I was looking at a couple of other plans for chicken coops websites the other day – as you do – and noticed a number of chicken coop designs were resting on poured concrete bases or slabs.
I wondered whether this was a good idea or not. Mine have always been on the ground – with the roosting area raised so at night my birds are out of harm’s way.
Don’t get me wrong – I can see the obvious benefits in keeping predators out of your hen house – always a good idea – but there are a couple of things I’m maybe not so keen on.
Concrete isn’t the most environmentally friendly stuff. I know it’s got its advantages but I try and use it as little as possible. It’s also kind of permanent, so I guess you’re not going to need to move your chicken coop around because the chicken aren’t going to scratch up the ground. On the other hand, I’m not sure about putting birds in a chicken coop where they can’t behave naturally – they want to scratch the ground for bugs and worms.
If I sound a bit unconvincing it’s because I can’t make up my mind whether the negatives out-weight the positives. Nothing’s going to dig up through it and eat your birds. It doesn’t need maintenance – although you might want to make some provision for draining so the water doesn’t pool and rot the timber of your frame.
I could probably go on, but I don’t you getting bored! Would I include a solid base in my plans for chicken coops? Probably not – just because I can’t see anything wrong with the way I’ve always done it. If you disagree, please go right ahead and have your say!