What should I cover my dirt floor run with?

[themartins]

We have our coop in a previously fenced in area of our yard but there's no grass. It's just a dirt floor. The coop itself is above the ground so it's just in the run area. It has good drainage but having a dirt floor does get messy sometimes. What's the best thing to cover it with? I see a lot of people recommend sand and pebbles, but how easy is that to clean? Do I just change it once a year and rely on the scratching to keep it stirred up? This is our first time with chickens so any extra insight would be helpful.

Thanks!

 

[LeasureChix]

I really love using wood stove pellets. You can hose them down, they are more absorbent once they are damp. They break down into very nice sawdust. I like it better than any other floor covering. It is super helpful in areas of mud but I use it everywhere. You can get the wood pellets that are sold for horse stalls. Just ask for the ones that don't have added chemicals.

Good luck!

 

[petejd]

I used play sand. I found that is drys quickly, and just rake once every 2-3 days breaks up the poo. Add a little more when it seems to have settled into the ground.