Question about flooring in duck housing...

[Mikanik]

So we went and got the starts of building the frame of our duck/goose house. We're using pallets for all sides, stuffing them with R13 insulation, and completely covering them with plywood which will then be painted. We're even going to have a little screened in porch (the foundation pallet is a 4x10) where we'll keep there water/food and it will be locked up. I have concerns about what to put on the flooring INSIDE the coop though. The porch will just be decking with a water proof underlay, that way any water or mess can just drain through and out. I was thinking about laying down vinyl flooring on the inside for the ease of clean up...just shovel out and spray it down.

Anyone else have any better suggestions??

 

[WestKnollAmy]

I can't say I have any better of a suggestion.
The coop mine are in now is a dirt floor with years of old shavings ground into it.
I have a duck coop built that chicks are staying in now but it is sitting on concrete blocks and is dirt in the middle with lots of shavings being mashed down.

I am building a duck coop now that has a plywood floor. I am not putting down linoleum because I don't have any and I don't plan to have to clean them out much.

What they are living in now....

What I am building for them....

Got a ways to go but I am hoping the plywood floor will hold up to their sleeping in there at night. I plan on the water being about 50 ft away so they won't go in dripping wet.

 

[Amiga]

Our duck house has vinyl sheet flooring that goes up about a foot onto the wall, with a 1"x3" strip screwed across the top to keep crud out. There's a flooring place nearby, and the owner gave me some scrap that was just the right size. She got some eggs after they started laying, too, as a thank-you gift!

 

[70%cocoa]

Having spent the weekend evicting mouse families from the insulated roof of my duck pen I'd say that it's worth your while to make sure mice can't get into your insulated walls. They had really trashed a lot of the fibreglass insulation I'd put in there. I have now mouse-proofed all possible entry points to the roof. Sorry - I know that is not about flooring but I'd love to see others avoid the same hassle I have had.

Other than that, the insulation is working great!

I have a deep sand (half a foot) floor in my duck pen and it is easy to clean. Stays dry and I scoop up the poop with a kitty litter scooper. Other than that I would go for a floor made of rubber matting/flooring, if you want to be able to hose it out.

 

[Mikanik]

Thanks for the warning about the possibility of mice! Unfortunately we're more prone to rats...bleh!! We are covering it all pretty good with the plywood and we have THE best mouser/rat killer in the neighborhood. This cat has left us everything from BIG beetle type things to HUGE rats and birds on our front porch. One day our neighbor actually had to scare away a little falcon that had landed in our yard because our cat was sneaking up on it! LOL Surprisingly, our ducklings and gosling.....she doesn't have a single problem with or even a want to harm them! We've had them on our bed at the same time and she gives them a sniff and goes on licking herself.

I like the idea of rubber mats. Never heard of using sand as a substrate. Isn't it a p.i.t.a. to do a full clean out?? We were thinking about doing a mix of shavings and stable pellets (LOVE them!!). Really, though, I'm more concerned about the ease of cleaning when a FULL coop cleaning is needed. I thought vinyl flooring with a few screened drain holes would do the trick. We have a huge flooring warehouse nearby our house too and I'm sure getting just that little bit of scrap would be no prob.

There is sooo many details to consider when making the perfect pen/housing for these feather-babies! It's insane!

 

[70%cocoa]

You've got a good cat there!

So many details....you are so right! You are right on the money trying to anticipate all issues in advance, and designing accordingly. Will save effort and hassle later.

Re. The sand floor - I never need to do a full clean out (ie removing sand) since I pick up poop every day. The poop sits on top of the sand till I scoop it. I also sieve sections with a garden sieve. Then I rake it over. It's a bit of work, about 10 mins a day. It's coarse river sand, so not as fine as sandpit/sandbox sand. The sand works best in an area with a roof where is stays dry. It gets a bit muckier in the outdoor area near the pool. I have paved areas around my pond and waterer and I hose these. I also have some rubber matting that I am going to add to high-poop outdoor areas - will be able to hose those too. Overall, something that you can sweep or hose out has a lot of merit, especially in 'wet' areas.