Flooring for covered outdoor run?

[PandCo]

Due to some unexpected circumstances, I need to move my girls to a different hen house and run area.

I was going to use pine shavings inside the hen house, but I wasn't sure about what to do for their run area. I was debating between a combination of pine shavings and hay, or just strictly hay.

If possible, I was the floor to be easily cleanable and maintainable so its not a rotten poopy mess all the time. I had been using sand all summer which was a dream to clean, but since winter has arrived, the girls haven't been liking the cold sand. Their comfort may be better to adapt to rather than my ease of cleanliness in the winter time.

What do you all suggest?

Thanks!

 

[Zoomie]

As long as the edges are secure, and there is a top covering.... I am a fan of old-fashioned dirt. That way you can throw in hay or whatever and get it as deep as you like, and they can enjoy the bugs and so on. The hay might even start grass growing and that is even better. Grass is great, but depending how many chickens you have it can turn to a dry lot. Being able to add hay and straw etc. really helps.

I am a fan of concrete in the coop, want to be honest about that, but not in the run. In the coop for me, concrete helps to keep out rats and mice etc. I bed it heavily with pine shavings. But in the run I like to have dirt that I can throw hay etc. on. Just my own opinion.

 

[aart]

A good mix of dry plant materials is the way to go IMO.
You don't 'clean' it, the poops will be incorporated into the mix and the ammonia 'eaten' by the decomposition process.

Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

This is what I used and it's working well, no smell even when wet.
It's from power company tree trimmings that had sat for a year.


Added some dry leaves.