# Flooring in chicken coops.



## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

Okay I have done some major reading in my time off. Has anyone done laminate flooring in the coops for easy clean up? Just use a power wash and good as new. Would this work or no? What did you use?


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## Tango (Aug 19, 2002)

I have decided to let bedding compost in there. I put down straw (this year, but next year it will be leaves). Instead of raking it out and hurting my back to remove old bedding to mulch a remote garden. I read on feathersite.com or another site - hope I;m forgivn for not remembering the origin of this wonderful composting method- I am now mulching with straw inside the coop so that rather than composting outside, I am composting inside and the hens help increase nitrogen and organic matter for the garden. The hens forage outside most non raining days this winter. They spend time digging and pecking in their coop. I keep it dry and fluffy. They build nests in the corners and along the walls. They spend time in there even when the door is open. I think they like it. 
forgot to add their floor is the concrete barn floor so the straw insulates as well.


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## solsikkefarms (Jun 1, 2013)

Dirt floor with a combination hay/wood-chip bedding. I Just rake it out once a month to keep it smelling good.


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## TeenyTinyFarm (Jan 19, 2014)

We have a small coop that fits 10-12. The coop is elevated over the run and the coop floor is constructed of wood. We covered the wood floor with laminate to protect it from moisture. However we do still do the deep litter method. But when I do a complete clean out, I only have to sweep it and it comes nice and clean!


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

So would you recoomend it? How old is the laminate? Does it take the beating from your poultry?


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## TeenyTinyFarm (Jan 19, 2014)

Adisiwaya said:


> So would you recoomend it? How old is the laminate? Does it take the beating from your poultry?


Sure I would recommend it (for a smaller, elevated style coop like ours). The laminate has held up great, looks almost new, BUT it is under about 7 inches of litter, so it really doesn't get that abused. It is approaching a year old, so yeah it hasn't yet gone through the rigors of time.

What kind of coop are you planning on building?


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

The ones I looked into at backyard chicken<- tons of coops but going be a bigger coop like one I seen, will post link once I find it. I just don't want a dirt floor. Want something I could bring a power washer into and not worry so much bout wood molding or the rotting. I want it to last a long time. Going have probably 10 ducks and 30 broilers. Mom/step dad/ sister/brother going to help pay for feed. So a decent size one. I took care of probably 20 chickens and 10 mixed ducks at my old place. Glad I found the site while back I learned a lot plus stuff I can't find on here my mom knows, she was raised on a old homestead and been basically on one for 40 years before she moved to town.


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## DEKE01 (Jul 17, 2013)

On the ground, I would use the dirt/sand covered with deep bedding. Clean it with a pitch fork or garden rake. In an elevated coop, use hardware cloth covered with deep bedding. 

Deep bedding keeps smells at bay, entertainment and exercise for the chix to scratch in, and they get up to 30% of their daily feed from pecking in the litter. {not my figure, some university study produced that 30% figure)


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## gjensen (Feb 8, 2014)

I prefer the deep bedding method on a bed of sand. 

I do not mind wood floors that are elevated off of the ground and covered. I have used sheets of FRP. Easy and quick to put down, but I do not glue it. I prefer to remove it and clean it. The stuff will last a lifetime.

I prefer houses with bottoms that are going to have birds in them for periods of time instead of permanent housing.


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## aart (Oct 20, 2012)

I used a monolithic piece of sheet vinyl in my 6 x 16 coop, bend it up 3 to 8 inches on the sides...I wanted one solid sheet so there were no 'cracks' or seams to let any liquids seep underneath to the plywood floor. I used a foam backing type of vinyl because it could bend without cracking like the paper backed types....this also worked well to lessen the impact and possible damage of the hardware cloth that's under the vinyl.

_But...I would not spray it with a hose_ let alone a power washer so as not to get water underneath the vinyl (the corners are not watertight) and rot the floor, grow mold or rust the HC.

The vinyl flooring is covered with 2-8 inches of wood shavings. I use a roost board, also lined with the vinyl, with sand to collect night droppings.


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## TeenyTinyFarm (Jan 19, 2014)

I agree with the previous poster, I would not want to spray the vinyl. I only have to rake/sweep it out with the deep litter method. If you really want to power wash, then you need a concrete floor, lol.


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## chickenista (Mar 24, 2007)

I third that.
A floor is only as good as the seams/edges.

But if you put down deep bedding you only have to sweep.. as mentioned above.
If you were thinking about no bedding at all, then you will have poop everywhere!

They poop, walk through and jump up to the roost etc..
every wall will be splattered in a matter of days.

Best to either paint the floor out heavily, put down something etc.. and use the deep bedding.
No poop on the floor...ever.
No smell.
Warm birds.
Great for the garden in the spring and fall.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

I have concrete flooring, easy to either let it sit for months on end or scrape it out monthly. I had wood and laminate, junk and made things harder.


