Concrete Coop/Run Floor?

[BaaKaaawk]

Hi guys, I have built MANY coops and runs over the years but I moved to KY recently and the "Best" place to build my new coop on this property (for the humans at least!) is under the lean-to portion of my barn. The thing is- it is all concrete there. Does anyone have experience with this type of floor for a run? I can see a lot of potential goods, and some bads- but figure I'm not the first to come across this.

Some more info if you are interested: Construction-wise the location is a dream and will be a breeze to build a full enclosure with wire, etc that will be a 10x40 run plus a coop for ~20 chickens. Unfortunately, free-ranging is out because my 100+ acres is a predator-haven, I have seen no less than 10 types of critters that love chickens, mainly hawks, foxes and coyotes.

The Pros of a concrete base I see are:

• No predators can dig under the fence
• Cleanup will be easy as I have a super high-power horse hose right there
• Building is a breeze because ~75% of my structure is already there
• Cost-wise it's a huge savings building here because materials are silly expensive
• The whole area is covered already with a real roof
• Where I live is insanely windy (all year) and this area provides good protection

The cons of the concrete base I see are:

• Going to guess the chickens are not big fans of concrete under their feet vs dirt
• I'll have to provide grit, dust baths, etc. for them to get their essential chicken-needs
• I'm having trouble coming up with more cons, which is why I am asking, I may be missing something big.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Chookchicken]

Could you perhaps build the coop with a run outside the barn, and then the nesting and sleeping area inside the barn? Chickens need dirt to dig in, so if you could build an in closed area outside the barn they can hang out during the day that will work.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

Could you perhaps build the coop with a run outside the barn, and then the nesting and sleeping area inside the barn? Chickens need dirt to dig in, so if you could build an in closed area outside the barn they can hang out during the day that will work.

I could but it introduces a lot of other issues. Yes, I am well aware of the giant holes they dig in my gardens lol. But no, I agree. I was thinking of maybe building an "annex" area off the end was over natural grade, but then the irony is that would lower my predator-proofing. Right now I have a chicken-fort-knox setup and honestly where I live in the middle of the country with all these predators- I think the chickens would choose concrete over sure death.

I read some other posts I saw- looks like a lot of people put down a bunch of bedding. I was actually planning to make a large "pit" they could dig in, maybe like the size of a flower planter in the 4'x8' range at the end, on top of the concrete and a few feet deep inside.

 

[Chookchicken]

I could but it introduces a lot of other issues. Yes, I am well aware of the giant holes they dig in my gardens lol. But no, I agree. I was thinking of maybe building an "annex" area off the end was over natural grade, but then the irony is that would lower my predator-proofing. Right now I have a chicken-fort-knox setup and honestly where I live in the middle of the country with all these predators- I think the chickens would choose concrete over sure death.

I read some other posts I saw- looks like a lot of people put down a bunch of bedding. I was actually planning to make a large "pit" they could dig in, maybe like the size of a flower planter in the 4'x8' range at the end, on top of the concrete and a few feet deep inside.

You could trying putting a few layers of dirt over the concrete, the only downside to that is that every few weeks you’ll need to re-add the layers, though if your up for that you can do that. It is purely your choice, they are your chickens, and they would rather stay on concrete then die. But if you get some pots and sticks to put on top of the dirt (if you decide to choose that option) that could provide them with a lot of fun material to play with.

 

[BaaKaaawk]

You could trying putting a few layers of dirt over the concrete, the only downside to that is that every few weeks you’ll need to re-add the layers, though if your up for that you can do that. It is purely your choice, they are your chickens, and they would rather stay on concrete then die. But if you get some pots and sticks to put on top of the dirt (if you decide to choose that option) that could provide them with a lot of fun material to play with.

Oh I will make this a fun area- no question! The bigger thing is really just understanding the treatment of the floor. I think I will draw up some designs and post here for feedback. But one of those will be a dirt pit for them.

 

[Chookchicken]

Oh I will make this a fun area- no question! The bigger thing is really just understanding the treatment of the floor. I think I will draw up some designs and post here for feedback. But one of those will be a dirt pit for them.

You seem to have a pretty good idea of what your doing. When it’s done post photos, and perhaps it will give others in a similar situation inspiration

 

[K0k0shka]

One more vote for covering the floor with dirt, but not just one designated dirt pit, and not only dirt. Cover the entire run area with a very thick layer of dirt + wood chips + leaves + other yard waste type plant matter. Make it thick, 6-8 inches kind of thick (you'll need to put something along the sides so they don't kick it out - a wide strip cut from a tarp would be the cheapest, or wooden boards. With a thick bed of scratchable material, your chickens won't even know they're on concrete unless they decide to dig really deep trenches, which they may or may not do. And even if they do, they'll hit the cement and give up. Having the whole area be covered with natural materials they can scratch through would make your chickens a lot happier than a designated dirt pit and the rest concrete. And it would be easier for you, too - less cleanup, if any. Horse hose means you have to wash that cement floor, which is extra work and is gross (wet poop smells... poop left on cement smells between cleanings... etc.) If you have a bunch of carbon material down to absorb the poop though, you can get some cold compost action going and you won't have to clean the whole thing out. And it won't look poopy like turds on concrete

 

[Sheepheart]

Hopefully this year I will be doing something similar to this for my ducks, out property’s precious owners and builders bred chow chows and have a very nice building they built to keep them in, like it has indoor/outdoor runs, floor drains, a bathroom with a raised tub, and it’s all cemented. The info I’ve gathered is that the cement can be hard on the ducks feet so I imaging it would be the same or worse for chickens since they scratch at the ground, deep bedding is an easy solution to this. I’m going to be putting stall mats down and bedding on top, at least inside, the stall mats will also provide some extra insulation from the cold cement.

so here some additional cons to cement
-rough on feet
-can absorb heat
This can also be seen as a pro though if you live someplace that can get pretty warm as it can help keep the coop cool.

another thought about the cement is drainage, if it’s poured so it has a slight slope you might not have to worry much about coop flooding or getting to muddy in rainy seasons or when all the snow starts melting.

 

[Folly's place]

My coop and small run are on an old concrete foundation and floor, and it's great! Mostly because the old floor is cracked, I added rubber stall mats over most of it. This helps with cushioning, dampness from the ground, and made shoveling it out much easier. At least add stall mats in the coop area, so jumping off their roosts is more comfortable. Over the mats we have shavings, some hay or straw, at least three to eight inches deep. So, deep litter, shoveled out a couple times each year.
I don't see any downsides to your plan!
The bedding won't turn into mulch in there, not having ground contact, but it works fine in the field or garden anyway.
Mary

 

[aart]

Construction-wise the location is a dream and will be a breeze to build a full enclosure with wire, etc that will be a 10x40 run plus a coop for ~20 chickens.

That's a big chunk of concrete!
Got pics?