Run floor

[aart]

I just raked up a large trash can full of dry leaves... can i use them to get started?

Yep, just watch they don't pack into a mess if they get wet.

 

[Checota]

Putting. Dust bath area (dry area) filled with diatomaceous earth. Using mulch, dried leaves and other dry materials can harbor mites. Like fleas on a dog these are bloodsucking parasites. Such dust bathes will provides a great way to rid themselves of these mites. For what’s its worth.

I am grateful my run is 8 inch depth of sand, but I also have sandy soil with a layer or clay.

 

[3KillerBs]

IMO, a mix of materials and textures is best to minimize packing and matting -- which can create anaerobic pockets.

Wood chips, wood shavings, straw, pine straw, fall leaves, and any other dry organic material that you can readily obtain.

A handful or two of scratch tossed in every few days will encourage the chickens to turn it over and you can use a manure fork to break up any crusted areas. Keep on adding thin layers as needed and you'll have a nice deep litter system going in short order.

 

[Checota]

No problems so far with flooding, cleaning I use a dog litter rake and scoop, mulch pile is kept away from pen. Did not want to let all the critters know they are near. Even u dear the sand is full wire bottom as predator barrier.

Of course many areas in America, sand won’t work. Natural materials work better, for those using such materials such as mulch or leaves two things to consider, fungal respiratory infection if used in hen house with poor ventilation and mites.

 

[3KillerBs]

if used in hen house with poor ventilation

Which is one of the reasons that ventilation is absolutely critical for good health -- both for animals and for humans.

 

[aart]

Natural materials work better, for those using such materials such as mulch or leaves two things to consider, fungal respiratory infection if used in hen house with poor ventilation and mites.

We're taking about a run not a coop.

Dust bath area (dry area) filled with diatomaceous earth.

DE and sand can cause respiratory issues also.
Oh, and DE won't prevent or kill mites/lice.
Poops won't break down in sand, you can't get it all out eventually it will become saturated with pulverized poops and reek when damp. How will you scoop poops when the sand freezes?

 

[JDonn127]

Yes....only using pine shavings in coop.... which i change every 10 days or so

 

[NatJ]

Yes....only using pine shavings in coop.... which i change every 10 days or so

You can dump those shavings in the run when you take them out of the coop.

 

[JDonn127]

You can dump those shavings in the run when you take them out of the coop.

Thats what i was originally planning to do... i am also working on getting some wood chips

 

[CluckerFamily]

We have local farmers that we can get straw from, that way we know where it is coming from. You can even put a small bale in the run, and remove the twine holding it together, the flock will do all the work of spreading it for you.
I also do this in the coop but with pine shavings, I just drop a few bucket fulls in one spot and they spread the shavings around for me.