Outside the coop flooring suggestions needed.

[tedabug]

Hi all,
I live in Oregon and the rains have begun to set it. My chicken coop was surrounded by fresh green grass, but after the long summer, they grass is gone and all that remains is muddy hay. I would like to replace this with something. My birds don't seem to like sand all that much. I use sand IN the coop and they won't even lay down on it. I have to put pine shavings over the top of the sand to get them to relax. I don't think they would like it much outside in the elements much better. I have hay, but heard it gets moldy in the wet weather. I've heard that ceder chips are toxic ( http://www.ratfanclub.org/litters.html ). I don't want them standing around in a mud bath and I don't want to have to walk through mud every day to collect eggs. What do you suggest??? I have a 30' by 10' run.

THANK YOU!!!

 

[OregonChickenGal]

My suggestion would be some sort of gravel on the outside and pine shavings on the inside. Unless you want to tarp over the outside.

 

[TheGardenCoop]

In our outer day run, we laid down about 5 or 6 inches of mixed mulch -- chopped up branches and leaves from a local tree trimming service, mostly pine and Douglas fir. It has worked really well to keep the run tidy in the summer. Because the pieces are thicker, it should hold up a lot better than straw through the rainy season and keep the area from becoming mucky.

 

[cfdf]

I don't know about the run mud but I sure do like that cute bubble window you have.

 

[kichohana]

sand. almost no maintenance, easy drainage, clean and easy to clean, doubles as grit and for dustbathing. there must be a hundred threads on sand-filled runs. check 'em out - i'm glad I did. that's how i came to the decision to fill my run with sand.

 

[joebryant]

Quote:
Yep!
Take the sand out of the coop and put in pine wood shavings from TSC.
Use at least six inches of construction sand in the run. Occasionally apply food-grade diatomaceous earth over the shavings and sand.