Litter in the runs?

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

I haave read that some of you put sand or hay in the runs? Why do you do this? My run right now is just the ground with all its leaves, grass, and dirt. Is this bad? I understand haveing litter in the coop for cleaning but the runs?
This is about 1/2 of my run :

 

[SteveBaz]

Everyone has there coop a different way we all have runs that are different. Our brooder boxes are made from top quality stainless to aquariums and washer boxes from the appliance store. We all have what we have and do what we do.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

My run right now is just the ground with all its leaves, grass, and dirt. Is this bad?

As long as you're not having problems such as mud or odors, what you have is fine.​

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

Thanks. And that is so true.

 

[AlienChick]

Yeah, for your run, you do not need to have any sort of bedding.

I currently have two runs.

One has a gravel floor that my DH poured in thinking that would be "best."

I have bags and bags of raked up leaves that I use to dump onto the gravel (I hate gravel).

My chickens free range once I get up in the morning to open up the gate to their run.

My other run is inside my shed, and I use raked leaves and mowed grass as bedding in the run.

Before we moved I had a chicken coop where the run was outside on the grass. That was so nice. No litter necessary.

Then the chickens scratched up all grass and it became a mud pit. So I started filling it in with the mowed grass clippings and raked leaves.

The yard for your chicks looks nice!

 

[debid]

My run has only wire for a roof so it gets muddy in heavy rains. The chickens then track the mud into the coop making a mess in there. So, I put down grass clippings in the summer and I'm using a thick layer of raked leaves now. No more muddy feet!

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]

My mom has big trees that lose their leaves. I put an whole bunch in there, and I don't have verry many chickens for the space there in so they haven't messed it up much

They killed the grass in the front area, but its not muddey at all. In the back theres grass so I am pretty happy with it.

Thanks guys, I had been wondering about this.

 

[daver]

I used sand in the run due to dampness issues which caused the run to smell a little (according to DW). There was also a mud problem. Sand take care of both issues.

Dave

 

[<3 N.C Chicken Chick <3]