What do you use in your run?

[aart]

My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

 

[MrFluffyandGirls]

I use the bails of pine chips. The floor of my run is cement because its a converted dog pen and it drains well but if it gets to mushy from rain I take cardboard boxes flattened out with all the staples and tape removed and layer the run with it before dumping a bail of the pine chips on top. The chickens scratch and peck and turn it all into mulch that I put around plants or low spots in my yard. I also rake up leaves in the fall and toss that in when available.

 

[KerriChick]

We just mulched a large part of the yard with locally sourced finer wood mulch, and we are going to build a larger run surrounding the coop on that. If it gets too yucky or isn't working we are building in 6" boards around the edges so we can use sand instead. Right now they free range in the yard and have unfettered access to my garden and our grassy area.

Their coop is under a big shady tree and their run will be a good spot to contain them during the heat of the day and when we don't want them free ranging. They have the gambrel style pre-fab coop that I don't love(it works for us in the burbs right now, we are buying a home with more space in the next 12-18 mos and will build a bigger one from scratch then) but it does have a small sand run under the main coop that they use for dust baths.

 

[RainbowHen]

In their covered run they have sand. I love it. Stays nice and dry and clean in there. We have clay soil so drainage is always an issue.