This is my run area

[Jehri]

So this is my run area. The coup is going to be on the outside with a door and ramp leading in. We plan to do deep litter method. My question is do we do that in here as well or just inside the coup? This area is a little larger than 8 ft x 16ft cause well we are great builders

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I add it to the run as needed. I'm able to tell when it needs some because the chickens turn it into a pig sty, then I add more.

 

[3KillerBs]

Deep litter is best suited to the run because it needs a certain degree of moisture and the good bacteria transferred by ground contact to work the composting magic.

Chickens turn their runs into barren moonscapes so a good layer of bedding is eventually going to be necessary to manage mud and odor.

 

[Jehri]

I wasn’t sure when reading about it some sounded like it was coop only and some sounded like coop and run. Do I need to put a kick plate all around the fence or just in front of the gate? The fence is treated but I don’t want the compost to compost the fence too ya know

 

[3KillerBs]

I wasn’t sure when reading about it some sounded like it was coop only and some sounded like coop and run. Do I need to put a kick plate all around the fence or just in front of the gate? The fence is treated but I don’t want the compost to compost the fence too ya know

I had problems with the compost damaging the wood in my hot, steamy, termite-ridden/carpenter ant-ridden area. We're looking at concrete block foundation for the coop next time and using a metal carport for the run structure in part to prevent that kind of damage again.

But climates differ -- you can add your general location to your profile so we can give better advice.

 

[klunderwood]

I am in beautiful hot and humid AR. We had a large coop and run also and I free range when we are here. I use deep litter inside the coop in the Fall/Winter/Spring, turning it frequently and mucking it halfway out once or twice a season. Once it gets hot, I change to sand because I love the ease, coolness, and lack of smell/pests. I clean my coop daily in summer and it only takes a couple of minutes. In the run, I dump grass clipping and weeds when I have them I add hay as needed during rainy times, but not shavings. Best of luck!

 

[Jehri]

We are in central lower Michigan so our weather runs the gamut from frozen tundra to gates of hell