Thoughts on using plastic pallets for flooring

[Chuckie chicken]

So if I understand correctly, and you plan to put the pallets under one or both of the raised coops, I would go a different route. Perhaps raising them higher for easier cleaning and better air flow?

I still wouldn't consider it optimum, but with modification, I could see them working as a base for a floor inside a building. Under a raised coop, not so much.

The run in the original photo is new and will be an addition to our current setup. We were letting the girls free range, but after losing two to hawks, we aren't letting them do that anymore, so we are trying to create as much roaming space as possible while still keeping them protected.
In the new photo, we had the two coops next to each other while we were introducing the new hens (the littles) to the older hens (the bigs) once they were civil, we removed some of the hardware cloth and connected them giving them more room.
Plan now is to move the current setup and connect to the new 10x20 run. My thought with the pallets is to place the current setup on top of the pallets to keep it off the ground and make it easier to clean, but want feedback from people who have more experience than us on doing this

 

[3KillerBs]

It gets fairly wet there when it rains so that's why I put the rocks there, plus I need to level it out since it's rather uneven and this was less expensive than cinderblocks to raise the coop up

I was actually going to have the coop sit on top of the pallets instead of having the pallets go inside the walls. Going inside the walls will make the clearance under the coop too short for the girls to walk around. (picture below for better visual of coop)

I hadn't actually thought of putting anything over the pallets, just let them walk on the plastic. Will this be bad for them? I could easily fill the holes with cement, that's true.

@aart could you give me more details on why it would be unstable long term? And any way to make it more stable - if we went this route.

Coop picture:
View attachment 2673817
Located in Charleston, SC

What is DLM? We currently have dirt and it's just so difficult to clean out. Was thinking the plastic pallets for the ease of just hosing off. Still rather new to it all, so any tips on cleaning the dirt floor?

Deep Litter and Deep Bedding are means of managing manure without having to clean so frequently. They are odor-free, but you have to provide the correct conditions.

This is my article on Deep Bedding, which includes definitions of both systems. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

Plan now is to move the current setup and connect to the new 10x20 run. My thought with the pallets is to place the current setup on top of the pallets to keep it off the ground and make it easier to clean, but want feedback from people who have more experience than us on doing this

In addition to what others have mentioned in using the plastic pallets to lift the current coops, you would be creating rodent habitat between the ground and the pallets.

Being in the Carolinas you also have to deal with our vicious, wood-eating climate and wood-eating insects. Putting the coop up on blocks is superior in all respects, both because it keeps the coop clear of termites and reduces rot and because you can lift the coop high enough to allow light, air, and the presence of chickens to deter vermin.

P.S. Be sure to stack the blocks with the holes vertical because that's the orientation where the strength is. This is what happens to a block that's set the wrong direction:

 

[Germanpekiducks]

I've put down plastic pallets with holes in and covered them with a coated chicken wire to stop it from being slippery to walk on but I've also started to put down used coi door mats that are great because I can hose them down easily and it's not slippery and its soft under foot for my ducks and hens, a sea grass mat works great to.

 

[AFG]

I am going to do something similar, but with more sturdy plastic pallets, we have both the kind in your photo and more traditionally shaped plastic pallets where I work, so I looked at both.

How are you going to fasten those together? Also, yes, rodents can still chew in. I am going to put rubber stall mats down on top of my plastic pallets to make a stable, non-scratchable surface, and I am going to put a gravel pad down first to level on with some hardware cloth buried around the outside a couple feet down, and I am going to screw mine together since they have side walls that I can do so with. We do get frost heaves, etc. here, so structure is an issue, but so is mud! My barn cats generally take care of rodents, but since this will be my 4th coop, I figured do it one more time for good!

We outgrew the first coop, the second was a temporary stop-gap (in one of my horse sheds) for too many birds, the third is two stalls in my horse barn ... Now the permanent solution!

I'm going to do wood pallet walls (thoroughly secured together), fill the channels in the pallets with insulation, sheath with tile board inside and vinyl siding on the outside. Lots of ventilation (as per a great post on BYC!) that I can close down a bit for our cold, windy VT winters. Then I just need to get the car antenna automatic door opener to work!

Please keep us up to date with your journey on this project! This forum is great for learning from everyone's' experiences. Once I figure out where mine will be going, I'll document at well.

 

[littlebigchicks]

I am going to do something similar, but with more sturdy plastic pallets, we have both the kind in your photo and more traditionally shaped plastic pallets where I work, so I looked at both.

How are you going to fasten those together? Also, yes, rodents can still chew in. I am going to put rubber stall mats down on top of my plastic pallets to make a stable, non-scratchable surface, and I am going to put a gravel pad down first to level on with some hardware cloth buried around the outside a couple feet down, and I am going to screw mine together since they have side walls that I can do so with. We do get frost heaves, etc. here, so structure is an issue, but so is mud! My barn cats generally take care of rodents, but since this will be my 4th coop, I figured do it one more time for good!

We outgrew the first coop, the second was a temporary stop-gap (in one of my horse sheds) for too many birds, the third is two stalls in my horse barn ... Now the permanent solution!

I'm going to do wood pallet walls (thoroughly secured together), fill the channels in the pallets with insulation, sheath with tile board inside and vinyl siding on the outside. Lots of ventilation (as per a great post on BYC!) that I can close down a bit for our cold, windy VT winters. Then I just need to get the car antenna automatic door opener to work!

Please keep us up to date with your journey on this project! This forum is great for learning from everyone's' experiences. Once I figure out where mine will be going, I'll document at well.

I really like the idea of the stall mats on top of the pallets and I would definitely be putting down hardware cloth both under the pallets as well as attached to the side of the coop down to the ground to prevent anything going under the pallets. We haven't seen any rodents running around, or signs of any, so I attribute that to our resident black snake doing his duties.

I think with the idea of the stall mats, I'll definitely go this route. The girls are just muddy messes when it rains currently and I hate it for them. So I'll go forward with this plan and keep everyone posted.