What would you put on wood floor in large garden shed (like a Tuff shed)?

[elove]

I have a friend with a brand new 12x24 garden shed he wants to house chickens in. I'm gonna say a LOT (#?) of chickens. Money isn't a concern but ease of cleaning is. Automatic doors that open/close with the sun to be installed, access to grass, etc. But while winters aren't long, there is almost always a few days the gals will be locked inside 48-72 hrs due to ice. If you could do this, starting with a wood floor, what would you do with unlimited funds - blue sky ideas but it has to be easy to clean/low maintenance. He works full-time and doesn't have much help. TIA

 

[Debbie292d]

We've used horse bedding pellets for 8 years in our coop and that's what I'd suggest. They keep the coop dry and odor free, zero maintenance if there's enough chickens scratching them around, and we don't change them out but once a year, in the spring. They're pretty cheap at around $8 for 40#. You can get them at TSC or any farm store. We use 3.5 bags for 60 square feet, going about 2-3" deep.

This summer we tried them in our brooders and that was a game changer!

That is a beautiful coop!

 

[Chicken butler]

I have sand in my coop. I don't know if that would be to heavy, but it's sooo easy to clean!

 

[StinkyAcres]

Vinyl sheet flooring or linoleum with no ridges and going up the wall a foot or so. Then something like the horse pellets as bedding on top.

 

[ChicNmom]

Plus one on the linoleum.

Is the automatic door just letting them out directly into the yard? If he's gone all day while the chickens are out he will probably have a lot of predator losses.


If money isn't an issue a covered run attached to the shed would let them get out and keep them out of the ice.

 

[Sally PB]

what would you do with unlimited funds - blue sky ideas

Add a ridge vent. That has nothing to do with flooring, but everything to do with health of the chickens.

 

[aart]

Get a good vinyl sheet flooring.
Thick with foam backing.
Test by bending a corner over, it shouldn't break or crease.
0.085" thick.

 

[thistlewick]

Are they going to be free ranging all day, and just coming in at night basically?

I use those cheap as heck wood shavings, about 5-6" deep (in some places, they like to scratch it all around under the hanging feeders)

But there isn't a lot of poop on the floor; for two reasons (1) I clean it every day -- I have roosting tables with PDZ/Sand and just scoop them every morning, takes literally 5 minutes and then pick up anything off the ground, that takes 2 minutes. (2) they are outside sun up to sun down and only come in to lay and drink/eat or just chill sometimes.

Sorry for the weird wide angle giving distortion, it's from one of my cameras inside the coop.

We have one of those large industrial rubber mats under the water drinker, as it's a nipple one (wayyyy cleaner) and still drips. But despite the dripping I'd never have a typical water drinker again. Too dirty.

 

[elove]

Add a ridge vent. That has nothing to do with flooring, but everything to do with health of the chickens.

up high?

 

[elove]

Plus one on the linoleum.

Is the automatic door just letting them out directly into the yard? If he's gone all day while the chickens are out he will probably have a lot of predator losses.


If money isn't an issue a covered run attached to the shed would let them get out and keep them out of the ice.

Out into a high-fenced yard with a buried predator-barrier as well. There will be some small cover but last year it was just icy out there for a couple days.