I'm new to chickens... and my run has a dirt floor.
But, I do have the book "Chickens:Tending a Small-Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit" by Sue Weaver. In the coop construction section of that book it says concrete is fine.
Also, this page from the Virginia Tech Co-Op Extension seems to think concrete is good.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/10.html
If concrete works for you, then go for it. The chickens wont know the difference, Im certain. It also said in that VT publication to use common sense. I suggest you shade it to keep it cool in the hot summer, though. What you do in the winter, well ... use common sense, I guess.
There are always gonna be divergent opinions. Sue Weaver says one thing, I say another and a third hand still another. Who's right? All of us.
I've never reared chickens on concrete. The whole thought gives me a certain unease. I have raised duck on it and it wasn't pretty. Others who have used it also say it is less than ideal.
And there, I guess, is the crux. I dont need to experience being clobbered with a baseball bat to know it would hurt. Likewise, I have my doubts about concrete.
I prefer something less costly to install. I like something that is absorbent to poo and which can be composted. Concrete can be hotter than Hades in the glaring sun and colder than ice in winter. To me, it is generally more "unnatural" to the envrionment we want to create for poultry. I personally wouldn't want to live on it.
Also, concrete by nature is designed to be permanently tied to one spot - ergo anything sited on it is likewise a permanent fixture. That's one reason why I'm not a huge fan of "runs" in general. I think chickens should move around the landscape, allowing the earth to rest and recover from their presence periodically. Can't hardly do that with a concrete slab.
By no means do I want to dissuade anyone from trying concrete in the run. I would, however, be willing to make a small wager that those who do so will move on to something else.
But, I do have the book "Chickens:Tending a Small-Scale Flock for Pleasure and Profit" by Sue Weaver. In the coop construction section of that book it says concrete is fine.
Also, this page from the Virginia Tech Co-Op Extension seems to think concrete is good.
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/poultry/factsheets/10.html
If concrete works for you, then go for it. The chickens wont know the difference, Im certain. It also said in that VT publication to use common sense. I suggest you shade it to keep it cool in the hot summer, though. What you do in the winter, well ... use common sense, I guess.
There are always gonna be divergent opinions. Sue Weaver says one thing, I say another and a third hand still another. Who's right? All of us.
I've never reared chickens on concrete. The whole thought gives me a certain unease. I have raised duck on it and it wasn't pretty. Others who have used it also say it is less than ideal.
And there, I guess, is the crux. I dont need to experience being clobbered with a baseball bat to know it would hurt. Likewise, I have my doubts about concrete.
I prefer something less costly to install. I like something that is absorbent to poo and which can be composted. Concrete can be hotter than Hades in the glaring sun and colder than ice in winter. To me, it is generally more "unnatural" to the envrionment we want to create for poultry. I personally wouldn't want to live on it.
Also, concrete by nature is designed to be permanently tied to one spot - ergo anything sited on it is likewise a permanent fixture. That's one reason why I'm not a huge fan of "runs" in general. I think chickens should move around the landscape, allowing the earth to rest and recover from their presence periodically. Can't hardly do that with a concrete slab.
By no means do I want to dissuade anyone from trying concrete in the run. I would, however, be willing to make a small wager that those who do so will move on to something else.
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