Raised coop vs on the ground

[lolita117]

I have a dirt floor but the reason I did this is because one day I would like to add cement if it is feasible. I don't know if it will be. I don't mind the dirt floor but I have notice that sometimes when it rains a whole lot one corner of the floor in the coop stays moist. I need gutters on my coop, I know that would help with this water issue. Here is a picture of the inside of my coop with dirt floors.

 

[Dutch552]

I wanted a dirt floor coop but we have serious water drainage issues and I was force to raise it up in order to level the floor. So she's on the ground on one back corner and about 16 inches above the ground in the front raised on 4x4's. I do deep litter and have internal nest boxes. No issues at all.

 

[Fred's Hens]

When making a concrete pad for a coop, most codes will require it be made with what is commonly called a "rat wall". This is merely a trench footing, dug down two feet deep around the perimeter of the pad. When the concrete is poured, both these trenches and the pad are poured simultaneously. All you "see" afterwards is the pad, but the rats cannot burrow under the pad. The perimeter wall of concrete stops them. This trench footing does need to dug very wide, just 6-8 inches wide is plenty.

A poured concrete slab, without a rat wall footing, is also an invitation for burrowing critters. Just thought I'd throw that into the think tank.

 

[swatchick]

I put hardware cloth on the dirt floor, attached to the walls, and then piled on the litter. I use the deep litter method, and with the exception of the fact that I lamely put the whole thing on a giant winter wet spot, I love it. The hardware cloth seems to keep the critters out, and the deep litter (and constant state of decomposition going on) keeps things nice and warm down there (not that I live in a place where the ground ever gets THAT cold....so maybe it'd be different in a truly chilly climate).