cement floor

steve carp · **Joined:** Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:31 pm **Posts:** 3

Is a full cement floor of the coop a good or bad idea?
I want good hygiene and the ability to clean out the coop quick and easy with the hose
The chook will only be in the coop at night basically or to lay an egg

Roova · **Posted:** Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:00 am

It would be pretty cold in the winter I would imagine and also hard to land on if they're coming down from perches. For larger breeds this can cause leg issues.

Can you put a substrate on top like wood shavings, sand, mulch, straw etc to make it a bit cosier?

It would also stop poo sticking and hardening on the concrete.

steve carp · **Joined:** Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:31 pm **Posts:** 3

I could use hay and then burn it when it needs changing. How often would I need to change it though not weekly I hope?

Roova · **Posted:** Tue Mar 01, 2011 7:41 am

Rather than burn the hay its great to use as mulch for the garden. Or stick it in a bag and sell it for $2 at the front gate!

You could consider using the deep litter method so you're not cleaning it out so often. If you google this there's heaps of info on it. You could also try the search feature on here but I'm not sure how much you'll find.

Depending on how many chooks you have you could spot clean every day or so. Pair of tongs and a bucket and away you go :-D

I've got sand in my pen but mulch directly under the perches. Any poo on the sand is easy to collect with a pooper scooper and the mulch I totally empty out once a week and replace. The mulch goes straight into the compost which is going great guns. It takes a couple of minutes and the pen always looks great.

If you have loads of chooks it might be trial and error to find out what works well for you and them!

Rhode Red · **Posted:** Tue Mar 01, 2011 8:06 am

Cement floors are good for cleaning, however as stated hard on the birds feet and legs. I can also be good for reducing pest that require soil to complete their life cycle e.g. stick fast fleas, etc. I use a deep litter on the concrete, the birds can scratch through at will. The bulk matter is great for the vegie garden or compost bin.

Rhode Red

steve carp · **Joined:** Sat Feb 26, 2011 6:31 pm **Posts:** 3

What sort of deep litter do you use please?

Rhode Red · **Posted:** Tue Mar 01, 2011 3:46 pm

I use a combination of pine shavings, lawn clippings, occasionaly add cow or horse manure. Basically what ever I can add to the garden at a later stage.

I sometimes spray with a bit of water (don't soak it), to keep it cool and this keeps the dust down and helps with the breakdown.

If you throw the scratch grain in it the hens are happy to work the material over, looking for the goodies.

Rhode Red

Pamela Jackson · **Joined:** Wed Mar 02, 2011 7:35 pm **Posts:** 1

I read you use cow or horse manure in your deep little can I ask why? wouldn't that be unhealthy for the chickens?

Rhode Red · **Posted:** Thu Mar 03, 2011 2:18 pm

Pamela,
If you get relatively fresh manure (just gone dry) or stable manure (from horse stables), the manure is full of goodies (grains, seed, grass, and some insects). The chooks love to scratch through this material (remembering I am also adding the shavings and sometimes grass clippings). In my youth the chooks on the farm lived near the old dairy and cattle yards, and any fresh pile of manure from the house cow was a prized target. The manure is also still too rich for my garden and needs to age a little. Hence into the chook pen it goes and the hens do their thing and out comes great "mulch" for my garden. The vegies love it.

If you use older manure with mould or fungi already starting the breakdown process, then you might have some issues. I am happy with the process I use, the hens seem happy and healthy.

Rhode Red

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