Ground covering for my run

[grant96782]

I am planning to put the chicken coop and run on grass. The weather here doesn't have the fluctuations like on the mainland. I was wondering what type of material or if any do I put in the run and how high of base do I need to build for the coop and run.

 

[Sagey_7878]

I just put hay/straw in the run.

 

[HoopyFrood]

There had been a lot of talk about what to put in the run on this gardening thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-poop.1218348/

The grass will not survive the chickens without major effort on your part. We have used leaf litter and straw, but you need a huge amount of material to keep the run from becoming a stinky, muddy mess. Can you find coir locally? I bet that would work.

We're going to fill ours with wood chips this coming season, then double down on leaf collection next fall. We'll also plant ground cover, bushes, and shrubs, then put up some strategic barriers to keep the girls from killing everything

 

[Ol Grey Mare]

What size is the run (ft by ft) and how many birds will be kept in it? Are there any existing drainage issues in the location you plan to put it? What is your general climate? Do you plan to cover the run with a solid cover?

 

[HoopyFrood]

Since I DO have a roof over my run I tend to forget other people often do not. Oops!

 

[Larry55]

I use pine shavings and straw

 

[grant96782]

There had been a lot of talk about what to put in the run on this gardening thread:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/chicken-poop.1218348/

The grass will not survive the chickens without major effort on your part. We have used leaf litter and straw, but you need a huge amount of material to keep the run from becoming a stinky, muddy mess. Can you find coir locally? I bet that would work.

We're going to fill ours with wood chips this coming season, then double down on leaf collection next fall. We'll also plant ground cover, bushes, and shrubs, then put up some strategic barriers to keep the girls from killing everything

 

[grant96782]

Not sure if we have coir stocked locally. I was leaning towards wood chips also. I figured my grass would be gone. I was thinking of using tile blocks to raise the run and coop off the ground a little. I was even thinking of the deep litter method, but really just scratched the surface of learning about that. We have high humidity and usually its sunny. We do get the occasional rain and thunderstorms.

 

[grant96782]

What size is the run (ft by ft) and how many birds will be kept in it? Are there any existing drainage issues in the location you plan to put it? What is your general climate? Do you plan to cover the run with a solid cover?

http://a.co/eq4Y0i7

I don't have drainage issues other than when we get thunderstorms or heavy rain. I wish we have the luxury of having big properties but land is limited. I would have definitely built a large coop like yours. See the link I posted for the coop I ordered. its 143x68.5x66.5

 

[Folly's place]

I think that pine shavings or other non-toxic plant materials work best.
Good drainage is essential! Build up the site, don't have the coop and run in a low spot. Shade is important too, either trees, roofing, or something. Select breeds that like heat, and still they will need shade, and deep bedding as the grass is wiped out.
Mary