I need all the ground cover options for my run

[sbutler12025]

Hey all! I have finished my coop, just finished my run. My 11-12 week olds have now been out in their coop for a week and are super happy! It's time to get them out into their run as well. I need to hear from all of you experienced chicken keepers what your favorite, most affordable ground cover for the run is?

I've heard:
Sand
Gravel
Wood chips
Deep litter method
Top soil
Concrete
Mixture of sand and stone

Here's my dilemma! I really like the idea of sand or a sand/stone mixture. But for the size of my run the cheapest delivery I can find will run me at least $400. I don't have that right now. I put the majority of my funds into safety for the coop and the run and it has left me a bit short. So now I'm looking into the most creative ways people have found to get cheap sand/stone for their run.

My mom suggested taking sand out of the local sand pits. I told her I don't think that's legal nevermind the fact that I'd have to take a ton of trips back and forth with my minivan just to get the sand home.

My coworker suggested topsoil. This would certainly be cheaper but wouldn't it get nasty/muddy? My run will be covered with a tarp that I can fold back on sunny days for them to sun bathe and to dry damp areas but I still worry the rain will blow in the sides and make soil a mushy stinky mess.

My friend suggested concrete. I don't know a thing about that but it seems like not only would it be expensive but that would be zero fun for my babies. Rough on their feet, no dust bathing, no digging I don't like that idea..

Gravel alone I think would be too rough.

Wood chips/ wood shavings I feel would hold on to moisture and get nasty/stinky after a bit.

So I'm still down to wanting a mixture of sand and small stone. I feel that would be easier to clean, provide decent drainage and allow for dust bathing and digging.

So again, what are creative ways you've found to aquire your sand / sand stone mixture without having to sell a kidney? What are safe types of sand? Safe types of stone?

Thank you all! I apologize for rambling and the length of this post

 

[Zayan]

Maybe straw?

 

[NatJ]

What is in the run already?

It often works to leave the native soil/plants there, and let the chickens scratch in the soil and kill the plants. Then start adding other material.

Many people have good results by putting in quite a bit of wood chips, and also adding any other compostable materials they have readily available. It ends up sort of like a spread-out compost pile, and the chickens scratch and rearrange it and eat bits. (Can include vegetable & fruit peels, weeds pulled from the garden, shredded junk mail, hay or straw, bedding you clean out of the coop, and many other things-- avoid anything really toxic, but chickens are pretty good at knowing which things are safe to eat when they have a choice, so no need to worry about each tiny bit of stuff.)

In most cases, the lowest layers will slowly decompose while the upper layers stay fairly dry. People sometimes compare it to the floor of the forest: leaves and sticks and other things fall each year, and they pile up from the top while rotting away underneath and never get stinky.

If it is in a low place where water puddles, it may stay wet enough to smell bad. But if you start from ground level and pile things up, it will stay dry enough to be fine in most climates.

 

[CluckerFamily]

Can you attach a picture of your run?
You may be able to just keep it as is if you already have dirt and/or grass.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

How big is the run area?

 

[Krugerrand]

Where are you located? that makes a big difference.

 

[Justicedog]

We had grass in the run area at the beginning. That lasted about 5 minutes. We've basically just had the ground dirt. I've put in multiple bags of sand, that just gets worked into the dirt. I've thrown in the leaves in the fall. I've covered the run with the wood shavings. It breaks down and gets turned into the dirt. I don't have a covered run, so we do get mud. I have to work on getting a roof on the run and on drainage.

My next thought is to put in some peat moss.

 

[Krugerrand]

Here's what I got free (self service) from the local municipality.

Dollar bill not included, but shown for size comparison.

 

[AppleMomma65]

Lots of options! My run is attached to my coop and they both sit on a frame that has hardware cloth underneath (so predators can't dig up through it). This all sits on a section of yard that was/is dirt. Both are covered but some rain can get in if it's really hard. I'd suggest grass/yard clippings (from your mower), leaves, wood shavings, pine needles, and/or dirt. They love to scratch in it all so anything that they can do that with, they are happy.

 

[21hens-incharge]

What is in the run already?

It often works to leave the native soil/plants there, and let the chickens scratch in the soil and kill the plants. Then start adding other material.

Many people have good results by putting in quite a bit of wood chips, and also adding any other compostable materials they have readily available. It ends up sort of like a spread-out compost pile, and the chickens scratch and rearrange it and eat bits. (Can include vegetable & fruit peels, weeds pulled from the garden, shredded junk mail, hay or straw, bedding you clean out of the coop, and many other things-- avoid anything really toxic, but chickens are pretty good at knowing which things are safe to eat when they have a choice, so no need to worry about each tiny bit of stuff.)

In most cases, the lowest layers will slowly decompose while the upper layers stay fairly dry. People sometimes compare it to the floor of the forest: leaves and sticks and other things fall each year, and they pile up from the top while rotting away underneath and never get stinky.

If it is in a low place where water puddles, it may stay wet enough to smell bad. But if you start from ground level and pile things up, it will stay dry enough to be fine in most climates.

This is what I do....lots of organic material, wood, leaves, grass clippings, weeds from the garden and no smell or flies.