Flooring

[Oceanseve]

Okay, not sure if I am posting this in the right place. We left our coop open to the ground, but now I'm reading we should put straw down since the ground is more difficult to clean. But I thought that a happy chicken has access to the dirt, so what should I do because I really don't want to add another weekly cost to this like straw or cedar. I don't mind having some in the henhouse, but shoveling straw everyweek in the run bugs me, it seems like a waste of straw. Should I raise the run and put down chicken wire... but I want my chickens to be happy so they will lay me lots of eggs, don't they need access to the dirt??

 

[GlacierNan]

Hi Oceanseve,
The henhouse(coop) is where you want the straw, or pine shavings. The run can be dirt. That way the chickens can scratch and play during the day. Sometimes people put straw in a part of the run if it has been really wet, or lots of snow. But not usually.

Don't use cedar at all!!!

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Ya I would put something in their house (someone mentioned putting peet moss down) Plus is your coop safe from predators digging up underneath it? You don't want that! We built our coop up on cement blocks with a plywood floor over 2x6's It's safe for them that way and they will have a large run with grass/dirt to run on. Then we are planning on free ranging them too. Good luck but be sure you have something down on the floor so nothing can get your chickens. Maybe some wire and straw over that?

 

[chickeepoo]

On this same note, if the coop/run is set on a concrete slab, can you/should you use pine shavings or straw on the floor? And how easy is that to keep clean with litter (and maybe a sand box)?