Crazy idea? Ceramic tile in coop floring...

[comp6512]

Hi, need all your expert opinions here.

My future coop is 10x12 and has concrete slab floor now. I am thinking if I put ceramic tile over the floor, can I get away with no bedding? Just hose it off a couple of times a week and be done?

I am in Central Florida, so cold is not an issue.

Chickens are coming the week of Sep. 28, so it's time to get serious

 

[gel2727]

The sticky back linoleum would probably work better (and be much cheaper). I would still put some shavings down on top of that though, or else they will most likely be covered in poo.

This should be easy to maintain, just shovel it out once a month or so, depending on how many chickens you have and how messy it gets.

 

[Big Chicken Little]

Chicken poo really sticks when it drys like tar. I would not go through the expense of tile. Plus hosing every other day with tile will keep the coop damp. I would put a good concrete epoxy paint made for garages as this will seal the floor then use pine shavings and DE. This would be cleaner and a lot less work.

 

[DonnaBelle]

Yes, I agree with the concrete sealer and pine chips on top of that, chicken poop would make good glue if you could stand the smell.

DonnaBelle

 

[elmo]

We have tile in our indoor bird room, and it's great! Bird poo, seeds, litter, etc., are easy to sweep up daily, and I just mop once a week or so.

 

[Bigdaddy101]

I don't see a huge difference between finished concrete and ceramic tile. If you already have the tile, why not. It will clean up well, that's why it is used in houses. But if the slab is smooth, it would be cost effective to just seal it and go. At any rate, remember to use a low voc's if your moving in soon. This is key regardles of what your using, tile or stain....

 

[patandchickens]

Ceramic tile may well be *harder* to clean than sealed concrete, because of the grout lines to catch stuff. I certainly can't see it worth the expense.

It's not generally a good idea to try to skip bedding. First, if the chickens spend any meaningful time in the coop (like during bad weather) or if the roost is more than a foot or two off the floor, you WANT the bedding there as CUSHIONING. Otherwise you will be getting orthopedic injuries, bumblefoot (infections), arthritis, etc.

Secondly, if you let poo dry onto a surface it can be *real real* hard to get off, especially the runny cecal poos. The only way to avoid ahving it dry on would be to hose the coop out once or twice per day. In a normal climate, this will lead to a pathologically damp coop with all the problems that go along with that; in an arid climate it's a waste of precious water.

It really does not cost much for storeboughten shavings (like in bales from the feedstore - remember they expand to considerably larger than the bale looks, once you open the bale) for a typical backyard coop. If you don't want to spend even that, how about using sand - in C FL you should be able to obtain some for cheap or free, and if you use a fine-tined rake on a regular basis you will be able to remove most of the worst of the poo.

And a droppings board under the roost will further reduce the poo input that your bedding recieves.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[CityChook]

AnKa put tile in her coop. Might want to PM her to see what her experience has been:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=140029

 

[Raz'sRoost]

I agree with everyone here.

If you have concrete already, just seal and go! But definately put bedding down, you just can't get away without using bedding.

I use a ceramic tile in my brooder if the nights here get too cold, it absorbes the heat of the lamp and my babies love it...but I cover it with a little bedding (that they will just scratch off). However, even after one night I must SCRUB pretty good to get it clean.

Good luck

 

[LizzyJo]

I put vinyl in my coop and it works fine. It is even coved up the walls a bit. I use shavings, but some poo gets through anyway. Once a week with a soft scrub brush and bleach water takes care of stuck poo. I would think that it would be the same for tile. You could even tile up the walls a ways.