Run… floor or no floor?

[Witchychickens]

Hi all. We are currently building our coop and run. We are trying to decide if we want to have a solid floor in the run or leave it dirt and then put sand or some other bedding down.

We live in gardening zone 5a, it does get cold here.

Our coop floor is pressure treated 4x4s with 1/2 inch hardware cloth under the entire coop base/floor, we will also do a 12 inch skirt that comes up the entire lower side of the base of the coop. We are planning a 12 inch skirt around the base of the attached run but are unsure if we need to actually build a deck on the floor of the run or what would be the pros and cons of that option.

Any thoughts?

 

[Sally PB]

Leave the floor of the run as dirt. For bedding, wood chips are usually the best. I'm in zone 5b, and wood chips/leaves/spent bedding from the coop have worked very well for me for going on 4 years.

The wood chips/leaves work very well to break down/mix with the chickens' poop and not smell.

 

[aart]

For bedding, wood chips are usually the best.

Ditto. Coarse wood chippings, like from a tree trimmer.
If you have space for a pile you can get them for free, tree trimmers love a place to dump their load.

2 loads:

Used to add some dry leaves, grass clippings, straw once in a while....but it's not necessary.

 

[Witchychickens]

Ditto. Coarse wood chippings, like from a tree trimmer.
If you have space for a pile you can get them for free, tree trimmers love a place to dump their load.

2 loads:

Used to add some dry leaves, grass clippings, straw once in a while....but it's not necessary.

Does your hardware cloth run completely under the whole run?

I’m worried about rats burrowing in. I was considering digging down a bit and running it under from side to side but I’m not sure how to attach it at the seams because it’s not wide enough to span the whole depth of my run.

Pic for reference. The run is 9 x 11.

I was hoping to take that task off of my husband who has spent every weekend for the past 6 weeks working on building.

Thoughts?

 

[aart]

Does your hardware cloth run completely under the whole run?

No. The HC is just to keep baby chicks, and most the bedding, from getting out thru the run walls. Run was not made to be totally predator proof, the coop is lined with 6 sides of HC tho.