Chicken run

[Penelope59]

I’m sure this is personal preference, but I’m going to ask anyway. Who has a dirt chicken run, and I’m not referring to the coop where they sleep!! We have a 12x12 run with a covered top and a flock of 9 hens. We’ve tried a pine shavings floor- the deep litter method. It was a pain keeping clean. Since, we are in the process of taking the run down to the bare ground. We have a barrier with the wire cloth to keep critters out. The rain coming in around the edges of the run is minimal and are working to keep the rain completely out. I plan to rake the run weekly from all the poop and scatter a little lime also. Please, if you have a run that is dirt, I’d love to hear your feedback. P.S. I can’t let my girls free range, so I thought having the dirt floor, it would allow them to dig for worms, bugs and such. I have a large wash tub where they dust bath. Not worried about them digging holes. Thanks!!

 

[aart]

I use coarse wood chippings(from a tree trimmer) a couple of inches deep, never 'clean' anything. They can dig down to the dirt to dust bathe.

 

[Captain13]

I have a dirt (sand) run. Easy to keep. Sand is about 4 inches deep. Sand dries the droppings quickly and is less prone to mold, bacteria, lice, etc. I bought 3 yards of sand at a local landscape supply business and did the coop and run in sand.

 

[KyCoop]

I have a dirt run with sawdust / pine pellets. Easy to rake and clean with lots of dust bathing and digging opportunities.

 

[3KillerBs]

I use deep litter in my run when it doesn't have grass in it (wet summer has resulted in a surprising amount of grass remaining).

Pure dirt would soon be pure poop dust without litter to compost it.

 

[Sally PB]

My run is built on what was part of our yard. The grass was gone in short order. I put piles of leaves in there in the fall, the shavings from the coop in there last spring. They get buckets of weeds from the garden.

I don't clean out the poop. I watch where I step, or push some dirt over the poop. (I have a pair of dedicated "coop shoes." I don't wear them in the house.) In a few weeks, I'll be shoveling out a few inches worth of the dirt/poop/vegetation/shavings mixture to put on my garden. Then I'll let the buildup process begin again for next year.

 

[Penelope59]

I use coarse wood chippings(from a tree trimmer) a couple of inches deep, never 'clean' anything. They can dig down to the dirt to dust bathe.

It’s hard to believe you never clean anything? I made a dust bath for my girls and they love it (no need to dig in the run) Was hoping to get a response from someone with a dirt run.

 

[3KillerBs]

It’s hard to believe you never clean anything? I made a dust bath for my girls and they love it (no need to dig in the run) Was hoping to get a response from someone with a dirt run.

Very few people use pure dirt because of the poop dust issue.

There are a lot of people who use sand and do daily scooping but most of the ones who are happy with that system over the long term live in dry climates.

If I let my run go to just dirt it would certainly reek in short order because, though I have well-drained, sandy soil I live in a wet climate.

 

[aart]

It’s hard to believe you never clean anything?

Not in 9 years....just add more chips when too much dirt shows thru and/or when the poops don't break down. I always make sure to put a fresh layer of chips down before the ground freezes. During that time there is a part of the run under the coop that stays dry and thus thawed for dust bathing all year around.

 

[Captain13]

I agree about using dirt. I’ve been researching sand and now I’m trying it out. I’m in there every day so it’s not a lot of work to scoop and remove. It’s not dusty and it doesn’t get muddy because because there is nothing to make mud out of. Hopefully I’m not violating any forum rules here by posting a link, but this is what started my interest in sand in coops and runs.

https://the-chicken-chick.com/chicken-coop-bedding-sand-litter/

It’s a good article that presents a strong argument for sand.