Bare dirt floor of uncovered run - what do you suggest? - Page 2

My old run was always dirt or mud (I hated it) I tried lots of bedding types but didn't like them. I ended up throwing grass clippings and leaves in there. I also planted a couple shrubs. This worked out great.

For two years now I've had no cover over my run, it's time to at least cover some of it.I'm tired of the mud and smell.

I like mulch and ripe hay (they love that!)  and leaves and garden compost and anything else.  Anything non-poisonous gets thrown in.  It's sort of like a lazy person's deep litter system.  I also have a little log roost on one end about 2 ft off the ground for them to hop up on.  It is the sunniest corner and they hop up there to preen themselves.  They like to be up, even during the day.

This  past fall I would vacuum  and throw the mulched leaves in there.

Just threw the last batch in, they love it AFTER I get them in there. They

don't much like it when I'm putting them in there.  Weird.

I just mentioned to DH last night we needed to do something.  The local

sand/gravel business will sell shovels of yellow sand for .25 cents or the

white sand for .50 cents a shovel. Wonder if they will let me use my coal

shovel?  Not quite sure what we are going to do right now. 

Our property is hilly so water runs off my run. The hills get old going up and down but it makes it nice not to have mud to deal with another plus is when it rains, it cleans my run

Great idea. I didn't know chickens would eat leaves. Our goats love them but never thought about the chickens
 

 

Right now I am at a rental property and I am not going to be putting any money into the coop or the run. They both have a dirt floor and I do throw my pine shavings form the brooders in the coop as I change them. I was going to use sand but the water comes down the hill when it rains so it would just wash away. I never did think of of leaves and all that, but that would mean going in the woods where there are snakes now.

 

I als hate the muck and mud and smell when it rains, thing will be better planed out when I move.

The coop I am building will have a covered run but I think that here in Oregon, even with a roof,  you'd still get plenty of wet so due to the high clay content of our soil  I am also going to have a coarse sand  floor for drainage.