New Coop floor: Sand, Pine Flakes, or Hemp and Seasonal changes

[Cluckingkrazy]

I’m in the process of finishing the final touches on my second coop. I’ve rehabbed an old barn shed, added new linoleum floor and incorporated a poop table. Thinking about what to use for floor cover.
What to do for new coop flooring, I really want to move chickens and need to finish out the final touches.

I have previously used pine flakes, cleaning the coop out fully once every month two (in old coop) but early this year I switched and currently use sand. I like the sand it’s so much easier to clean, the only exception is this old wood has cracks. So it’s all being lost under coop (I plan to redo floors once other coop is done).

I recently read that sand should not be used in winter time due to the coldness for chickens they need warmer bedding, that sand should be switched out to flakes in winter. I live is SE Missouri it gets cold here but rarely to teens temperatures however it’s possible. Does anyone else use sand and switch out to flakes depending on season?
The only downside of the new coop is there isn’t a good method to sweep out the old flooring Like the old coop because one door and using from for brooder area eventually and storage.
I’ve researched hemp bedding but due to price decided to stay with sand. Would hemp be better than sand in new coop?

Looking for advice about season use of sand. Also looking for advice on hemp option.

Some in process photos.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

It looks like it's going to be awesome! In my painted floor coop because the majority of poo goes directly to the poo tray which is filled with Sand and PDZ, the floor stays fairly clean. It's the occasional poo in the walkway to nest boxes that I have shavings and chopped straw on the floor to absorb. I give it a stir around with a broom every day and then scoop into a poo bucket for my garden/compost every few days. My layout is the opposite of what you've described where brooder and storage is in the far end with no door, roosting separated in the end with the walk in door. Just thought I'd throw that out incase its not to late for you to change the config.... In either case, what I'd do to make that floor easier to clean, is a thick layer of paint. Poo will still stick to it but if you have wood chips the majority will sweep up. I use a scraping tool like a tiling tool to scrape any dried on poo and I also mop it every few months.

 

[Cluckingkrazy]

It looks like it's going to be awesome! In my painted floor coop because the majority of poo goes directly to the poo tray which is filled with Sand and PDZ, the floor stays fairly clean. It's the occasional poo in the walkway to nest boxes that I have shavings and chopped straw on the floor to absorb. I give it a stir around with a broom every day and then scoop into a poo bucket for my garden/compost every few days. My layout is the opposite of what you've described where brooder and storage is in the far end with no door, roosting separated in the end with the walk in door. Just thought I'd throw that out incase its not to late for you to change the config.... In either case, what I'd do to make that floor easier to clean, is a thick layer of paint. Poo will still stick to it but if you have wood chips the majority will sweep up. I use a scraping tool like a tiling tool to scrape any dried on poo and I also mop it every few months.

Thanks the floor is already laid down, it’s linoleum sheet. Glued to wood base and trimmed with quarter round to ensure no moisture gets underneath.
The question here is really what to use for base floor fill. I used to do pine and now sand in my other coop. This new coop has shelf so I do anticipate less cleaning will be necessary. Sand will be hard to remove entirely from this coop that is why I pose the question annd because of the seasonal change that I never had thought about until I seen a video. I do envision putting a transition/holding cage underneath shelf just not yet because I’ve been working on this every weekend for a month. Really need to move two roosters apart asap.

Thanks for tips on floor plan. However the floor plan of coop is established already because windows at the other end but does have walk thru door in between the areas.

 

[SandyRiverChick]

I'm on a River with a Sandy beach, my entire property is sandy soil so I use alot of sand, in my run, dust baths, poop trays....... But I wouldn't put it on my coop floor if I couldn't just sweep it out the door. Lifting it off the floor in a dustpan just sounds heavy and not worth it since it's not going to do anything different than pine shavings. Meaning, if you step on poo whether in shavings or sand, it's going to stick to your shoes. If I was going to just leave a material on the floor for half a year I still don't know why sand would be better than shavings. That's just my opinion.

 

[Cluckingkrazy]

Thanks for insight. I also get sand out of the branch nearby for their dust bath and run. However, I buy the sand for the coop floor. I like the sand because it’s jus longer lasting and easier to clean. I’ve never heard anyone say anything about needing to replace for winter. They do like to go in there and burrow down into the sand when it’s really hot outside.

 

[FrostRanger]

I use chips year round and use deep litter to minimize the need to clean and I get amazing fertilizer for my garden

 

[Cluckingkrazy]

I use chips year round and use deep litter to minimize the need to clean and I get amazing fertilizer for my garden

We used ours in the garden as well however did not find it very beneficial. Of course I cleaned it out coop monthly or bi-monthly. Maybe it’s me being too picky but I didn’t like the dirty smell.

 

[Ted Brown]

*Deep litter with drop boards picked up frequently eliminates smell & dirt with NO additional work. I empty my coop once per year.

Edit: *deep bedding I meant. Also use deep litter method DLM in run for ZERO maintenance save adding leaves/needles in the fall.

 

[Rusty Hills Farm]

THIS except I do mine twice a year. I never smell a thing.



Edited to add that I have a barnful of horses so buy shavings by the ton which made the initial decision to go with shavings very easy.

 

[paintedChix]

Shredded junk mail, card board, newspaper & phone books - free except for shredder/time.

Our coop/run combos are open to ground - use leaves, lots of other materials as well. Our whole property is sand here in sandhills of NC. Nasty stuff, stinks! Can't remove so small areas at a time DLM removed from coop/runs & spread. Starting w/ outside of coop/runs & then further. Sand becoming more loamy, able to support more varieties growing plants now. No more stinky sand...

@gtaus has several threads regarding shredded paper in his coop & run.

Brooder w/ shredded paper




Coops (10x8 pen mostly tarped) w/ shredded paper





Building raised garden beds - used as grow outs for juveniles. Started cardboard, then w/ logs & limbs @ bottom, , shred, woodchips, shred kitchen scraps & forgotten nasties @ back of fridge, shred, chickens, shred added as needed.





Life happened & 4 garden beds that were started not topped w/ garden soil or planted yet. Plan on this year!!