Run on concrete?

[stayathomedad]

I'm looking into possibly converting an old milk house into a coop. The area adjacent to it has a pretty large concrete slab where an old building use to be. Does anybody know of any problems there would be to build the run over it? I won't be able to drive any posts through it, so it would have to be built right on top. I'm not sure what I would make it out of or even how I could anchor it down. I thought about trying to put it in a different location, but the milk house is a brick building that only has one door and how it is located doesn't give me many options. Any suggestions?

 

[sugarbush]

Run on concrete will be fine. You can buy a concrete nail gun for less than 30.00 and nail 2x4s sills to the concrete and build your run on that. You could also drill and sink strike anchors in the concrete.

 

[fullhouse]

I wouldn't. It's hard on feet and doesn't drain.

 

[dangerouschicken]

Well, I think it is fine, only because you can add pine shavings over the concrete so they can still scratch and peck. Can you put in some metal fence posts around the outside edge of the concrete, then attach your fencing to that? I would think that would be good.

 

[dixieschicks]

i have a chicken coop on concrete! we live on the river where there is lots of predators.

i love it, when i am out filling/changing there waterers everyday, i just hose it down.

we "pitched" the concrete to run off the front and side down the hill where i have a compost pile.

i posted a pic on one of my other posts if you wanna search.

they still scratch, have a dust bath and still have free range pens in the yard

 

[sovia]

There used to be an old lean-to attached to what is now our coop. For some strange reason, the lean-to was on a concrete pad, but the coop is not. So, part of our run is now concrete. We just covered it with a layer of sand and rake it occasionally. It hasn't been a big deal at all.

 

[chookchick]

I built my coop on top of concrete boards and it worked out great. I have a thick layer of woodchip for them to scratch in, and predators can't get in! Just get a rotohammer (rent one) and drill holes for some bolts, and attach a pressure treated plate to start your building. If it is not covered, you should probably make sure it has some slope to drain off water.

 

[sugarbush]

I am guessing from the pad being next to a milkhouse that it is the slab from a dairy barn so their are probably gutters in the floor and draining will not be an issue.

I think a sand or wood chip cover would be a great idea. If you just want to put up a fence with no roof you could jack hammer out holes to put your posts in and then mix fresh concrete to pour back around them. If you used steel tee posts your holes would not need to be very big or deep.

 

[patandchickens]

Don't use shavings over concrete, they will float away and/or become a stinking muddy mess.

Use a *considerable* depth of sand or sand/gravel mix or largeish wood/bark chips (although if you use the latter, you will have to remove it wholesale eventually and replace it, whereas sand or sand/gravel mix can stay forever). You will need grade boards to retain the stuff so it doesn't migrate too much outside the run; either leave a weensy little gap below the grade boards for drainage, or cut screened holes in the grade board at the lowest points. Otherwise you are making a temporary pond

and it will accellerate rot on the grade boards, posts, and whatever building it's against.

IF you use a good enough depth of sand or sand and gravel - I would not consider anything less than 6-8" - it'll be fine.

Pat

 

[stayathomedad]

Thanks everybody for the great ideas.