What do do with the run...

[rivermama]

I am reading all the posts on dirt floors vs sand and am begining to go crosseyed! Our coop is almost complete and is 8X11 ft with a metal roof, just like the Wichita Cabin, We have it raised on pavers and will have an enclosed house that I plan to use the deep litter method in. My question is should I keep the run dirt and just sprinkle on DE and lime sometimes? I will use pine shavings and DE on the enclosed house. We live in the mountains of NC if that helps.
I really like the idea of the DE to kill mites etc.
Thanks for the help!

 

[chicmom]

I would just get a load of sand and spread that around in your run....Drains very well, easy to clean up the poo......Dirt can get stinky very quickly if it gets wet and poopy.....

 

[colonel sander]

I am doing the same thing building a coop based on the Witchita and have a 12x5 area. I have the roof on and it rained real hard over the weekend but the dirt stayed dry so am going to try sand. I have heard both good and bad things about it but do not like the dirt floor idea.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Since your run has a roof, that will keep the smell down. Rain plus poop can get really stinky. I rake all the leaves up from a giant sweet gum in my yard and add those dried leaves at intervals over the year. They love to play in the leaf pile and quickly break them down with the poo composting right in the run. No smells.

 

[Dogfish]

Sand and/or pea gravel. If you have the spare change, stall mats work great. We cleaned out a foreclosed home a few months back and ended up getting 20 of those old 1" thic k stall mats, 3'x4'. THey literally weigh 80-100lbs each. I covered my run floor with them. Mess goes to one side of the covered run, easy to clean.

 

[teach1rusl]

If your birds will spend most of their time inside the run (no or very little freeranging), I'll throw in another vote for sand. I have both, dirt/grass in my big run, and sand in my small run. I've found the sand wonderful! If my bigger birds didn't spend so much time freeranging, I'm sure my large run would end up looking more like a pig pen than a chicken run

Actually it wouldn't, because I'd bring in sand if that became the case...

 

[welasharon]

I really like my sand. It gives them something to dig in and they love dust bathing in it. I too have mine covered. I have a smaller addition that I will be putting the sand in also this summer. I have enough to do without having to clean up after the chickens. The poop just kinda disappears in the sand...I keep waiting for this big poop explosion.....
sharon