Flooring

[Shvlhead]

Hi Everyone i'm real new to this, My chicks are now pullets and need to move outdoors soon. I bought and built a coop. with a small run attached. My wife and i think its to small of a run for the 8 birds. So we purchased a 10' X 10' Galvanized dog run at tractor supply, I'am currently wrapping it on all side and roof with chick wire to seal off from predators and plan on putting the coop on the run. the run has a canvas roof for shad. some told me a good flooring would be to to cover the chicken wire with weed barrier and some type of ground stone and maybe some type of soil over that. I would really appreciate some advice here. I don't want commit to something then start all over again. Thank You.

 

[aart]

some told me a good flooring would be to to cover the chicken wire with weed barrier and some type of ground stone and maybe some type of soil over that.

I would not recommend that on the ground in the run.
Some pics of your coop and run would help us advise you.

and also.... Welcome to BYC! @Shvlhead
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[rosemarythyme]

So not sure what predators you might be facing, but chicken wire isn't predator proof by itself. Having it attached to the chain link will definitely help, but you may still get rats or mice that can squeeze in.

The canvas top is probably good for shade, but depending on how it attaches to the run that could be a weak area against climbing predators.

Hard to say what flooring is best for you, but I'd 100% recommend against what you're currently considering. The wire can tear up chicken feet if they dig down to it, and the weed barrier serves no purpose in a run. Sand or deep litter are the most popular choices here for run litter, but the best choice would depend on your climate and lot conditions.