What is good to keep the coop floor dry????

[patandchickens]

If you have long roosts along the walls, put a droppings board (shelf type) under them, that way you do not lose any floorspace at all and can clean the poo into a bucket every morning.

You may need more frequent additions of shavings, or a deeper total layer (how much do you have?). From what you describe, quite likely adding more ventilation will help keep the floor drier and the birds healthier, too.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Poison Ivy]

I use sand on the floor of my coop and mix a little stall dry in the sand pit area under the roosts. I also use coastal hay on the floor I like the way it smells. But I only use sand under the roosts and I clean that daily. Sand is $3 for a 50 lb bag and it lasts a very long time.

 

[chicks rule]

Thanks Twila, that just might do the trick, I had thought of that before and never got it done

 

[Charlie Chicken]

My low cost no work method is to start them off with shavings. With good ventilation and lots of daily treats thrown in the chickens will keep everything mixed up and dry.

 

[crysmom]

I had a soaking wet floor, was using pine shavings. I put in a droppings pit and tried to clean it out a few times a week. Didn't work well

My solution? A lot of ventilation! I now have 8 feet on either side of my coop 8 inchesx8 feet of open ventilation(covered with hardware cloth) on both sides, and my moisture has disapeared

 

[pattycake]

Sprinkle DE (diatomaceous earth) on the floor underneath the litter. It really works well and keeps mites down, too.

 

[Charlie Chicken]

Yep, that's the secret. Most people don't give enough consideration to proper ventilation when designing their coops. Besides providing conditions for dry bedding, adequate ventilation assures better health of the flock.

I clean out my coops less than once per year and it is always dry and odor free because there is always plenty of fresh air coming in and going out.

 

[Dixiedoodle]

How do you have great ventilation w/ out drafts? Thank you Dixie

 

[Charlie Chicken]

Incoming air can be provided via a chicken door where the birds come & go. If the openings for ventilation are mostly up high near the roof, drafts will not be a factor.

I also have a large plexiglass window on one wall that is taken out in the spring and not put back until late fall. The opening is covered with hardware cloth. It gives the chickens lots of ventilation during the summer. The roost is located right in front of the window and the window seats are prime real estate on a hot night. If rain happens to blow in on rare occasions the girls will just scooch over to the side.