roost. We seal the wood of the floor with a fiber roofing compound and I absolutely cannot remember the name of it. It works well, is extremely easy to clean and very portable and can be sealed up tight at night to protect from nocturnal predation.

I'm all about night time predators. We have two hawks here that fly over sometimes but between my son and my husband always out and the dogs running amok...they don't tend to bother the birds. At night, however, it's a totally different story. Snakes, coyotes, foxes, owls, raccoons, opossums, skunks, etc. are all over the place. And a determined fox or coyote can break through flimsy chicken wire. The smaller predators can reach through the chicken wire to do serious damage to your birds (raccoon, opossum, skunk). So, I tend to avoid using regular chicken wire unless it's to deflect avian threats. The bottom section of all my runs and the lower section of my coops are all done in ½ inch hardware cloth because of my predator concerns.

 

[kendra1966]

Thanks for your reply. Those are my concerns as well. I also had concerns about egg eating snakes having easy access as well. We are in Maryland, so our winters are cold. Mild compared to other locations, but still cold. I didn't feel that even with a skirting that there would be enough insulation either.

 

[Kilsharion]

I would have to say that I'd not want an open floored coop in Maryland. Even with skirting, you'll get cold drafts. Drafts are not particularly good for chickens. And, yes, with skirting you still have insulation issues. You're going to want a solid construction. Especially if you have snakes in your area. Chicken wire won't keep them out - you are right to be concerned about that.

Here's a list of concerns about standard chicken wire:

1. Bad on the birds' feet - depending on their weight, it can actually cut into them
2. Not meant to continuously support weight and will eventually wear and break
3. Not small enough to keep out snakes or reaching paws
4. Not strong enough to deter a determined coyote, dog or fox
5. Not insulative enough to provide adequate warmth during winter
6. Drafts (a slatted floor won't get rid of this issue, either; but, I've seen a lot of coops with slatted floors)

"What's it good for, then?"

1. Keeping chickens in or out of certain areas (example out of the garden, in the brooder, in their run, etc)
2. Used as a material on the tops of runs it keeps birds of prey out

I've really not found any other reasonable use for it