Run Floor

[MC Cluckin]

Can’t weasels just dig under the apron?

 

[Bsmac]

Can’t weasels just dig under the apron?

Typically predators will try to dig right up next to the wall!

 

[Ponypoor]

@Speedycat711

One word of advice I would give you is to cover your run to keep a good chunk of rain/snow out of the run. You can also enclose the run in the winter with heavy poly to keep the run open year round.

Covering the run will help keep the flooring drier, and enable your chooks to be out there all the time.

Sooooo - 3 chooks you say, just a word of advice, make your coop and run bigger than you actually 'think' you need. Chicken math is a real thing!

Please post photos when they arrive.

 

[Three Stents]

I roll my eye with some of these replies, but to each their own. My coop sits on solid concrete, with about 2' sand with about an inch layer of pine shavings. There is almost zero, if any poop on the floor, they poop in the poop shelf while they are roosting. My run is over dirt with a 2ft apron. I am in the process of putting down about 2" of free river bed sand over the dirt in the run. I do not have a rodent problem as I am proactive with any kind of predator.

 

[Ponypoor]

I roll my eye with some of these replies, but to each their own. My coop sits on solid concrete, with about 2' sand with about an inch layer of pine shavings. There is almost zero, if any poop on the floor, they poop in the poop shelf while they are roosting. My run is over dirt with a 2ft apron. I am in the process of putting down about 2" of free river bed sand over the dirt in the run. I do not have a rodent problem as I am proactive with any kind of predator.

I love your rooster!

With you covered run, what’s that span of it? what’s your snow load there?

I would love to cover my run but it’s a horrendous 16’ span and almost 100’ long. With the snow load here I would need to have special trusses designed for that span, or put support posts down the centre at the 8’ location, but would still need to put at least 2x8’ trusses on 18” centres with a decent slope to shed snow. Lottery win required!

These chooks are costing me as much as the horses do!

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

A 2 foot wide apron of 1\2 inch hardware cloth laid on top of the ground will do the job. Fasten it with long landscape staples. Make sure to put the hardware cloth right up against the bottom of the run. No need for concrete!

I second this.
I’ll add that putting a 3-4 foot apron perimeter with 2 feet on the ground and bend so that 1-3 feet cover the bottom perimeter of the run sides will go a long way for added protection against racoon, snakes, coyote, dogs- anything that digs or snatches a chicken through chicken wire. I don’t endorse chicken wire but it’s an option some choose to enclose a run.

 

[NorthwoodsChick]

My HC enclosed covered run is on dirt layered with straw, leaves, other organic browns. The chickens spend most of the day in the run. I turn the floor with a pitchfork every few days, and every spring I remove the old material to compost.
The coop is dry and the floor bedding (small wood chips) is moved to the dirt run in spring.
An active but dry composting run floor adds about 5*F of heat to the run.