Wet weather ground cover for the run..

[certifiedchef]

So sorry if this was answered in a previous topic. We have a coop... note the bottom run portion

that when it rains the run get pretty wet, not swampy like the rest of the yard, just very damp. I have (had) sand under the hen house and pine shavings, they spread the shavings EVERYWHERE! the pine is wet, not soggy just wet. would it be best to have just dirt or sand down below?
their coop (hen house is warm and dry with 6 inches of pine shavings
We have 4 girls ( love them!!) and I want to make sure they are healthy and happy this winter (we are very new to raising chickens)

suggestions? ideas or comments are very appreciated

 

[BigIslandChicks]

my area is a lot bigger but i put some DE down on the dirt (make sure the girls are away while you do that part) then i put some straw or hay down. i have to rake it all out about 2x a month, but since i have been doing this the ground underneath has gotten a lot drier. the girls have now been able to push aside the straw and dig holes to dust bath, so cute to watch

we live in a very wet area where at night even if it does not rain there is enough dew to have a steady drip off the roof of our house! my run area is covered but has a few leaks...i'll get to those one of these days

btw - really cute little coop, love it

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

Anything organic will just hold water.

If you want it to drain , use sand.

If it's constantly getting rained on , I wouldn't waste the DE since it doesn't do anything when it's wet