Run Flooring in a sandy environment

[ForFlocksSake]

I see so many people using sand for the flooring in their runs. My chickens will not be free range and will remain inside a large run. Ive done a ton of reading on different types of flooring to use inside the run and keep wondering if I even need anything. Im in Florida so the ground is sand. The run area currently has grass and weeds but that will be gone soon enough once they are big enough to be set free in there. Do I need to use something in there? Originally I was looking at hardwood chips that I can hose and scoop around to clean poop, but couldn't I just leave it bare and let the sand do the work? Anyone else live in a sandy environment do this? How do you clean the poop out of the run and are you Able to compost it for gardening?

For information sake, the run is also covered completely with a tarp roof. Rain will get in if its a hard windy rain but won't be a wash out with every rain.

 

[Stravager]

I thought people who use sand in their coops usually change it out 1-2x a year. It might be difficult to do that with an outdoor run depending on the space. Maybe if you take the tarp off every so often, apply a disinfectant/cleaner and let the sun bake it then the bacteria would get fried and you wouldn't need to? Scooping the poop with a fine rake shouldn't be too difficult though, or a kitty litter scoop if you're doing spot cleaning...
Or you could do sand in one area and chips in another and test the differences?

 

[ForFlocksSake]

I thought people who use sand in their coops usually change it out 1-2x a year. It might be difficult to do that with an outdoor run depending on the space. Maybe if you take the tarp off every so often, apply a disinfectant/cleaner and let the sun bake it then the bacteria would get fried and you wouldn't need to? Scooping the poop with a fine rake shouldn't be too difficult though, or a kitty litter scoop if you're doing spot cleaning...
Or you could do sand in one area and chips in another and test the differences?

Wow they switch out the sand? That’s crazy. I’ve seen vidoes and pictures of HUGE areas covered in sand.

 

[Stravager]

Wow they switch out the sand? That’s crazy. I’ve seen vidoes and pictures of HUGE areas covered in sand.

It might be more the small areas where it's heavily concentrated?

 

[Stravager]

Someone else has a similar sounding post
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/how-to-optimize-a-very-sandy-run.1583055/

 

[aart]

Originally I was looking at hardwood chips that I can hose and scoop around to clean poop,

No need to hose down hardwood chips, it works just fine.

but couldn't I just leave it bare and let the sand do the work?

In FL I think it's @dawg53 that uses no bedding in his runs.

 

[dawg53]

My birds are always penned due to predators. Sand is your friend. It doesnt wash away during downpours, no nasty mudpuddles that chickens love to drink from, it dries quicker and helps deter parasites. It's easy to scoop poop with a small shovel and a long handled dustpan, then dump it in a 5 gallon bucket. No bending over at all.
All my pens have sand in them, as well as all my coops, most nest boxes have sand in them.

Sand can be mixed with store bought topsoil or Black Kow for your garden or fill holes or low spots in your yard. Soiled sand goes in a pile in the back of our property. After awhile the chicken feces breaks down and is mixed in with the sand, and is hardly noticeable. We use it in our raised garden beds as a base layer.

For the hard rains and storms we get like last week, tarps are your friend too. I use the cheap blue Harbor Freight tarps 5x7's and tie them to chicken wire on the sides of the pen(s) at the top. Keep them rolled up using small bungee cords (Harbor Freight) to keep them in place during fair weather.

When there's threatening weather, release the bungee cords and the tarp will roll down to the base of the pen. Again, use small bungee cords in the eyelets to secure them to the chicken wire. The wind wont blow them away, and will stop sideways rains from blowing into the pen(s.)

 

[ForFlocksSake]

My birds are always penned due to predators. Sand is your friend. It doesnt wash away during downpours, no nasty mudpuddles that chickens love to drink from, it dries quicker and helps deter parasites. It's easy to scoop poop with a small shovel and a long handled dustpan, then dump it in a 5 gallon bucket. No bending over at all.
All my pens have sand in them, as well as all my coops, most nest boxes have sand in them.

Sand can be mixed with store bought topsoil or Black Kow for your garden or fill holes or low spots in your yard. Soiled sand goes in a pile in the back of our property. After awhile the chicken feces breaks down and is mixed in with the sand, and is hardly noticeable. We use it in our raised garden beds as a base layer.

For the hard rains and storms we get like last week, tarps are your friend too. I use the cheap blue Harbor Freight tarps 5x7's and tie them to chicken wire on the sides of the pen(s) at the top. Keep them rolled up using small bungee cords (Harbor Freight) to keep them in place during fair weather.

When there's threatening weather, release the bungee cords and the tarp will roll down to the base of the pen. Again, use small bungee cords in the eyelets to secure them to the chicken wire. The wind wont blow them away, and will stop sideways rains from blowing into the pen(s.)

Thank you! This is helpful! Wondering if you’re in north Florida as well. We got hammered with storms last week. Something like 5-6 inches of rain over a few days.

Do you keep your own covered on top at all times? We have the tarp tightly bungeed as a roof. It makes for great shade and also easily removable in the event of a hurricane. Would you mind taking a photo of what you described with the tarps on the side? I’ve been wondering what we can do for long days (or multiple days) like last week. We plan to put a little rain huddle thing in the pen for them to keep dry but they couldn’t sit under there all day.

 

[dawg53]

Thank you! This is helpful! Wondering if you’re in north Florida as well. We got hammered with storms last week. Something like 5-6 inches of rain over a few days.

Do you keep your own covered on top at all times? We have the tarp tightly bungeed as a roof. It makes for great shade and also easily removable in the event of a hurricane. Would you mind taking a photo of what you described with the tarps on the side? I’ve been wondering what we can do for long days (or multiple days) like last week. We plan to put a little rain huddle thing in the pen for them to keep dry but they couldn’t sit under there all day.

We live just north of Glen St Mary, not far from the Ga/Fl border.
I dropped all the tarps down around all the pens and left them down. It wasnt the first time neither. We had flooding rains several years ago and it was much worse. I think it rained almost every day for 2 weeks before a cold front pushed it on out.

I'll take a few pics of the tarps rolled up and rolled down in the morning and post them here for you so you can get a good idea how they work.

 

[ForFlocksSake]

We live just north of Glen St Mary, not far from the Ga/Fl border.
I dropped all the tarps down around all the pens and left them down. It wasnt the first time neither. We had flooding rains several years ago and it was much worse. I think it rained almost every day for 2 weeks before a cold front pushed it on out.

I'll take a few pics of the tarps rolled up and rolled down in the morning and post them here for you so you can get a good idea how they work.

Thank you! Really appreciate it!