Wire floor in coop?

[JescaVod]

I just purchased a small pre-fab coop with an area exposed to the ground. I plan to move the coop occasionally. My question is: is it okay to cover the bottom of the "run" portion with wire to keep predators out, or will it be bad for the birds' feet? They will be let out to pasture for foraging/playing

during the day and then put to bed in the coop at night.
Thanks for your help!

 

[heidisue]

I would my run has hardware cloth on the bottom to stop digging predators. I have sand in the coop so there isn't any exposed wire though. Could you dig down a bit or put sand, hay, etc in it so they aren't stepping on the wire?

 

[lahessler]

I have this same issue. I have already put the chicken wire down and stapled to the bottom. My girls are not in there townhouse yet. I did the wire because they will have access to this area when we are not at home. Should I have another area without wire when we are home? We have happened upon racoon, skunks, possoms, snakes, just to name a few of our yard we dont want our girls bothered by them.

 

[karibeth]

We just built an 8 by 16 coop. We ran chicken wire on The floor and used irrigation fasteners to hold it down. Then we topped it off with about 4 inches of mulch. Works great. The chickens scratch and all is good. We can sleep at night knowing that nothing can dig and get in

 

[lahessler]

We want to move ours around the yard to try to stop them from toally tearing up all the grass in one place. Plus to help fertilize our yard. The mulch idea would kill the surviving grass idea.

 

[marktoo]

The experts seem to recommend using wire aprons around the perimeter of the tractor instead of a wire bottom, at least that what my research revealed. The theory being the predators will start digging at the vertical wall & aren't smart enough to start digging a ways back. I have a wire bottom in in my tractor but they don't spend much time in it as they have access to a pen. I plan to move the tractor every 60 to 90 days in & out of the garden as space opens. I have toyed with taking out the wire because it would be better for them not to be on wire but I just can't bring myself to do so. We have only had the chickens since March so you're not exactly listening to the voice of experience here.

 

[Baymule]

Wire apron versus wire bottom. I don't have a tractor, I have a stationary coop, but it is dirt floored and I give the girls lots of grass clippings, pea hulls, leaves, corn shucks, pine straw, garden clippings and pretty much anything organic. What they don't eat, they scratch, poop on and compost for me. I dig it out several times a year and start over. Black gold.

My coop/run has a 2' wire apron all around it. I let them out in the yard in the evenings. I would think that a wire floor would make it harder to clean as chicken poop is not wire hole sized. Then you add in the shavings or bedding and at least in my opinion, it would be another chore for me to do-clean it out regularly instead of quarterly like I do now.

Wire apron, Marktoo is absolutely correct, predators will go to the edge of the coop/run and start digging. Then they run into the wire apron and can't go any further. However, they could tunnel under a wire floored coop or tractor and, depending on the size and strength of the predator, quite possible upset it and turn it over. I hope this helps.

 

[Biologrady]

"Bumble foot" a nasty infection of the foot that comes from a combination of living in bacteria-rich quarters (aggravated by any dampness especially) and damage to the skin of the foot allowing bacteria to set up housekeeping. Wire floors seem to be asking for trouble, especially with fine wire like chicken wire or heavy breed chickens. Go with the apron instead of the floor. and let the girls have at the grass... If the space is small you'll want to move them practically daily. I did that for awhile, but also picked a patch of lawn to just mulch and give up on, so if I knew I couldn't move them for a few days it would be ok. They seemed to appreciate the variety of some days on grass, others taking dust baths or going through the mulch or compost we put in for them. Good luck!

 

[lahessler]

The bottom of the is 25 square feet that is ground space not including the ramp. That would only give a 1 squared foot piece in the middle if I did an apron. (If Im understanding the apron idea.)
As far as tipping it over, it takes 2 of us to move it as it is now. Its not going anywheres.

 

[marktoo]

As I understand it the apron would extend out perpendicular to the wall. In the case of a permanent run wire is often buried 6" to 12" inches or more to keep predators from digging in.