Can I build a run over concrete?

[Egg Rookie 2010]

I still have no chickens. I finished reading "Chickens for Dummies". Learned a lot. The coop on our property is pretty good but I need to move it. I also need to build a run. There is a large concrete pad I can use and put the coop against one side with outside acess for eggs collection and I can enclose it with a nice fence and roof. Is this a stupid idea to put it on concrete? I can put some dirt or sawdust or something on the floor for comfort etc but I though it would help keep digging critters out and easy to clean. Any advice?

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Do you plan on free ranging them at all? They scratch alot and if they don't free range you would need to put a good deal of dirt or sand or whatever so that they could do their scratching, I would imagine...

 

[elmo]

No, I don't think it's a stupid idea. Plenty of people put in concrete as the foundation of their coops, and you have the concrete right there, already. Use it!

If it was me, I'd figure out a way to make the concrete the foundation of my coop, not just for the run. Concrete has good thermal mass for heating in winter and cooling in summer. You know you'll need to cover it with bedding of some sort, but that's no different from what you'd want to do with pretty much any coop floor.

 

[1_FnkyFrm]

Thats fine and it will keep it from being nasty from rain. Should be easy to clean also...

 

[ShrekDawg]

i agree, they like to scratch a lot so you would need to put a lot of bedding or dirt or whatever down for comfort but its not a totally bad/dumb idea. good luck!

 

[darkmatter]

I wouldn't, I didn't.
Neither my coop or run is on concrete, I believe the coop should be deep litter over dirt and the run should be as much scratchable interest for the chickens as possible.

 

[Pequena Bandada]

Putting the coop on concrete would be great. Concrete for the run, however, might not be very fun for your chickens. They really like to scratch and dig, and wallow in dirt. So maybe use concrete for 1/2 the run and use raw ground for the other half?

 

[ShrekDawg]

Quote:
that sounds like a pretty good idea

 

[Sweetpeaswan]

Hi!!

, we converted two dog runs that were on concrete....we took out the middle panel and placed the henhouse in the back...sprinkled DE on the
the concrete area and then a nice layer of shavings...the run is protected on one side and overhead from rain, and it's really worked out well. Now
that our brood is older we let them out in the morning to run around in the grass. Its actually been very easy to maintain. Good Luck!