What do you put on the ground in your run?

[lexie1214]

We are building a run for our girls on the side of our house. Right now there are rocks/gravel covering the ground. We are going to move the rocks, leaving dirt as the ground of the run. They have been in our yard with grass for the past 4 months. Will the dirt be good enough for them or is there something else you recommend putting down on the ground. The area doesn't get a whole lot of sun, so we don't think grass would hold up well.

 

[aart]

Grass won't last long in a run anyway.

I highly recommend a mix of dry(brown) plant materials.
Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We use grass clippings, leaves, straw, hay, pine needles and other landscape debris. The droppings fall through to the dirt below which keep down odor and flies. Each spring we completely rake it out and that beautiful compost gets tilled into the garden and we start fresh.