What to fill bottom of run with

[pawsplus]

Check out my Mud Eradication Page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=19926-mud-eradication-project

and Pat's Fixing a Muddy Pen page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run

Both have lots of info. Mine also has pix. I would NOT use gravel on the top, as in addition to being hard on their feet it's also very hard to clean. I.e., you can hose the poop into it, but you can't separate poop from gravel to remove it. You CAN just pick it out of sand (I use a plastic horse pitchfork w/ hardware cloth zip-tied on to keep the poop from going through.

Sand over gravel is ideal. I used levelling sand.

 

[BoltonChicken]

1) Any particular kind of sand?
2) Someone mentioned that the poop disappears. - Is that correct? There's no need to rake out the extra from time to time?

No particular kind of sand. I overlay my sand/small gravel with pine shavings. The pine shavings absorb the moisture from the poop and wick it out into the air. The chickens scratch around and in time will bury the pine shavings which will then compost. Simply add more shavings and the process will repeat. This is kind of like the "deep litter" method which can be read about in detail at: https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1560-DLM​

 

[jamuso]

Great...thank you....i've decided that my run will have a layer of pea gravel and then a layer of sand. I'll use the shavings and sweet pdz to help with any smells. the run is in shade 95% of the time which should help. It's on the side of the garage which will make for a pretty good wind break in the winter.

 

[gale65]

I couldn't get an answer about sand type (everyone seems to use something different) so in our coop, we used half play sand and half construction sand. Our run is still grassy but when the grass is gone I hope to talk dh into putting down gravel and sand. He will be resistant though. our run is 10 x 24 so it'll take quite a bit I think.

 

[Chicks4MyFamily]

we filled the run with sand and I wouldn't have it any otherway! The sand dries up the poo wonderfully, no smell at all! I just take a cat litter scoop taped to the end of broom handle and sift out the poo every couple days. If I don't sift it the poo just disappears...I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!