Chicken run ground cover

[gossettk76]

Hey guys! I'm just about to start work on our chicken run. I know everyone has different opinions on what ground cover works best, but what works best for you and why? Our coop and run is shaded by 8-10 good size trees so right now we have more than enough leaves. I was thinking about a natural ground in the run but I also like the idea of sand. What do you say guys??? Thanks in advance.

 

[Chick-N-Fun]

I have construction sand for the bottom of my run. It’s easy to clean, and plenty of grit!

 

[azygous]

I have sand in both my run and coop. I find it extremely satisfactory, and so do my chickens. It's for runs covered against being saturated by rain and snow and needs trenching so runoff doesn't flood the run. Soggy sand is just no fun.

 

[imnukensc]

My run is covered. I just fill it up with leaves every fall, but my chickens free range nearly all day.

 

[gossettk76]

I have sand in both my run and coop. I find it extremely satisfactory, and so do my chickens. It's for runs covered against being saturated by rain and snow and needs trenching so runoff doesn't flood the run. Soggy sand is just no fun.

I like the idea of sand in the coop. I'm planning on doing that unless someone can convince me otherwise. Honestly, I'm just looking for convenience and the most simplest way to keep the coop and run clean.

 

[gossettk76]

My run is covered. I just fill it up with leaves every fall, but my chickens free range nearly all day.

I'm planning on covering at least half the run. I may end up covering the whole thing. I haven't decided yet. How big is your run?

 

[Loveak9]

We have a heavy tractor coop, that we move spring to fall. Early winter we park it and we put a layer of sand down, then a layer of wood chips. I then dump bags of leaves down for some thing for them rummage in. All the carbon reduces the smell and the sand helps drainage. I saved the leaves from fall in garbage bags. I am hoping in spring to shovel out the run and place the litter in the garden.

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

Hey guys! I'm just about to start work on our chicken run. I know everyone has different opinions on what ground cover works best, but what works best for you and why? Our coop and run is shaded by 8-10 good size trees so right now we have more than enough leaves. I was thinking about a natural ground in the run but I also like the idea of sand. What do you say guys??? Thanks in advance.

I would go with your initial plan....."deep litter method" with a good start readily available

 

[imnukensc]

I'm planning on covering at least half the run. I may end up covering the whole thing. I haven't decided yet. How big is your run?

8X16, so not huge, but big enough for the 5 chickens if we're away for a few days.

 

[feathermaid]

I have 2 sections to my chicken yard: the secure covered run, and a fenced narrow side yard open to the weather.

In the covered area, I use plain old wood shavings on top of dirt and keep adding fresh litter throughout the year... not exactly deep litter, but same idea. There's also a section under my coop filled with sand meant for dust bathing but they won't use it for that. For some reason they prefer the dirt floor in the run. They actually destroyed all the plants in one of my planters while free ranging so I just put that pot in their run and that's what they use now, just have to fill it with regular potting soil occasionally as they toss it out.

I keep the run doors open all day so they spend most of their time in the open yard. This area has been known to get very muddy in the past, and I finally found a great system that has kept their yard completely free of mud all winter! Big chinky wood chips, BUT... to keep them from sinking or mixing with the wet ground, I put down a barrier first and I'll tell you why. I used wood chips all the time with my horses and they just disappeared after a short time and turned back into mud. Yes, I know horses are bigger, but chickens scratch and dig, and I wanted the chips to last.
So I copied this mud management system.

I laid pvc poultry netting over the bare ground, fastened it with garden pins and added wood chips.


The wood chips never get mixed with the muddy ground below, and it's not slippery or mucky or stinky at all! It's amazing! My chickens still enjoy scratching and finding bugs, and the PVC material won't hurt their feet. These chips should last a couple/few years before they start to break down enough to be replaced, a lot longer than deep litter. Then I'll reuse the old as mulch for my other landscaping.

Another thing to remember: a gutter for the roof.
The runoff from even a small roof can be quite significant and will puddle next to your run and probably flood into it. So the water needs to be directed somewhere else. I have a rain chain and collection bucket with a hose that leads to my garden beds. Maybe you don't get as much rain there, but here it can be a problem.