Need help with concrete chicken run!

[Deliaelena]

Hi there. I need help deciding if I should extend my chicken run onto this giant concrete patio that’s just taking up space in my back yard. It’s uncovered. They will have a 72 sq uncovered run that will be dirt with some grass/weeds, but I feel like that’s not big enough for 4 chickens and they’ll just turn it into a dirt patch. I want them to be able to catch bugs and not just live in dirt/mud. First time chicken owner!

My biggest question is, if I do use the concrete patio for an extension of the chicken run, should I use wood shavings or chips as a base? Will the rain just ruin it since the base is concrete(no drainage) and it will be uncovered? I wanted to do a rotational run so split the dirt area in 2 and have them switch between so when they ruin one side, they can have the other side to switch to while the other regrows back. That would be a 36 sq area for the chickens. Too small? Any advice would be welcomed!

Here’s a photo of the concrete area I’m talking about. The garden box will be trashed and their coop & run will go there. You can see my temptation to want to extend it onto the concrete that we never use.

 

[David61]

concrete poop pad. Yea, i got nothing . A stanky mess is all i see no matter what you put on it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Photos?

Does water run off the concrete or sit on top of it?

You'd absolutely have to put a DEEP layer of bedding on top of it.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I have a concrete poop pad lol. Its covered by their coop and I did that for predator reasons. Their actual run is dirt. I use wood shavings on the concrete and scrape the mess up a few times a year and repeat.

 

[Deliaelena]

I have a concrete poop pad lol. Its covered by their coop and I did that for predator reasons. Their actual run is dirt. I use wood shavings on the concrete and scrape the mess up a few times a year and repeat.

Is the concrete that you put wood shavings on uncovered? I wasn’t sure if I would have to have it covered. They’d have a 72 square foot dirt run, I just wanted to give them more space to wander. I could potentially triple that 72 sq feet

 

[Deliaelena]

Photos?

Does water run off the concrete or sit on top of it?

You'd absolutely have to put a DEEP layer of bedding on top of it.

I’m not sure if the water runs off. This is the slab. The garden box is getting trashed and their run & coop will go there.

 

[3KillerBs]

I’m not sure if the water runs off. This is the slab. The garden box is getting trashed and their run & cool will go there.

Where, in general, are you located? What sort of climate?

The best way to check the drainage in a potential coop/run site is to go outside in the next really torrential downpour and look to see where water is running and where it is pooling.

If the water runs off the concrete, doesn't channel across it, and doesn't pool, then it should be OK with a really deep layer of litter.

Coarse wood chips, the kind you get from a tree-trimming service, are probably the best base material for such a purpose.

 

[Deliaelena]

Where, in general, are you located? What sort of climate?

The best way to check the drainage in a potential coop/run site is to go outside in the next really torrential downpour and look to see where water is running and where it is pooling.

If the water runs off the concrete, doesn't channel across it, and doesn't pool, then it should be OK with a really deep layer of litter.

Coarse wood chips, the kind you get from a tree-trimming service, are probably the best base material for such a purpose.

Thanks for the response. I live in the pnw where it rains about 9 months out of the year. Sucks. But summers are very dry.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Is the concrete that you put wood shavings on uncovered? I wasn’t sure if I would have to have it covered. They’d have a 72 square foot dirt run, I just wanted to give them more space to wander. I could potentially triple that 72 sq feet

No it is covered by their coop. I wanted to be able to leave the pop door open and not worry about rats or raccoons getting in so the coop is actually raised and the concrete is beneath it. It has hardware cloth all the way round so they hang out there when its raining or snowing and it gives me a place to put their food and water if the weather is really bad. So the poop and wood chips eventually form a nice crusty mat I can scrape off and use for compost. Uncovered that process would actually be easier but you would probably have to do it more often

 

[David61]

I have a concrete poop pad lol. Its covered by their coop and I did that for predator reasons. Their actual run is dirt. I use wood shavings on the concrete and scrape the mess up a few times a year and repeat.

covered, thats different, uncovered with no way to turn over bottom or drain off?