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## gjensen (Feb 8, 2014)

I have 16 houses/pens. I set them all up differently according to how I use them. I prefer different methods for different uses. There is no ideal, just preferences. 

I have a 3 compartment pullet/hen house and runs. The runs are sand, and the house is dirt (sand) floors with deep bedding. The structure is deep enough to keep digging predators out. If managed well and the weather has not trended towards extremes, I can get that bedding to go 6 months or more. In the humid south this requires some maintenance fresh material etc. If I start to lose it . . peat moss, a little (very little), and a fresh layer of bedding gets me ahead. 
I use this deep bedding for compost/fertilizer. It is the root of my garden fertility "program". I have found through the years that the deep bedding method works better on soil. Solid floors are better for clean outs with shorter intervals, but is easier to clean out when you do. It seams a trade off between big infrequent clean outs, to more frequent easier clean outs. 
Once per year in this set of houses gets a solid thorough clean. I use Lysol or tektrol instead of bleach. Bleach uses it's effectiveness on carbon based materials fast. Lysol is a bit oiler penetrates and lasts longer. 
I remove the top couple of inches of sand after the clean, and put down hydrated lime. It sits for eight weeks, then I rake/dig in the lime, and put in a fresh layer of sand. Install bedding, and start over. 
The birds are broke up into breeding pens while it sits. All in and all out. 

The dirt type floors has to be elevated above the exterior

I do have a house with a wood floor that is raised off of the ground. I have to have my wood floors up high enough to access underneath. One bad round with red mite will make you want to have access to every piece and part. Another reason I like the open sand floors with the bedding. 
This house is used in a fenced area to grow out pullets. They are in this house from the time they are off heat, until the time they are laying. From 6wks until 22wks (varies a bit according to weather). I use a modified version of deep bedding in this house. It is all in and all out. 
I like the removable floor covering so that I can treat the floor from top and bottom. Depending on whether or not I do a fall hatch, this house is likely to sit until the next year. 

My cock pens are sand alone, and it works really well. A quick scoop or two under the roost at feeding keeps it in good shape. 

I bed the breeding pens with chopped straw. They are in these pens in pairs or trios. I like the straw for short term use. I can get it cheaper, and it is easier to clean out, if it has not been there long. 

Cockerels are grown out similarly to the pullets. 

The cockerels being considered for breeding are kept in pens that are on grass, and moved frequently. 
Hens that have been proven, and I have interest in keeping after the main flock has been replaced are kept in mobile pens on grass. 

Concrete floors that finished smooth and sealed is an excellent option. The only downfall that I think of is the changing of temps. If the concrete (ground) is cooler than the bedding, or vice versa, there is a tendency to condensate. 
With our humidity, I feel like I am already fighting uphill. I do not see this as an issue (for me) if I used the bedding more short term. 

Houses with wood floors tend to be hotter in the summer, and cooler in the winter. If I cannot access the top and bottom, I can't get to red mites if they ever show their ugly head.

I apologize for the length of the post. I also realize there is no best way. All of the methods have pros and cons. I think it helps to see why others do it they way they do it. 

There is a lot of smart people doing it different ways.


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## Ozarks Tom (May 27, 2011)

Our floor is off the ground, plywood. I rolled polyurethane on it, and covered it with a slightly oversized tarp. About 6" of pine shavings that we change out about every 6 months. I throw in a cup of scratch a few times a week, and they keep it stirred up really well.


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## Guest (Feb 12, 2014)

If you think chickens need fancy floors, maybe you should reconsider chickens. Or else, let them live in the house.


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## paradox (Nov 19, 2012)

We had some flexible thick rubber (kind of like a mat but it comes on a roll by the foot at Home Depot). We attached 1x2 sticks to the edges and cut it a little wider than the floor so it goes up the sides a bit. Then we throw hay or shavings on that. When it is time to clean it you can pull it up by the 1x2's and drag it out, dump it in the compost pile and hose it off if needed.


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

deep litter method on dirt floor and never look back.


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## kudzuvine (Aug 11, 2011)

I too use vinyl tarps, layered with shavings. Gather corners and dump to into spot next to garden, lay back down, more shavings - works for me


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

anyone truly interested in the deep litter method and not sure what it is. think in terms of a compost pile. 

google how to compost and go from there. its basically the exact same thing. you have a good balance of "browns" and "greens" the greens is from the constant supply of chicken manure. browns is the added litter. saw dust, shavings, chopped leaves, plant material, etc. keep it sifted, by having hens scratch around. if done right. you never have to clean it out.


