concrete on floor of run?

[Peeps59]

Hi all. Just finished my coop yesterday & can have it part on dirt/part on the concrete. Is this ok? Should I put down pine shavings on the concrete? I've read maybe paint the concrete? I'm confused. Help!!

I'd post a pic but don't know how to do that. Sorry

 

[patandchickens]

If the concrete is very porous it might be worth a couple coats of sealer; otherwise I would not bother.

You definitely for sure do need a good thick layer of something over top of the concrete but the problem is that when it's outdoors, as in a run, most things will blow and/or wash away pretty fast.

Shavings won't last long. If the run happens to be roofed and out of the way of any t'storm flooding, you could use well-dried tree chippings or coarse mulch; but in other situations they are apt to float away, so that not only do you not have them in your run anymore, they are cr*pping up your lawn all over the place

Your best bet IMO is a medium to small sized gravel, with or without finer stuff mixed in. You will need a fair depth of it, like 4-5" absolute minimum, and will need grade boards around the edges so it doesn't just fall off the sides.

(Unless this is just a *small* amount of slab, like a small deck coming off the coop... if there is only a small amount of it in the run you might just leave it bare)

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Peeps59]

Thanks, Pat!!

 

[sangel4you]

I'm SO GLAD you posted this as I was just about to start a topic on this... I too have a concrete floor run (it actually inside a barn....there are lots of windows around that they get sun and fresh air but I had no choice but to build it on concrete) anyway, since it is inside...what should I put down? My original plan was hay, but I was thinking should I put something else down? If I put a layer of dirt or something, that would give them something more to dig in and help the hay compost right? Then I wouldnt have to scoop the hay out as much... help please and thank you!

 

[ducks4you]

Try rubber mats for livestock.

 

[corancher]

I have one run that comes out of the barn onto concrete. Most of the run is on concrete with only a small dirt area. I have tried straw, shavings, mulch, and after four years of dealing with it all either washing away or turning into a mucky mess, I just leave it and wash it down a few times a year. The birds seem fine with it and it stays much nicer without all the stuff on top of the concrete. I do have a shade cover over the top of the run so it stays nice and cool but still give an area for them to lay in the sun if they choose.

 

[chickens3]

Well that should not be bad at all.