Who has a dirt floor in their coops?

[miron28]

Hello everyone I am almost done with my coop! I am also having a dirt floor. Should I put anything down on the dirt before I put hay down?

Jonbanks: what is DE??? Thanks all

 

[MissChessy]

I have a dirt floor in my chicken coop and it is working out just fine. I have sprinkled DE in my coop, no bugs or ants in there. The chickens scratch out a lot of hay on the dirt floor and I just rake it up and spread the hay in my garden. I haven't had any problems yet. Although, when it does rain, it does get muddy, but then it dries right back up. My chickens are pretty happy with everything. There is a roost for them to get out of the mud too.

 

[MandyH]

THE BEST thing you can put on your coop floor is sand. We put about 6 inches in each one and it keeps the smell away, the coop dry, AND the chickens love to scratch and take dust baths in it. We just had a dump truck load delivered yesterday to get all the coops ready for winter. I have tried everything and sand is the way to go .
Edited to say that the sand is over the dirt floor.

 

[havi]

Does anyone have any pictures of their coops with the dirt floor?




Here is a link all about DE..

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1560-Food_Grade_DE

 

[MandyH]

I can try to get a pic tomorrow of ours.

 

[Omran]

Hi,I have a concrete floor in my coop covered with Dirt for two reasons.
1- I poured concrete floor because I don't want to worry about rotens diging undernieth the coop.

2- it can be washed with water when you like doing so

3- I covered it with Dirt after trying all other things like wood's shaving and straw,and I found out that the smell is almost 0 when they poop on dirt.

If you are going to leave the floor dirt,that will be ok just make sure that you dig undernieth itand put some meshwire.
Good luck.

 

[miron28]

Was I a good place to get this de? And do you just put it on the ground or do you put it on the animals too?

 

[DaKid]

WELL NOT REALLY SURE ABOUT DIRT FLOOR INSIDE OF A COOP ;


but my coop is 12 x 12 divided in to 3 sections
which I place a one piece tile flooring which makes cleaning easy , every month to 6 weeks ( which is what I get about ) I LOCK THE CHICKENS OUT FROM THE COOP and let them stay for the day and clean out the 1-2 inch pine shaving and poop the wash the floor and walls with bleach and water let dry and then place clean and new pine shaving , coop smell clean , and is clean takes about an hour to do start to finish


AL

 

[the1much]

i had 1 ,, but really didnt want any pred. issues,, so i cemented it,, just a few inches thick is all needed to stop anything from getting in,, and when i wash,,,well HOSE hehe everything down,, it cuts down on the mud,, and when we get rain here,, it will rain 2 inches in an hour,, so the cement was cheaper, and better for me.

 

[havi]

Well the coop will sorta be behind our shed to start off with. DH said he will eventually let me have the smaller back yard for my chickens so I dont want to concrete anything in.

I would love to put the new coop in the smaller backyard right away, but we have to fix the outter yard first. Right now we dont have the money to build a new coop plus put up a new one or fix the old one too. We have 3 huge dogs that will jump the fence then a smaller one that will find a way under it.

Another question...what is the easiest way to put up chicken wire around posts? Is there a secret that I dont know about? Last time I just couldnt get it tight enough. I mean its not sagging, but I would like it to be sturdier(sp?)