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## DEKE01 (Jul 17, 2013)

Dead Rabbit said:


> anyone truly interested in the deep litter method and not sure what it is. think in terms of a compost pile.
> 
> google how to compost and go from there. its basically the exact same thing. you have a good balance of "browns" and "greens" the greens is from the constant supply of chicken manure. browns is the added litter. saw dust, shavings, chopped leaves, plant material, etc. keep it sifted, by having hens scratch around. if done right. you never have to clean it out.


I'm with you till the never clean it out part. The floor keeps getting higher. Unless your coop is floating on the bedding, sooner or later you room out of head room.


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## Dead Rabbit (Oct 30, 2010)

DEKE01 said:


> I'm with you till the never clean it out part. The floor keeps getting higher. Unless your coop is floating on the bedding, sooner or later you room out of head room.



if run like a compost pile it continues to settle. the anerobic activity in the litter contines to "consume" itself.... i must admit i havent cleaned mine out in 2 yrs. i just started shoveling it out last week. i have 2x8 treated boards around the wired coop enclosures inside my barn.....it has never gotten over that 2x8....no mess no smell. its so clean the hens dust bath in it.

my true compost pile has been used EXTENSIVELY for over 4 yrs without removing anything and it keeps disappearing on me.


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## Gray Wolf (Jan 25, 2013)

We have two 8' x 8' coops that I built with insulated walls and plywood floors up a foot or so above the ground. I put down wall to wall rolled linoleum flooring.

The birds have to stay inside most of the winter so we just keep on laying in the wood chips and straw. By spring it will be 8"+ deep and a soggy mess. I take it all out as soon as the weather stays above 35 or so and start over again. Since the birds are outside when the weather is good, summertime litter doesn't get as deep.

I clean the coops with a plastic snow shovel to avoid tearing the flooring. It works for us


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## gjensen (Feb 8, 2014)

Dead Rabbit said:


> if run like a compost pile it continues to settle. the anerobic activity in the litter contines to "consume" itself.... i must admit i havent cleaned mine out in 2 yrs. i just started shoveling it out last week. i have 2x8 treated boards around the wired coop enclosures inside my barn.....it has never gotten over that 2x8....no mess no smell. its so clean the hens dust bath in it.
> 
> my true compost pile has been used EXTENSIVELY for over 4 yrs without removing anything and it keeps disappearing on me.


 I agree with the theory, but I struggle to go much longer than I do. With our humidity, I tend to build too high before I want to clean out. My rotation does effect the effort. 

I have found that a little ground limestone can help when the weather stays wet, and peat moss is handy.

Stocking density is a factor. When I read the varying opinions, I see that as a potential factor. 

I find that too little birds for the floor area makes for dry and dusty bedding. Too many makes it hard to stay ahead.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

We always put a bale of straw on the floor (coop was built with the straw bale intention and sized for such) All winter the perching hens drop poop onto the straw. The breakdown of said manure heated the coop. In the spring we pulled the house off and spread the straw around. In the summer I put loose straw down. Also used straw in the nest boxes.

With laminate, you can't have moisture. Although the top is laminate, the bottom is not and as soon as moisture gets in the boards are going to warp.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

zong said:


> If you think chickens need fancy floors, maybe you should reconsider chickens. Or else, let them live in the house.



As my old bee keeper boss said to me when I was 12... work smarter not harder. There is always going go be a easier and better way and a really difficult way. I would like to keep things better condition. Concreete might be best bet for me and then deep litter method. Going to read into them now


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## DEKE01 (Jul 17, 2013)

Adisiwaya said:


> As my old bee keeper boss said to me when I was 12... work smarter not harder. There is always going go be a easier and better way and a really difficult way. I would like to keep things better condition. Concreete might be best bet for me and then deep litter method. Going to read into them now


IMO, concrete adds cost and work. But maybe your local conditions dictate otherwise. Deep liter cleaned once or twice a year eliminates a lot of time and work and creates a good garden amendment after it has had time to compost.


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## Shayanna (Aug 1, 2012)

I think we have laminate. With deep bedding on top of that.


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## Adisiwaya (Nov 27, 2013)

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/ddrlonghornss-chicken-coop

i would like to build something like that. I would either want a concrete floor ( can get it cheap and trade carpentry labor for it from a friend ) I do not know if a floor or concrete floor would be better. sorry couldnt find the link till now...

also intrested in the hoop designs ( i think i read on here about one not being able to take alot of the snow wieght

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/permanent-hoop-coop-guide

or 

http://www.backyardchickens.com/a/tailfeather-cottage

havent decided fully since we are still waiting to hear back about the homestead property we are trying to still buy.... any opinions?


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## sammyd (Mar 11, 2007)

We have had coops with dirt floors and with treated plywood floors.
It is certainly easier to clean out the wood floored coop.
We like to use the litter on the gardens in the spring and I like having everything in the shavings rather than losing any to the soil under the coop.


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