New run- what to put on the ground?

[sophiejw]

Hello,

I'm hoping for a bit of advice...

I'm getting a new run in the next couple of weeks (my first one is just over a year old, thought it was plenty big at 10 feet x 12 feet before I had any chickens, now I'm addicted it turns out it wasn't nearly big enough, hence the additional run

).

I'm putting the run in our field, in a bit that's quite well shaded by trees. It was just woodland soil / nettles etc there but then the builders dumped a load of topsoil on there from when they were digging foundations for our extension. So now it's solid mud basically which is just starting to grow some grass etc. I have to put the run there, but I think the chickens will make a real mess so I'm wondering if there's anything I can put on the ground in the run. (my first run is on grass in the field and it can be moved when they trash it. This run will be too big to move, though the chickens will freerange alot of the time so they won't just be in there all the time).

Any suggestions / advice would be much appreciated

 

[Huskeriowa]

From what I have read in the forum it is a layer of landscaping cloth covered by a few inches of pea gravel covered by more landscaping cloth and then topped by a few inches of sand. Thats what I am doing anyway. There is a lot of information if you search 'sand in run' or something like that. Good luck.

 

[Chick named Lola]

For me, once the grass in the run was gone, I just put the sand on top and it's been working just fine. I used paver sand as it is not as fine and has little pebbles etc...

 

[kittycooks]

I agree with huskeriowa, although I don't know about the landscape cloth as it will disintegrate over time and the chickens could dig it up and ingest it. I would add several inches of pea gravel, pack it down and then add several inches of sand on top of that. Over time, expect to add more sand as the birds use it for dust baths and scratch holes it. If the mud returns when the frost comes out of the ground or during rainy weather, simply add more gravel and sand over the top.

I love the sand base. My chickens are pets and we enjoy hanging out with them. It is super easy to clean up the droppings in the sand.

 

[Huskeriowa]

I have been wondering about the landscaping cloth too kittycooks. I have some in my yard that has been buried for six years and it appears to have failed from rot or some other issue. I bet erosion control fabric would be a better alternative. I have seen some sitting in the river that has to be over ten years now and it is still intact.