Flooring

[Mad Maggie]

I am in the process of having a new house and run made - one where the run extends under the coop. The inside of the coop, the floor is tongue and groove and I was wondering about putting some lino on the floor before the woodchips to make it easier to clean. Do you think this would encourage redmites?

 

[Chuck]

You could creosote the floor and the rest of the coop, inside and out. This should stop any red mite colonies under the lino.

 

[Sue]

You could just put a layer of newspaper on the floor and then just take up the whole lot when you clean it out.

 

[Marigold]

I would follow the advice from both Chuck and Sue! if you put Lino (?vinyl floor covering?) over the tongue and groove this could become redmite heaven underneath, and I don't see what use it would be except to give a flat surface for easier cleaning. The type of flooring wouldn't encourage redmite but would make it easier for them to get sneakily established before you noticed what they were up to!

 

[TheOriginalHawk]

Would lino cause leg development problems?

 

[bantiekeeper]

Agree with Sue. I put newspaper on the coop floor just overnight and remove and burn it in the morning. As the chooks are outside in the run most of the time I do not bother to cover the floor until late in the day.

 

[Mad Maggie]

Just realised using the word 'lino' tells you how 'old' I am lol :mrgreen: Thanks for your replies - think I will just go with newspaper or woodchip as I certainly don't want redmite lurking anywhere particularly under vinylay!! Was just thinking that it would be more hygenic and the wooden floor would stay as new.

 

[BabyBantam]

You could use a good dose of Diatom under the lino? I have a chipboard floor, so may be more suitable, but no issues with red mite in the last 2 years...

 

[Mad Maggie]

Thanks - I normally put redmite powder all over anyway!!!

 

[Marigold]

If you either put several layers of paper all over the floor, or else use about 2 ins of wood shavings or aubiose or similar, then just remove the droppings each morning, the floor will never get messy anyway.

 

[Sue]

Agree with Marigold. I put a good layer of newspaper down and remove the droppings and any wet paper each morning and then add more paper as necessary. The floor never even gets wet.

 

[Lucylou]

I use cardboard from boxes I get deliveries in at work. (always think its funny as I have a bridal shop, all these beautiful dresses get sent in big boxes then the box gets used for chickens to poo on!!!)

I cut the card up to fit the width of the coup, then use it in pieces & chuck it away in the recycling. Makes it easy to clean. I put Diatom underneath too.