Anyone use a concrete pad in run? Suggestions? Advice. Newbie

[lilmillefleur]

If you put a thick layer of shavings you should be fine, especially if they don't hop from very high. My coop was built on an old concrete shed foundation. I'd love to do DL at some point too.

 

[TheGoldenGirlz]

In the winter, won’t it get soaking wet and freeze solid?

You could put a thin layer of gravel underneath it so it drains. Although, I have my coop in a very wet part of my yard and it drains very well.

 

[lazy gardener]

The cold would be my greatest reason for never choosing to build a coop/run on a concrete base. Unless there was a very deep footing, the concrete wouldn't last more than 2 seasons. And, it would be a very cold base for the DL to rest on. For DL to work well, it needs to have contact with the soil. Though, you can inoculate it with soil microbes, which will help. Concrete would be a more viable option where the ground was not frozen 6 months of the year.

 

[debid]

I'd put the coop itself on the pad (it will stay square longer with a foundation) and let them have a dirt floor run. Chickens like to scratch in the dirt. I installed a piece of fencing on the ground around the run and covered it with dirt so you can't even see it. This prevents gaps dug either by chicken or predator.

 

[cmom]

I don't have runs but I do have several large pens. All of my pens have sand. The birds poop in it but they scratch around and I don't have to clean the pens but I have a poop pit under the roosts that I clean out. I do have concrete under the gates because once I had a fox dig under one of the gates and kill several birds. All of my pens are covered with heavy duty netting and I have electric around the perimeter of the pens. Nothing can did under or go over. I have heard critters especially in the spring that don't know the wire is there and touch it and get a good shock (it has made my heart skip a few beats when I have accidentally touched it) and they don't come back to test it again. In the beginning all of the pens had grass in them but over the years the birds have scratched it all up. They do get to free range in the pasture but mostly prefer to be in there pens because there is more shade in them. Here are some pictures. I raise a lot of birds.

There has been another coop added since this picture was taken but the wires are the same.

 

[Crazychocolatedog]

BTW, on the sand, I should probably clarify that a bit. IF.......you live in a dry climate area, and are faithful about daily cleanups, sand might be OK. In a wet area, where any droppings get left out to be rained on......that is where the trouble builds.

New England weather is amost never dry!lol. I might be able to remove part of the cement so they get a little dirt,...plus I’ll add dust baths...and let them out, if they are good girls and don’t run away. Do chickens run away if you let them loose for an hour or so, supervised?
It’s scary raising something new!lol

 

[PollyGirl21]

What we do is we have a layer of sand with fine pine shavings on top. They like the extra padding the sand gives them.

 

[lazy gardener]

I find that the more freedom they have, the farther they range. You should be fine to let them out for supervised range time if you do so towards the end of the day. They tend to stay close to the coop at that time.

I've been giving my flock freedom almost all day long. At mid day, I have to grab a broom and go "sweep them" out of the road and off the neighbor's property. They have 4 acres to roam, but apparently, that's not sufficient.

 

[sn0wwhite]

I like sand, but I clean it daily like kitty litter. I also like sweet PDZ in the coop and also clean that like a litter box.

 

[Crazychocolatedog]

I like sand, but I clean it daily like kitty litter. I also like sweet PDZ in the coop and also clean that like a litter box.

PDZ?