I've yet to see a permanent run that didn't become bare dirt eventually. Chickens scratch...it's their nature. I've read where a lot of folks put sand in their runs to help with drainage and give them something to "re-arrange". That's the main reason we decided to go with a portable coop/run. The coop should be finished in the next few days; in the meantime, we have a makeshift pen for them and move it about every 4 days or so. That way they're able to scratch and nibble but not to the dirt.