Run Floor

[KimmyIsRad]

Hi! Building my first coop and run. We will have a permanent run, and I was wondering what everyone does for the floor of the run. Do you litter that part too? Do you keep grass? Thanks!

 

[countrygirl345]

The grass will last about two seconds
Try sand or straw, or just leave it the way it is

 

[KimmyIsRad]

Do the chickens kill the grass? Is that what you mean?

 

[Irishhenman]

Do the chickens kill the grass? Is that what you mean?

Chickens will eat the grass, and scratch around in it for bugs and worms. If your run is big (couple of thousand sq feet) the grass would stay. in smaller runs you could either leave it as dirt (if it is covered or again fairly big) or use sand/ shavings/ straw etc.

 

[KimmyIsRad]

Ours is just 10x10. Thanks! We will just leave the grass and let them take care of it.

 

[recfsh]

My first time around I left the run "dirt". Problem is the poop and dirt will become mudd when it rains and then will start to smell. After a year off BYC's, I just built a new run (much bigger) and went the sand bed route, 3-4". So far seems great. The solid roof helps in the first place and after some big rain storms the sand obviously gets wet but drains and dries nicely. The poop dries quicky and seems to break down quickly into the sand as well. Not messy looking at all. I have 6 hens.

The sand "concrete sand" was $19 for a half yard at the local quarry and was exactly enough to fill 8' x 12' x 4" area

Hope this helps.

 

[KimmyIsRad]

It does help. Thanks!!

 

[Macacomilo]

I have been wanting to try a "dirt" mud floor mixed with green refuse from the yard, i.e. grass clippings, leaves, old produce, plants, apple cores, etc. I was hoping to somewhat use this as my compost pile and clean it out in the fall, like a deep litter method. If i turn it occasionally and keep it as dry as possible, would this work? Any suggestions to keep the smell down? I heard DE isn't great for compost.

 

[RonP]

My run is 14'x14'.
I started my run with a minimum of 10 inches of free wood chips supplied by a local tree service.
Five years later, my run is 8 to 20 inches high of compost - the top 5 or 6 inches being fresh wood chips and leaf litter.
I have never cleaned the run.
No odors, no mud, no bugs.
Water drains well from the "hill".
The level seems to remain constant, fine compost also disappears out of the coop's 1/2 inch screen as the chickens kick it out.

 

[austintxchick]

How often do you have to clean a sand floor?

I'm also interested in the wood chip idea. RonP, you put wood chips down and didn't do anything at all after that or do you turn it and mix it? I can't imagine there wouldn't be a smell.

I'm new to this and have just put my babies into their coop for the first time and used large pine shavings for the floor of the run. I'm considering changin to sand though. Do you have to clean it every day?