Should I add flooring/bedding to coop floor?

[My Three Chicks]

Hi there. I have 8'×5' fully encloses walk-in coop (with a covered 8'x14' attached run). The coop floor is just plywood. Thinking I should add something on top to make it more comfortable. Worried the girls will hurt their feet jumping off top roost (30" high). Could I add the same mulch/wood chips I have in the run? Don't really want to use pine shavings (which I use in nest box) because one of my girls likes to eat it!
BTW I only have 4 girls so the floor itself stays pretty clean. I have sand in the poop tray.

 

[Percheron chick]

Before you put any bedding down, paint the floor with something like blackjack 57. Run it up the walls 6-12" (however deep you want to bed the coop). It will seal up the cracks and seams of the wood preventing bugs from setting up house by removing places to hide. It will prevent water and manure from rotting the wood floor. It will also make it easier to clean and hose out.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The same chips/mulch would be fine - I also use chips since they're free and available.

 

[Dusty Chicken]

I agree that the floor should be painted to protect it from water spills & chicken life! I had a dirt floor and added horse stall mats a few years ago. I have been very happy with how they have worked out. I still use pine shavings on the floor but not as heavy as before. The clean up has been easy, I highly recommend it!

 

[Dusty Chicken]

So do you think I could add the horse stall mat over my plywood coop floor instead of painting it for protection. I'd like to try to avoid any kind of paint only because I know it can be toxic to the chickens especially when it's first applied.

I dont think it is mandatory to paint but I would highly recommend it. I used Impervo which is a hard enamel paint that I used for the interior trim in my house. In my old coop I used it on the floor and walls. For my new coop I used it on the walls and the poop board. The last thing you want is for the floor to get damaged by water or aggressive cleaning, the paint really helps to protect the wood. It is amazing how a few chickens can really dirty up a place. Just the other day my waterer in my brooder leaked out all over the floor and another older chicken had a broken egg and a some diarrhea. The stall mats work great but if moisture got trapped underneath it could be a real problem if the wood was unsealed.

 

[Toothpick]

That’s a big beautiful coop for just 4 chickens. You will want something on the floor for sure. And I too think you should paint the floor with some protectant. I put Blackjack 57 on my floor and up the walls a good 10-12 inches. I used 2 coats. You will be glad you did.

You might try palletized bedding from TSC. I have a bag and really like it but my coop is just too big to use it exclusively.

https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/tractor-supply-pine-pellet-stall-bedding-40-lb

 

[3KillerBs]

You will need some kind of bedding. This is my system for my coops that have floors instead of dirt: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

Any dry organic material can be used for coop bedding.

 

[My Three Chicks]

Personally, the floor in the Little Monitor Coop (shown in that article), is bare plywood and in excellent condition after many years.

I keep it absolutely dry in there so there's no chance of rot.

Thanks 3KillerBs. That was a great, extensive article BTW!

 

[aart]

How long do I have to keep the birds out of there to dry/off-gas.

Depends on what product you use.......probably a couple of days at least.

 

[Dusty Chicken]

Depends on what product you use.......probably a couple of days at least.

I agree with aart. I would look at the product you use and see when it says the product is fully cured. You will probably need two coats of paint and then it would likely be 24-48 hours for it to fully cure. Could you set up a temporary coop in the run, maybe a large dog crate for them to sleep in during the night and then they could stay in the run during the day? I know if would be a big pain but I don't think you want to put them back in the coop until the paint has hardened off really well, it will be worth the time investment.