What do YOU use in your RUN??

[paceysgl5]

We've recently been letting our 5.5week-7week olds out to play in the warm afternoons. However our run is just bare dirt/old grass. They seem to like it but I feel like they'd enjoy a little better run material. I keep reading about what to use for the coop base (we're trying out the deep litter method w/ pine shavings).

My plan was to get a bale of hay and spread that out? And maybe some sand and DE? IDK. Do I just leave the ground bare? I'd also like to prevent it from getting too muddy, as currently there is no roof on the run (though that may change this weekend...). Also would like to give them an opportunity for dust bathing.

Thanks for the advice-

 

[PhilErvin]

The first year I used straw in the run. Then I learned of the virtues of sand and I now use sand. No mud, the poo clumps like in kittie litter so that you can rake it out if you wanna, dosen't get muddy, and the girls like the feel on their feet (opps! that was me who likes the feel on my feet

).

 

[paceysgl5]

with all sand, seems kind of weird to give them scratch - it'd just blend in?

also, nothing will really grow in there and isn't that part of the fun for chickens - pecking at plants?

 

[paceysgl5]

anyone else with any ideas? just bare ground? i don't know and DH plans to get hay tonight but I was hoping to have a few more ideas for what to do!!

 

[Attack Chicken]

We've tried baredirt..hay..straw and everything else but I love love love the sand. Keeps it clean and dry and doesn't get muddy and packed down like straw.

I don't want to go back to anything else. Just sand for me thats why we had 15 bags brought to us.

Just my 2 cents

 

[kuntrygirl]

dirt in some and sand in the others.

 

[CluckyJay]

I throw hay, straw, weeds and all sorts of chicken-safe, biodegradable stuff in the runs. Then when they shred it, I rake it all out and add it to my compost heap and flower beds. It gives the chickens something to do and makes my gardens great.

 

[CluckyJay]

You can add sand and dry clay or wood ash to a kiddy pool and put a roof over it for dust bathing. Plain sand works fine too. That way you wouldn't have to roof the whole run yet.

 

[PaleMelanesian]

Oak leaves. Also in the coop. I have a nearly endless supply so it's free.

They shred it, add some "ingredients" to it, and then it's perfect for the compost pile. (located just 10 feet away)

 

[mons02035]

First off, I can't believe you have chickens in Taunton.... That's great! I used to live up behind Henry's rootbeer stand..... Anyway,

For those of you that use sand in your run, did you just throw it on top of the soil or did you dig out some of the soil before putting it down. Here in Maine we have this awesome mud season and I have a lot of water run off that goes through the run and I am thinking that if I just lay the sand on top it may wash away. Any thoughts?