Coup and Run on a LARGE cement pateo.

[maltodextrine]

I am planning on getting a small flock of chickens this coming spring. I have a very large back pateo, all cement with creeping fig covered brick walls.I am planning on making my run about 8'x10x'8'.

I am modifying a rabit hutch for my coup and still making plans to make the ground better for my flock, such a aking a dust box and a small area of boxed grass ( which I am pretty sure they will destroy lol).

I also plan on purchasing a travel pen for them so I can take them to my friend's house which has a nice back yard once a week.

Are there any health issues with a cement floor for the birds, I worry about their feet and beaks. Also, how may chickens should I put in such a small run?

 

[Omran]

Quote:
concrete floor is no problem for chickens. however rabbit hatch will be real small for 3 hens, you might have to build a nice little coop for them.

 

[ranchhand]

The hutch might be too small, think about expanding it. And the patio will be forever stained once you have chickens on it. The grass box is a great idea! I have seen where people plant grass and cover the area with wire on top of the box- so the chickens could eat the grass as it grew, but not scratch it in and kill it. Dust box is very good, and the friend's yard is great, as long as they don't use pesticides or man-made fertilizers.

Good luck! Sounds like you've done some research and planning, good on you!

 

[gsim]

Start saving mulched leaves and grass to do a 6" thick cover for the patio. That will help make it not be so nasty. A little can be sprinkled under roosts each am to keep odor down as that is where greatest concentration of poop will be. A linoleum covered poop plank strategically located would help a lot too, but must be scraped daily and removed. Great compost and great to put on garden or under shrubs all winter long. Being so close to house, odor must be a concern. You will be changing litter periodically so make run for accessibility.

The boxed grass will work fine if only you frame it and stretch chicken wire over it tightly to maintain a 2" space. They can eat it but cannot rip it out. A win-win because fresh living greens are a plus for health and egg-laying. Hutch may not work for size.

I would do gold comet sex links (buff comet) or red comet sex links for your birds. They are likely the best layers around for any American climate. Important since you are doing only three. You will get 3 eggs daily in egg season, and occasionally 4 a day. Molting and wintertime will cause it to slack off some.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
I dunno if that's such a good idea -- chickens are reallly not big on change. I strongly suspect that will be much more stress on them than is worthwhile, also predator-protection and escape issues involved.

A better plan might be just to plan on tossing in veg scraps and (safe) weeds and such every day or so, for them to play with. If you know anyone digging up a new flowerbed you could ask them for any sod they take out, that will REALLY entertain the chickens (bugs!) for a few days. That sort of thing.

Are there any health issues with a cement floor for the birds, I worry about their feet and beaks. Also, how may chickens should I put in such a small run?

Cement is ok (if unavoidable) as long as very well bedded. I have a couple runs unavoidably on cement, and it's ok although I would sure prefer dirt.

Rabbit-hutch size may be as much or more a determinant of how many chickens you can have as run size is. But, other than that, I would say you for sure do not want to have more than 8 chickens in an 8x10 run; less would be happier. 4 is about the most I'd put in there if they're on concrete etc, I think.

good luck, have fun,

Pat​

 

[maltodextrine]

I absolutly LOVE the idea of putting wire over the grass so they don't compleatly destroy it. I agree with patandchickens about moving them, probably a bad idea. Thank you for all the help. I would really appriciate more advice!

 

[cobrien]

I would consider putting sand as the bottom layer of your run. If you have lumber running across the concrete you can fill it almost to the top of the lumber with sand. I have sand in my coop and I LOVE IT, it is so easy to clean. Mulch/dirt/grass were always great in the beginning but so hard to keep clean, maybe only an issue if your coop is close to your house or where you hang out.

 

[dlfridie]

My kennel run used to be on a concrete patio. My 2 Golden Comet hens were pullets at the time.

-I used long treated timbers on the sides to hold the sand in.
-2 full lengths and 2 pieces cut to fit the ends. You will lose some sand when heavy rains come.
-I covered the kennel to help control this.
The section near the door I left bare concrete, so I could throw veggie scraps and greens there and clean up was ez.

You can see in the pics I tried pine shavings , but it stayed smelly.

I ditched the shavings and just filled this in w/ sand.

 

[al6517]

I have a huge coop and pens all have concrete floors, I love em. they are very easy to clean when kept in hay, no problems with the birds.

AL

 

[Keri78]

Great Ideas!!! I "third" the idea of traveling with them! This may work when they are babies but it would still rattle them. But once they are grown forget it!!! I LOVE the grass planter idea!!! I'm trying to think of what else you could grow for them...I've heard clover??? I agree with the sand idea ...don't know if hay could be an option but either one would probably stay nicest and ALOT less mess and stink if it were a covered run. I have one covered run and it's sooo much less work and honestly I think they prefer it!!! I would say start out small with just a few(4 max) chicks and that way you can always add to your flock once you get a feel for what you like (plus the breed that you think you LOVE now could change) Be sure to only have one rooster!!! Many people told me that you can have more than one roo depending on the breed and temperment but I've found with my cochins and frizzles that unless they are free-ranging and can get away from each other...my roos would prefer to kill each other(honestly)! But I have to say you would probably enjoy having at least one roo ...their personalities are great and I'm soo entertained by their macho egos!!!

Anywho...that's my two cents for whatever it's worth!

Blessings, Keri