Sand floor in a raised run?

[perchie.girl]

Brick is a good idea.

deb

I've already bought the wood and everything. I'd rather change my flooring choice than back off from the platform idea now.

Since I'm not handy and I'm a novice chicken keeper, a friend of mine has planned the platform and is supervising construction.


She keeps ducks and has apparently done all this before.

I think the plan is that the two wood sleepers will take the majority of the load, with four supporting posts also helping. Then we have some pretty heavy duty treated pine supporting beams.

What do you think? Should I give up on the sand? Or persevere? The sand IS going to weigh 500kg dry and possibly twice that if rain blows in.

We have a lot of old bricks lying around - I could make some brick "pylons" to add some extra support?

 

[Pico de Gallo]

I've already bought the wood and everything. I'd rather change my flooring choice than back off from the platform idea now.


What do you think? Should I give up on the sand? Or persevere? The sand IS going to weigh 500kg dry and possibly twice that if rain blows in.

We have a lot of old bricks lying around - I could make some brick "pylons" to add some extra support?

What are the dimensions?

I'd still be uneasy over the long haul, trying to support that much mass with wood under humid conditions. I've had to return wood before; Royal PitA, but better than building in futility.

Could you simply build a rectangular foundation for the shed using your brick, then fill it w sand?

 

[SydneyChick]

Sorry - I thought I gave dimensions! It's only a small covered coop and run. For 4 bantams.

2.3m x 2.3m

 

[Pico de Gallo]

That'd be a perimeter of only 24 x 16" cinderblocks, per 8" tall course. Something to consider.

 

[AllenWMiller]

Sydney Chick I read the posts here and there are some good ideas. A number of spots on my farm have been low so I've hauled in several trailer loads of sharp concrete sand and simply raised the area 2 Feet above high water level. I have also had two poultry runs on slopes as you describe and the solution was to raise the area with timbers, put crushed glass down then placed a 1/2 galvanized hardware cloth (rodent proofing) then place a landscape cloth inside the timbers nailed up the sides to prevent the base soil from entering the clean sand, filled with sand to the top and then placed the fencing on top.

Like Bear said I wouldn't use the plywood at all rather just raise the area with treated timbers set over hardware cloth and lined then filled with sand. Even treated plywood will rot relatively quickly in close contact with water. And to boot the chemicals used to treat plywood aren't healthy for the environment, you or the chickens.

Return the plywood and excess materials better spend the money on more useful solution and if ya can't return it get your friend to build you a new coop with the excess lumber and you can have more chickens.

Good Luck!

 

[SydneyChick]

Thank you everyone for your advice and help. I'm curious, however as to why everyone objects to the raised wood platform idea so much?

Im a member of an Australian poultry forum and everyone on there told me to ditch the idea of just raising the floor level - they all recommended the platform idea!

Would it be better if the platform was higher off the ground? I should probably mention that the site of the chicken shed is a concrete slab, so it doesn't drain at all - runoff from the front yard just flows across it during heavy rain.

How about if we got taller posts and ditched the sand flooring idea?

Im not a very handy person - just want the best solution long term so that we can happily have a few chooks.

 

[AllenWMiller]

Well Sydney at least from my point of view a chicken is always best served being on a sand or soil substrate. This allows the chickens to naturally scratch and dust themselves and gives them the activity they naturally need. So in my view raising any site to "dry" it out is always done with sand whenever possbile. Anytime you involve wood into a wet situation you aren't going to get longevity out of the structure.

I am glad you have a sound concrete floor coop. So if you have already dug in a French drain system to divert water then logically to keep the area dry is a simple matter of raising it with some sand to insure a sound, dry environment for your stock.

Chickens do well, too, on a wire raised floor and yes even your wood platform would be okay. The questions are two here: One what is best for the chicken and I mentioned that above and 2 Budget If you already have the drains, are planning to raise the site with timber and sand then why spend the additional money for the platform?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Quote: Because it's cheaper to use all sand to achieve the needed height, and you'd never have to replace the floor at all.

A wooden platform above the ground creates a good habitat for snakes and rodents underneath, and guarantees you will have to redo it in the future

 

[AllenWMiller]

Yes what Bear said. I agree wholeheartedly!

 

[Pico de Gallo]

Me three. Unless you're dealing w floodwaters, in which case go platform + pontoons and chain it on the uphill side...