Author Topic: Chicken house floor (Read 3130 times)

Old_chapel_apple_juice · « **on:** March 30, 2015, 10:12:27 pm »

Hi guys new to this
I've build a chicken house with fence posts in the ground and pallets with a felt lined ply roof
10ft x 6ft and 5ft high
It's in our orchard on a slope
This ground is still exposed grass (now mainly wet mud)
Really looking for some advise on what to put on the floor to ease cleaning and keeping it dry
Was thinking about digging it slightly and putting a wood frame and Lino but would like the cheapest option possible
Anyone have any ideas ??

Izzy · « **Reply #1 on:** March 31, 2015, 06:33:46 pm »

If you want it to be fox proof you might have to lay concrete slabs.

doganjo · « **Reply #2 on:** March 31, 2015, 08:36:44 pm »

And you'll still get rats in even then - down the sides between the pallets.

HesterF · « **Reply #3 on:** March 31, 2015, 10:45:39 pm »

Can't picture it really but I'd have thought a combination of lino on the floor and a felted roof would give you a red mite fest. Mine are all wood so a wood floor covered with bedding copes well enough. Raising it off the ground to allow air underneath helps preserve the wood. Some of mine are stood on pallets - with happy rats living underneath the pallets. Grrrr.

Caroline1 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 01, 2015, 10:40:55 pm »

Mine has a raised wooden floor which works well and easy enough to clean out.

welsh_cob · « **Reply #5 on:** April 06, 2015, 08:36:23 am »

Hi Old_Chapel, agree with HesterF I put shavings down under the perches, far easier to clean and avoids the coop stinking out quickly! Have you got any pictures?

Bramblecot · « **Reply #6 on:** April 06, 2015, 10:42:26 am »

We always buy chicken food in paper sacks, then use the sacks on the

house floor and cover with wood shavings. It is easy to pull out the sacks for cleaning and it all goes onto the compost heaps. The rats will come if you have chickens; having a moveable house is a good option, and keeping a good ratting

or

.

clydesdaleclopper · « **Reply #7 on:** April 06, 2015, 05:32:18 pm »

Put down some small weld mesh to keep out the rats then just deep litter them on the earth.

Old_chapel_apple_juice · « **Reply #8 on:** April 21, 2015, 10:55:31 am »

Going to attack it today with some pallets with closed together boards
I'm not too fussed about foxes as I have never really seen much
And the dogs scent keep them away also I have firearms and go out checking regularly same with rats
I'll put some photos up later

devonlad · « **Reply #9 on:** April 21, 2015, 02:48:32 pm »

We have a wood floor which we cover with flattened cardboard boxes. At cleaning time we just roll it up and job's a goodun. All the neighbours give us there old boxes and we've always got a good stock

Carey boy · « **Reply #10 on:** April 21, 2015, 04:53:56 pm »

My advice would be

Always have an air gap between the ground and the floor of the pen and always make the pen moveable. You will not be able to stop the RATS if not.

Good lusk