Does this coop need a floor?

[aart]

The coop is basically at ground level (but with hardware cloth "walls" at the bottom).

'Coop' is generally the part in blue at top with solid walls.
'Run' is the lower part of structure with wire walls.

 

[fat brown hen]

The illustration shows an elevated coop and you also said it was coop was raised so not sure if we're on the same page?

I'm planning to copy this plan, with the exception of the coop floor. (I probably won't bother with the ladder either)

 

[TexasBlues]

I asked the same question in my thread the other day. The conclusion was the floor and enclosed coop provides extra security from predators that could dig under the tractor at night and scoop up the birds.

 

[TexasBlues]

If you look up “chicken tractor on steroids” by permaculturist Jeff Lawton they do an open floor style of coop and compost the bedding/droppings.

 

[fat brown hen]

I asked the same question in my thread the other day. The conclusion was the floor and enclosed coop provides extra security from predators that could dig under the tractor at night and scoop up the birds.

Would dig defense barriers solve the problem? https://www.amazon.com/Barrier-Spacing-Rustproof-Defense-Rabbits/dp/B0BFWJS2SV/ref=sr_1_5

Here's my reasoning:

• Coop should have walls, so there's shelter from the wind.
• Wood siding will rot if it touches the ground, so I don't want the walls to extend to the ground.
• No floor, so droppings can fall to the ground.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I'm planning to copy this plan, with the exception of the coop floor. (I probably won't bother with the ladder either)View attachment 3717213

Yeah so not the same as what I was explaining. I would put the coop flat on ground level, no need for ladders or ramps, so that takes out concern about the "floor." However the major downside is that would eat up run space, so if you're planning to move the tractor a lot sizing up the unit would be a problem.

BTW even in high moisture environments pressure treated or rot resistant wood (like cedar) won't just rot immediately. My brooder is cedar and has been sitting outside for 7 years and is still going just fine, and I get a lot of rain plus have an insane amount of ground moisture/ground water.

Would dig defense barriers solve the problem? https://www.amazon.com/Barrier-Spacing-Rustproof-Defense-Rabbits/dp/B0BFWJS2SV/ref=sr_1_5

That would probably help against some digging predators but would not keep out pests like rats.

 

[aart]

Where will the roosts be?
Might be hard for them to fly up and down that far in such a small(4x4) space.

 

[NatJ]

I live in a mild desert climate. These will be fully feathered chicks from 6 weeks to point of lay.

I want to build a raised coop for a grow-out pen, and plan to do something like this:

View attachment 3717004

It's a 4x4 coop inside a 4x8 tractor. Dumb question, but does the 4x4 coop really need a floor? My plan is to keep the rest of the build the same, but have a gaping void where the floor is supposed to be, so their droppings fall onto the grass below. The only reason I can think of to have the floor is if chickens will be bothered by the wind blowing beneath their toes. Am I missing anything?

I think that will mostly work.
Chickens will not be bothered by having wind beneath their toes: they tend to like sleeping in trees, if given a chance.

If you do build the floor, and you shut the birds into that enclosed area ("coop") at night, the floor will help protect them from predators. This only matters if predators get into the run during the night (usually by digging underneath). If you are not planning to shut the little pop door, the floor will not add any extra predator protection. If you predator-proof the entire structure (including an anti-dig apron around the outside edge), then you also do not need a floor to protect from predators.

Do you expect the chicks to sleep on roosts from their very first night in the coop? It is fairly common for chicks to huddle together on the ground to sleep. If the raised coop has a floor, the chicks can sleep there (you can put them in if they don't get the idea on their own.) With no floor, they might sleep on the ground, which leaves them exposed to any wind that may blow in through the open lower sides of the pen.

If you want to leave out the floor, I suggest a few other changes as well:
--extend the roof so it covers the entire area, not just half
--skip the ramp, the pop door, and the front wall of the coop. That makes the "coop" into three sides with roosts inside, no front and no floor. It should be easy for chicks to fly up to the roosts that way. (I agree with @aart that birds trying to fly up into a 4x4 foot area might have a bit of trouble, especially once they reach full mature size.)

If you intend to move them to another pen when they lay eggs, there is no need for nestboxes, so you do not have to decide how to fit nestboxes into that area as well.

 

[LuciferRoo]

Right, that's what I meant. The coop is basically at ground level (but with hardware cloth "walls" at the bottom). Solid walls up top to block the wind. I live in a mild desert climate. These will be fully feathered chicks from 6 weeks to point of lay.

So in my area of deep south Texas, lot of Mexicans don't even have coops. They have a enclosed run with part of it being under a roof.
One thought I was a crazy gringo for building houses for chickens.

 

[fat brown hen]

Do you expect the chicks to sleep on roosts from their very first night in the coop? It is fairly common for chicks to huddle together on the ground to sleep. If the raised coop has a floor, the chicks can sleep there (you can put them in if they don't get the idea on their own.) With no floor, they might sleep on the ground, which leaves them exposed to any wind that may blow in through the open lower sides of the pen.

I ordered small desert breeds to match my climate (fayoumi, sumatra, and mediterranean birds) so they should roost by 6 weeks. Roosts will be at about 2' or so, I think.

If you want to leave out the floor, I suggest a few other changes as well:
--extend the roof so it covers the entire area, not just half

--skip the ramp, the pop door, and the front wall of the coop. That makes the "coop" into three sides with roosts inside, no front and no floor. It should be easy for chicks to fly up to the roosts that way. (I agree with @aart that birds trying to fly up into a 4x4 foot area might have a bit of trouble, especially once they reach full mature size.)

I thought about skipping the front wall, but I feel like the birds should be out of sight when sleeping. I don't like the idea of predators looking at my birds at night. Seems stressful for the chickens, and predators might be more motivated to break in. Am I being stupid?