floor of run

[SherriPalmer]

We are designing our run and will start building it in the next day or so. It is being build over grass but I know eventually the 4 chickens will destroy the grass. I will be using sand in the coop and in the run. My question is: for the time there is perfectly good grass in the run, do we need to cover the grass with sand. If not, it seems like the grass would be poop-filled very quickly and you can't really clean out grass. Do we just dump sand on the grass in the new run? Then...won't grass grow up through the sand?
One more thing- I can't find agreement on play sand vs other types (river/washed construction). I bought 150# of washed/strained/play sand (Quikrete) from Home Depot and have used up one 50# bag already- experimenting with it here and there and having to dump it. I don't know what to use now. This is the description of the sand: { Play Sand #1113:
Is specially graded sand that has been washed, dried, and screened
for use in children’s sandboxes. It is best used when kept damp.}
It says there is no danger to birds or the environment, but it does have that Calif. warning on it.
BTW, I haven't introduced myself- I guess I should go to the new people page...but I'm a first time chicken keeper.Keeping them as pets and for their eggs. I live in NE Missouri in a small rural/university town. I'm obsessive about getting things right and doing the best I can on whatever I do. So I'm trying to have the best coop/run set-up possible. But I don't know all that much! Thank you, I've learned a LOT from this site!!

 

[jellybellyx6]

We let our chickens kill and eat the grass. Now the ground is just dirt and we just use a rake to rake droppings into a pile and then use a shovel the take to the compost pile. If you use sand the grass may grow a little but the chickens will eat so it won't be there long. Welcome to the group.

 

[jak2002003]

Any sand should be fine - but avoid sand that very fine......the bigger the sand grains the better... it will drain away quickly and not get water logged. If you use fine sand - it will get damp and very smelly, unless your run is covered to keep out the rain.

I use river sand - its got lots of different size bits in it, and the chickens can use this a grit.

 

[SherriPalmer]

Thank you!I like the idea of letting them kill the grass on their own, who knows, maybe they'll leave a patch...though from reading about that here, that seems unlikely.That will also buy me time to find river sand. My DH has bought different types of rocks for our gardens that were delivered- I bet they have different types of sand. The run will be covered but when it rains here - it POURS so drainage is important. The run is being built on ground that is slightly slopped which should help drainage.
It might be fun for the chicks to discover random grass growing through the sand.

 

[mandelke86]

As for in the coop I put plywood down and bedding on top so no weasels can dig underneath. Sure you have to clean it a lot more but I think it's safer maybe its just me?

 

[SherriPalmer]

Digging would be an issue... DH is planning on putting an electric fence around the whole thing. Coop in the run, wire mesh, AND the whole thing protected by the electric mesh. I don't like the idea of the electric fence but I know it is the best thing to protect them. DH said that this should stop digging because they'd have to dig under the shock fence before they get to the wire structure. As the whole thing is visible, and fairly close, to our house so we will be able to keep an eye on it. I would like to put each chicken in protective armor. I sure have become attached to each one!

 

[mandelke86]

Haha I think they will be fine