Question about flooring of a coop?

[yodercountrygirl]

There is a shed that has a partially cemented floor to it and the rest needs finished. My Hubby thought of putting down large gravel to make it level. Is this a good thing or not.

 

[KatyTheChickenLady]

If you were going to gravel, I would cover the gravel with sand. Chickens love to dig around in sand and it absorbs the poopies. Big rocks might be hard to clean.

 

[goldielocks]

You could use gravel but like she said i would put alot of sand on top. You dont want them to get bumble foot. We have sand in our run and the girls love it.

 

[patandchickens]

I wouldn't use "large" gravel, but something like 3/4-minus would be ok, well tamped down... but as others have said you might be best off putting something finer, easier to clean, and easier on feet on top of the gravel. Like sand.

Make sure to adequately predatorproof it before putting down the gravel. That gravel will not stop predators from digging in, so you need either buried wire mesh down to 18"+, or a good well-built apron (horizontal on the ground outside the coop, 2-3' out from the base of the coop walls and well tied to them -- see other threads for ways of keeping apron out of the way of toes and lawnmowers)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat