Chicken run bedding\litter over hardware cloth

[Roseynose]

I decided to leave it as is and put a rubber mat along the coop floor. I can't believe I found a almost perfect size runner for it. I will have to buy a rubber door mat to make up the 2 ft difference at the end though. It was cheaper than buying more hardware cloth as that stuff is getting expensive.

 

[BDutch]

I decided to leave it as is and put a rubber mat along the coop floor. I can't believe I found a almost perfect size runner for it. I will have to buy a rubber door mat to make up the 2 ft difference at the end though. It was cheaper than buying more hardware cloth as that stuff is getting expensive.

I hope the rubber mat is not made from old car tires. I wouldn’t trust the poisons in it with pecking chickens.

 

[Roseynose]

I hope the rubber mat is not made from old car tires. I wouldn’t trust the poisons in it with pecking chickens.

Well it will have quite a bit of bedding on it. At least it's better than redoing everything, and better than injuring there feet. Also technically pine bedding is toxic but everyone uses it and seems to work fine. Your Damned if you do your damned if you don't.

 

[BDutch]

Its very well possible there is no problem with the mat. My chickens love to lay on a rubber mat that lies at the doorstep in a sunny spot. I never saw them pecking in it. But personally I wouldn’t trust it completely in a closed environment. Just my 2 cents.

The thick bedding helps too of course.

 

[mowin]

If you're setup is only 29" wide, just cut the HC down the middle length wise, and fold it out. The only areas you would need to add HC is to each end, so not very expensive. Relatively a easy solution and no messing with rubber mats that still will hinder the chickens natural digging instinct that they crave.
Also pine bedding isn't toxic. Cedar is. Although some do use it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Also technically pine bedding is toxic but everyone uses it and seems to work fine.

Pine is not toxic.

Sources which claim this are generally trying to sell you some other bedding.

 

[Roseynose]

If you're setup is only 29" wide, just cut the HC down the middle length wise, and fold it out. The only areas you would need to add HC is to each end, so not very expensive. Relatively a easy solution and no messing with rubber mats that still will hinder the chickens natural digging instinct that they crave.
Also pine bedding isn't toxic. Cedar is. Although some do use it.

That's a great idea, but unfortunately there is a rat problem in my neighborhood and they can just borrow right into the coop as they can build networks underground. I just don't want to risk. I plan to let them out of them out of the coop for an hour or 2 daily to forrage.

 

[Roseynose]

Pine is not toxic.

Sources which claim this are generally trying to sell you some other bedding.

That's good to hear. I figured it couldn't be that toxic if most people use it and there chickens are alive and well.

 

[perkolator]

I'm sure the rubber stall mat will work fine, just provide lots of bedding on top so they have something to forage through, also so you have enough dry material to keep from a sloppy situation if it gets wet because that stall mat won't let the water drain through it (I red you're in the PNW)

Since everyone said no to the HC underneath, I'll go opposite and say you'd be fine as long as it's deep enough. My setup has a HC floor due to moles/gophers and rats - with at least 8-10"+ deep dirt and mulch above it; none of my chickens have dug down all the way to the HC, the hole fills back in before they can go that deep

 

[Roseynose]

Coop is done!!good enough. Still needs a tarp on one side for the rain