Can I put pine shavings or SOMETHING over the sand in my run?

[PandCo]

Hi,

I have a sand run and I need a slightly warmer option for my girls as it's only going to get colder here in Wisconsin. I'm about to put pine shavings in the hen house for warmth at night and I want to know what I could do to keep their feet warm when they are out in the enclosed run. I was thinking maybe hay or alfalfa bales to put in the corner where they like to hang out and get warm when they aren't eating.

My run is about about 10'x6' so it's a fairly big area to cover if I was to do the entire space.

What do you suggest?

 

[mobius]

I finally today .put a couple of flakes of straw in the run over "forest floor" deep litter from a bale just outside the run.

I got two largish bales from feed store, where the guy told me it was wheat straw and there were likely wheat seeds in it.

I have never seen such busy happy chickens since it got (deep) cold up here (two weeks or so)..

I think even the "forest floor" deep litter was a little frozen for their feet. They were on the roost all day in the run until I did that. I know the straw has insulating properties.

Sand would be too cold for mine up here in the frozen tundra, but it looks like compacted deep litter was too. Being me, if I DID have sand, at this point I wouldn't care what I put on it if it made the hens happier, more active and cosier.

More straw tomorrow for sure. This is the plan for the winter for now for sure. I dont care if i get a foot deep of straw in there. Baby, it's cold outside!

I would clean it up later. Like in three months.

6-10 inches pine shavings in coop.

 

[mobius]

Also the roosts in the run are handy as they can sit on them and keep their tiny feetsies warm with their feathers.:

Checking out straw bale. Run floor 4x12, one bale would cover it nicely I know. But I will keep adding. Just two flakes off the end of that bale made a huge difference.

Before snow; roosts in run

 

[PandCo]

How hard is it to clean with a hay/straw floor? I clean every day so I like the ease of cleaning of sand.

I'm not sure I want to take on the deep litter flooring method. I just would prefer not to use that method personally. If anything I'd throw some down in one area for them and leave the rest sand. I'll have to keep thinking...

I really appreciate your input.

 

[mobius]

for multiple reasons I will not be cleaning it until spring if then. The poo will be frozen anyway.

For something to keep them warmer over sand other than what I have mentioned I have no idea, sorry. I thought this was about warmth, not cleaning!

If you "throw something down in one area" they will spread and neatly layer it everywhere.