Blogger Kacey Bradley helps you chose the best flooring for your chicken coop needs.

Whether you are brand new to owning and caring for chickens, or a seasoned pro, there are a variety of factors to consider when building a good quality chicken coop. Chicken coop flooring is one of the most important aspects of a coop. The flooring material needs to be easy to clean, comfortable for the chickens, and cost-effective. Each chicken coop is different when it comes to chicken coop flooring. There are a lot of options out there, and each has pros and cons.

We have compiled a list of common chicken coop flooring materials to help you choose the best option for your coop.

Concrete

Concrete flooring is another great, durable option which is easy to sweep, wash and wipe. The material is also less porous than other options, making it easy to disinfect and prevent the spread of bacteria and disease. Concrete flooring requires low maintenance as you won’t need to replace or maintain the flooring. However, it is a permanent flooring solution. If you ever decide to switch floor options or the location of the coop, concrete flooring is hard to disassemble. Cement or concrete flooring can also be more expensive than other flooring options in upfront costs. It is harder to pour the concrete and set it yourself, so you might need a professional to help. Like vinyl flooring, you can use bedding on top of the flooring.

Sand

Sand is a more natural, eco-friendly flooring option to consider. It is relatively inexpensive can be easily cleaned of any droppings by raking or scooping up debris. Sand also can help to shorten chicken nails. One of the cons of sand flooring is its insulation properties. In the winter, it can be harder to maintain a comfortable temperature for the chickens. Unlike other materials, sand needs to be changed periodically so that it remains clean and disease-free.

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is made of 100% synthetic materials. It is made up of multiple layers, which helps make it a durable flooring option. Vinyl flooring has a topcoat that helps prevent wear and tear and scratching. The flooring is easy to clean which is essential in a chicken coop. It is easy to sweep the flooring of any debris, and the surface can be mopped or wiped with disinfectant.

You can even use additional bedding on top of the vinyl flooring. Hay, wood chips, and other bedding materials can be laid on top of the flooring to create an additional layer of comfort and warmth for the chickens. Vinyl flooring also often comes in sheets for increased water resistance.

Wood

Wood is another durable flooring option that looks great in a chicken coop and is relatively easy to clean and sweep and able to be disinfected. Cellulose floors such as wood or bamboo can be damaged by excessive moisture, so this is a factor to consider in particularly humid climates. Because wood is also more porous than other materials, which could potentially encourage pests. Overall wood is a durable, inexpensive material to use as flooring.

There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to chicken coop flooring. Each coop setup and location is unique. Experimenting and trying different flooring materials over time can help you find one that works for you. At the end of the day, keeping healthy and happy chickens is the thing that matters the most.

Kacey Bradley is the blogger behind The Drifter Collective, an eclectic lifestyle blog that expresses various forms of style through the influence of culture and the world around us. Along with writing for her blog, she has written for sites like U.S. News, SUCCESS, Guides for Brides, Hotel Online and more!

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