Dirt or grass for run

[Cdaniels621]

Should a chicken run have grass or do you put down sawdust?

 

[Shadrach]

Should a chicken run have grass or do you put down sawdust?

You can use either, or many other things but they will all resemble dirt after a few weeks.
Natural ground has always been my preference.

 

[SilverBirds]

Grass and sawdust are okay beddings but it will become just dirt fast. I like to use the deep litter method. Run goes directly on the ground with straw on top.

 

[Cdaniels621]

Thank you!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Should a chicken run have grass or do you put down sawdust?

Welcome to the forum from Louisiana, glad you joined.

How big is your run for how many chickens? How well does the run drain? How dry can you keep it? We all have different circumstances so different things work for different people.

I have a covered 12' x 32' run on a high spot so it drains pretty well, though it does get wet and muddy when the weather sets in wet and rain blows in from the side. It is bare dirt but I put down some pea gravel in areas so I can walk and stay out of the mud. It is workable. I also have over 3,000 square feet enclosed in electric netting. My winter main flock is a rooster and 6 to 8 hens but in summer I may have over 50 in there, mostly growing to butcher age. In my climate that area stays green most of the year. It is dirt and grass and, to me, ideal.

Very few people have this kind of room. Many runs don't drain well but can stay wet. Most are going to have everything green stripped out in short order. Most people pretty much have to do something. Wet is the general enemy but if you have a lot of chickens in a small space the poop can build up pretty quickly too. Managing the poop can take work.

I'll give a link that might help you fight the wet.

How To Fix A Muddy Run Chicken Coop | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens

There are different strategies to handle runs. Some people can just put something down to walk on, pallets are popular, and can live with the wet. Some may use sand and scoop out the poop every day. Some people hate sand, some like it. Some add bedding of some type which absorbs the moisture. Some can leave that bedding in place, some may remove it because it stays wet and regularly replace it. Some people turn their run into a compost pile. Some may add dirt to raise the level so it will drain and then add bedding. Many use landscaping like berms and swales to keep rainwater runoff out of the run.

I don't have a clue what is best for you. My suggestion is to observe the area when it rains and see what you are dealing with. If it drains well this could be pretty easy. If it is a low spot that collects water it gets more challenging.

 

[CarlaCo]

Welcome to the forum from Louisiana, glad you joined.

How big is your run for how many chickens? How well does the run drain? How dry can you keep it? We all have different circumstances so different things work for different people.

I have a covered 12' x 32' run on a high spot so it drains pretty well, though it does get wet and muddy when the weather sets in wet and rain blows in from the side. It is bare dirt but I put down some pea gravel in areas so I can walk and stay out of the mud. It is workable. I also have over 3,000 square feet enclosed in electric netting. My winter main flock is a rooster and 6 to 8 hens but in summer I may have over 50 in there, mostly growing to butcher age. In my climate that area stays green most of the year. It is dirt and grass and, to me, ideal.

Very few people have this kind of room. Many runs don't drain well but can stay wet. Most are going to have everything green stripped out in short order. Most people pretty much have to do something. Wet is the general enemy but if you have a lot of chickens in a small space the poop can build up pretty quickly too. Managing the poop can take work.

I'll give a link that might help you fight the wet.

How To Fix A Muddy Run Chicken Coop | BackYard Chickens - Learn How to Raise Chickens

There are different strategies to handle runs. Some people can just put something down to walk on, pallets are popular, and can live with the wet. Some may use sand and scoop out the poop every day. Some people hate sand, some like it. Some add bedding of some type which absorbs the moisture. Some can leave that bedding in place, some may remove it because it stays wet and regularly replace it. Some people turn their run into a compost pile. Some may add dirt to raise the level so it will drain and then add bedding. Many use landscaping like berms and swales to keep rainwater runoff out of the run.

I don't have a clue what is best for you. My suggestion is to observe the area when it rains and see what you are dealing with. If it drains well this could be pretty easy. If it is a low spot that collects water it gets more challenging.

Hi I know this is kind of an old thread but we just moved our coop and run to a grassy spot for summer. We used deep litter for the run all winter and it was great. Very clean and pretty dry too considering the amount of rain and snow we get.
There are five chickens in a 9x13 run and they have been out there a week. They are not eating the grass or even scratching it up so far. It got full of poop right away and I tried raking it to a corner but it breaks apart and wetter poo just smears all over. I wonder if it’s just too dirty for them to eat or too long or hard for them to scratch or dig.
I’m wondering if I should take a pick ax and turn up the grass for them?

 

[Ridgerunner]

If grass is growing in it then it should not be that compacted. I'd give it time, one week is not much.