How do you guys feel about a chicken deck?

[accio! chickens]

We've been changing plans over and over for our new coop. We have now decided that since our chicken house will be behind the treeline and won't be seen from the road or driveway, we can get away with a 10x12 structure. We plan on putting it on stilts and will be a pole barn with a gambrel roof if we can swing it. My mum was saying, since my brother sometimes takes care of the hens when I'm not home or we have to be gone after dark. We are planning to put in a deck instead of a run as we seem to have the only digging chickens who can, get this, dig 2 feet down and under their fence... no kidding. Our deck will be about a foot off the ground with a ramp up to the house, it'll have their fence as the railings and a roof. Our garden is fenced and they free range all day mostly so when we aren't able to be there after dark, we could leave them on the deck so Kevin can lock them up easy.

I was planning on putting down rubber matts on the deck, we can scrub them and every few weeks pull them up and clean underneath.

Thoughts?

I was also planning on making a new duck house as a lean to on the back of our chicken house, it too would have a deck but only high enough so our stock tank pond can be recessed into it.

So... how do you feel about a chicken deck? I think it would solve our problems. We would install a sandbox in the corner of it for the chickens to play in, and it'd only be used as a run when we can't be there and there is a chance we won't be there before it gets dark out.

 

[patandchickens]

The general concept -- an undiggable run floor, given that they will free range most of the time -- seems sound.

Have you priced out doing that 'deck' versus laying large square pavers (I believe they are something like $5 for a 2x2' if you catch them on sale) with a load of sand or roadbase (or I suppose your horse mats) over them? I would think that'd be cheaper, and work just as well. Plus sand is cheaper than horse mats, too

If you DO do the deck thing, make sure it is raised well up off the ground so that vermin and predators do not find it a safe place to hunker down and plot mischief.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[accio! chickens]

Plot mischief.

I think for our situation the deck would work better. It'll keep the are clean will be a lot easier to keep clean especially if we end up with another case of "what's that pest?"

 

[ZooMummzy]

My chickens have a patio...so why not?

I think it sounds like a great idea!