Dirt chicken run?

[GetFitWithKrista]

Hi all, my very first post to BYC. Thanks in advance for sharing your expertise.

We're building a henhouse for 5 hens. It's 11.5'w x 9'd x 8.5'h - the coop is 11.5'w x 3'd - the integrated enclosed/covered run is 11.5'w x 6'd. See photos.
The coop flooring will likely be the deep litter. The structure will be placed on grass. The grass in the run will quickly turn into dirt once the chickens go in. Can it stay dirt or do I have to put something down? (I'm looking for the most efficient and low maintenance way to run my coop.)

 

[nuthatched]

It can be dirt. You can use fall leaves to encourage poop break down.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

It can be dirt. You can use fall leaves to encourage poop break down.

Thank you nuthatched. I've got a good grip on everything else except for the cleaning part. So the run can be dirt and it won't cause the chickens to get sick because of the poop bacteria? Can you be more descriptive about the fall leaves? I like using what is around, great idea. Do I just throw a bunch in there and leave them there?

 

[neo71665]

My 2 uncovered runs are dirt. My covered run and coop are wood chips. I swap back and forth between the 2 uncovered runs to allow the grass to grow back somewhat and keep them from becoming mine fields.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Thanks neo. Is that only reason people put something down on the ground in the run to soak up the poop? If I decide to throw something in there, do I need to change it every day? I'm not clear on the purpose of the "flooring"

 

[neo71665]

I deep litter method and never change mine. The chickens do a pretty good job of keeping it turned but I do go in there with a pitchfork and fluff it up time to time and add more wood chips in with it. It will mix in with the chips, decompose, and if you have good drainage never smell.

Looks like your coop is up off the ground so you might have to change the bedding in it time to time. Those types of coops aint my thing so I really don't know. I have a walk in coop.

 

[GetFitWithKrista]

Is this for your coop or your run? It's great that you never have to change it. I'm doing it!

I need help with my run. Really not sure how to keep the maintenance low there.

 

[StinkyAcres]

Thanks neo. Is that only reason people put something down on the ground in the run to soak up the poop? If I decide to throw something in there, do I need to change it every day? I'm not clear on the purpose of the "flooring"

In the run whatever bedding you put down in there doesn't need to be changed, just periodically replenished. Adding things like leaves and wood chips allows the poop to move to the bottom and decompose which keeps the chickens from standing in piles of their own poop.

 

[SourRoses]

That's something you can change as you go. Just make sure your doorways are wide enough and tall enough to make the chore easier.
If you leave it as-is for now, the birds will get to enjoy the grass and the digging for a while.
It depends on your local conditions what the result will be.
Ours is quite sandy and fine as is (sand on sand with good drainage makes for dry, not smelly, almost disappearing poo in the outdoors).
Anything that gets really muddy would be intolerable. If the birds get dirty, the eggs will too.
A lot of people seem to like the big bark chips piled deep.

 

[neo71665]

My coop is a 10x10 open front shed that is directly attached to 20x10 foot covered chainlink covered in hardware cloth with a tin roof. That is my main setup. On the front and back sides I have two 20x30 uncovered day runs I can let them out in that is dirt. Those 2 are the ones I swap back and forth.