Should the run be completely covered with tarps?

[PhylWith]

Our girls are 100% confined to their run and coop. We recently expanded the run so they have lots of roaming area. We have two sections covered with a tarp and the middle sections only have a chicken wire top.

We use just dirt on the floor and had been hauling in leaves, dirt, mulch every now and then to give them some new foraging opportunities. With only a one section run, this was much easier than it will be with the expansion.

I’ve been reading discussions on here about using construction sand and that sounds like a possible idea.

My question is … should all four sections of the run have a tarp to shield from rain? The run area drains pretty well away from the run. We only get puddles when we’ve had several days of rain which typically only happens 1/2 times a year.

Please offer some thoughts on if we need all of the run covered with a tarp and if this answer changes depending on the ground cover, dirt or construction sand.

The first pic shows the expanded run. The second pic would be the original run which is to the left in first pic.

 

[Sally PB]

My entire run is covered. Half with a tarp, like yours, and the other half with polycarbonate panels. When the dirt inside gets really dry, I wet it down with the water from the water bowl, which I empty every night. Damp dirt is nice and cool for them to dust bathe in. In the winter, I dump it outside the run so that it doesn't freeze.

It helps that your ground drains well; that can be a big problem in some areas. For ground cover in a run, wood chips are great! They absorb water well, and their carbon works to counteract all the nitrogen from the chicken poop. Leaves work well too, and it looks like you have plenty of trees to supply you with some. Chickens love to scratch around in dirt, leaves, and wood chips.

Where are you located? You can put your location in your profile, and then it's visible. Just the state is fine, or country if you're outside the US. It helps to know, so that people have an idea of your climate. What works for me in Michigan won't necessarily work for someone in Florida or the desert SW.

And,

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you are planning on using sand, tarping over the whole top is probably a good idea to keep it as dry as possible. If sticking with deep litter, then it's not necessary, especially since the area already has good drainage from the sounds of it and true deep litter benefits from having some moisture in the mix to help with composting.

I agree that knowing your climate would help.

 

[PhylWith]

We are in the Piedmont of NC and I’ve add that to my profile. We get pretty much all seasons here. Some extremely hot days in the summer, some extremely cold days in the winter but normally we are 40’s to 80’s with average rainfall.

I thought “deep litter” referred to in the coop. Is that also what this is called in the run?

I have so much to learn.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I thought “deep litter” referred to in the coop. Is that also what this is called in the run?

"Deep bedding" is more common in coops, which is non composting DRY litter where poop gets mixed into the litter until time for removal.

"Deep litter" can be in coops (less common) or runs, which is a composting MOIST litter system which would include a mix of organic matter and poop.

 

[PhylWith]

Thank you for the education.