Chicken run- best material for floor that's proven????

[TMarie]

We have just over half an acre of yard, living in a subdivision. And I considered getting a tractor coop/run so I can just move them all over the yard and let them have the grass. Would they ruin our grass? Also, our dogs have a designated bathroom spot so we don't have to worry about poop. Do you think 3 hens' poop would create a landmine if I move the tractor all over? Or would the poop just fry and disappear into the grass nicely?

 

[TMarie]

I meant would the poop dry* and disappear into the grass nicely?

 

[leddyger]

i was wondering the same. I have a run hidden under my raised herb garden but since we also have a drip system connected to it the run is always muddy. What can I put down to keep it cleaner so my lil girls are not always covered in mud?

 

[AutumnFall]

I've been thinking of putting down a layer of sand in my chicken yard, but I'm wondering how it works when it gets very hot. Does the sand hold the heat (like on a beach on a really hot sunny day) making the chickens hotter? We live in Iowa, so we don't have blistering Arizona type hot, but it gets pretty hot at times. Part of the yard is shaded by grape vines and part is open to the sun. (And usually they are allowed to run around the pasture, but there are times they need to stay in their yard, and on hot days they don't like to roam too far anyway.)

Thanks,
Autumn

 

[tcbdnw]

Our chicken run is about 8' x 12' and covered overhead. We have regular south Georgia dirt on the floor and cover it with a bale of pine straw. The ladies make good use of the pine straw and over a period of 3 to 4 months when the straw is all broken down we rake it up with composted dried manue, treat the run good with DE, and put in a new bale of pine straw.

 

[kellyloveschad]

Right now in my run i have organic multch i was thinking of using bricks and making different areas I was thinking the would give the entertainment in the winter!! is there any reason that would be a bad idea??

 

[emcdiggs]

We have a bunch of drainage rock that I think would be too big for their feet if left alone. If we laid pea gravel/sand on top of the drainage rock would it hamper the natural drain that already exists? It was definitely reassuring that you mentioned gravel underneath sand as we have existing land and a drainage area that could add another 200sq ft to our run and it would be a great area!

 

[Ajcoops]

I had a cement floor with straw on top. It was working perfectly until I had a huge red mite and straw mite outbreak. I live in Australia so this might not be an issue for others. I will never use straw again from my local area. Cement is awesome. Just pressure hose and it's clean. I have some pine shavings under the coop and an adjoining gravel pen on a slope. No mud even during downpours. I still can't work out what to put down over the cement.

 

[Ajcoops]

. Update when I found this red mite infestation in my dust bath that contains D.E. pyrethin dust, wood ash and sand I removed shavings. I'm going to trial hemp instead. Hope the chickens don't start dialling for pizza at midnight!

 

[Ajcoops]

Try as I mite, couldn't keep these mites out. Glad I have cement and rubber perches so I didn't have to torch coop.