Flooring for the coop run

[emmawhelan]

Hi all,

I'm new to keeping chickens, I got 3 about a month and a half ago. Everything is going great apart from their run. I have them on concrete and it's impossible to keep clean and even when it is clean it smells.
I have made them a dust bath which they seem to sit in more than stand on the concrete - maybe they hate the concrete?

I've read a lot about having shavings on the floor my only concerns are

1. I live in England - it rains.... a lot
2. It would be very messy to clean up. The run is only about 3ft tall and it's difficult enough for me to get in and scrape up poop already.. having to get in and pick up poop everynight after work (especially in cold weather) isn't sounding very appealing.

If anyone has any better suggestions please please please let me know!

Thanks!
Emma

 

[6of6chicks]

This thread's been going a while and it covers bedding in coops and runs:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/898880/coop-bedding-what-do-you-prefer

It was really informative - like a 101 primer on just about every bedding there is. Helped me decide which way I wanted to go for bedding in my own run (I'm going to try 'homemade' straw - basically dried out grass clippings). Hope that helps!

 

[emmawhelan]

thanks very much i'll have a read!