Do you mind explaining what lining you used and how it hasn't help up to your expectation? I was thinking of something exactly like this for my next run, lining the bottom foot or so with something solid and able to withstand moisture from the litter.
I've had that issue in my coop. Under the perches is the highest, and by the doorway and under the feeder is the lowest. I recently had to relevel the deep litter coop because the it was going to bury the bottom perch. In the yard with the leaves, I like to dump the leaves the farthest from where they're going to be piled up from the hens. Eventually, the hens will level out the yard themselves.
