Coop flooring and bedding material.

[HappyGals]

I'm working on the coop now. I was thinking of putting vinyl flooring down to protect the wood and then use sand for the bedding material. My concern is the winter (I'm in New England). Not as cold as some areas but it for sure can get chilly here. Can I put pine shavings over the sand in the winter to provide a warmer bedding material?

Would I need to remove the sand in the winter or can I put shavings over it?

Is vinyl (linoleum) flooring a good idea for the bottom? I've read some people say it can make the chickens sick if they peck at it but if its completely covered by bedding they shouldn't have access.

 

[DobieLover]

I wouldn't use sand personally. It is heavy and dusty and will slowly sand down your vinyl layer. I would just stick with wood shavings. Have you considered using poop boards? Then you could put Sweet PDZ on them and scoop the vast majority of poop out each morning.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Is vinyl (linoleum) flooring a good idea for the bottom? I've read some people say it can make the chickens sick if they peck at it but if its completely covered by bedding they shouldn't have access.

No matter what you propose to do on practically any subject on here someone will tell you that there is something wrong with it, either potentially or definitely. They can always find something that might go wrong. To me, if your vinyl floor is waterproof and will keep the wood under it dry it will work to greatly extend the life of your coop floor. A lot of people use vinyl over wood without issues.

Can I put pine shavings over the sand in the winter to provide a warmer bedding material?

Some people use sand and hate it. Some people use sand and love it. Even if I knew a lot about your coop, your flock, your climate, and your management techniques I would not be able to tell which camp you will fall in. If you try sand and do not like it, I don't know how hard it would be for you to remove it and replace it with something else.

In winter and in summer my chickens sleep on the roosts. I don't consider a warm bedding material to be a high priority. It is generally colder at night than during the day. Why is a warm bedding material important to mature chickens?

Whether winter or summer, my concern with bedding material is that it stays dry. If it gets wet and stays wet it can become unhealthy and stink. Wet could come from your waterer, the environment such as rain or snow, or the poop building up so thick it can't dry out. That's my concern with bedding. I hardly ever change mine out, I don't need to. But if you do change it out often, how easy will that be?

My coop floor is dirt with wood shavings. It stays dry. I use droppings boards to keep the poop from building up very thick. I have weather they can stay outside all day so they are not pooping in the coop during the day and the droppings boards catch about everything at night. I should clean the coop out every fall to put that stuff on the garden so it can decompose over the winter in time for spring planting but I'm lazy. I generally clean it out every two or three years, not because I have to but because I want that stuff on my garden. Some people do deep cleaning weekly or monthly. That means change out the bedding.

I have no idea how often you will be changing out the bedding. Trial and error is probably the best method to determine that. If it starts to smell you need to change it. If you change it regularly sand is probably not the best material to use.

I have no idea what the best bedding material will be for you but I want something easy to work with, relatively inexpensive, and readily available.

Good luck and welcome to the forum!

 

[febane]

I'm working on the coop now. I was thinking of putting vinyl flooring down to protect the wood and then use sand for the bedding material. My concern is the winter (I'm in New England). Not as cold as some areas but it for sure can get chilly here. Can I put pine shavings over the sand in the winter to provide a warmer bedding material?

Would I need to remove the sand in the winter or can I put shavings over it?

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Wife bought a hutch and not a true Coop. We are building are own to ensure they have plenty of room (plus I have a sneaking suspicion we will have more than four within a year). Wife said we have to clean the floor often due to chickens pooping everywhere. I want to add a floor I can slide out, rinse down, and slide back in place. Anyone ever try plexiglass? Thinking about glueing/screwing the plexiglass to a thin board to add rigidity and a pull drawer. Thoughts? My concern is that the plexiglass will be to slick? Maybe not hold up? I am going rogue on the build but don't want to go TOO rogue... never go full rogue. Any feedback is appreciated.