predator-proof floors

[marie000]

We are looking on building a new chicken coop, and we need to make it predator-proof. We have mostly had problems with weasels. We have a duck house right now that has a wooden floor, and we know that will not do. Rats keep chewing through the floor and leaving holes big enough for weasels.

Ideally, we would like to make a concrete floor, but it would be very expensive, close to $1000 if I remember correctly. Concrete tiles would be a bit cheaper ($300-400) but it's still a good chunk of money.
(our prices are based on a 12' by 24' coop, big enough for all our hens, chickens and ducks.

Is there any cheaper way to make a floor that will not get chewed through?

 

[ChickenCanoe]

Sheet metal or expanded metal is not cheap but probably cheaper than concrete. Cheaper, thin sheet metal with the plywood sitting on top will still prevent gnawing animals entry.
I've always used 3/4 inch plywood and haven't had anything get through.

 

[Life is Good!]

We used 1/2" hardware cloth underneath the plywood (but on top of the joists) to prevent chewing predators access to our elevated coop. Coop is 18" off the ground due to flooding issues, but I didn't wish anything to get through. So after the joists were set and leveled, I rolled out hardware cloth and stapled it to the tops of the joists. Then we laid our 3/4" plywood. Then the vinyl flooring which keeps things relatively dry (pine shavings on top of that to absorb messes).

I did bend the hardware cloth up the side walls (once installed) about 2'. So for a time, the hardware cloth was dangling over the edges of the plywood flooring. The hardware cloth made installing the walls a bit trickier (scratches on us as we lifted the walls into place) - but I think it's been worth it. As the coop is 5'x8', it took 50' of hardware cloth to do this (each 3' piece of cloth was 12' long to go up each end 2').

 

[MoonShadows]

Why not just put hardware cloth around the base of the coop and out 2'. That would keep the rats and weasels from getting under the coop in the first place, and probably be the cheapest route. I did this with mine before I applied the sheathing on the coop, and nothing has gotten under the coop so far. (I used welded wire for larger predators, but recommend hardware cloth if rats are a problem for you.)