What to put on bottom of my coop and run

[gabz44]

Hi
I am a 1st time chicken owner and getting ready to transition my 6 chicks to my coop. I'm so confused Bc reading so many different opinions on what to put in my coop and run. I'm outside of Los Angeles and its high 50s/60s during day and 30s at night.

Coop (wood bottom)-- shavings???

Run (brick bottom) - dirt? Sand? Any other suggestions??

Also do you suggest I put a rubber mat on the bottom of coop or run so I can easily hose it off???
Thanks for any and all advice!
See pic of coop attached

 

[shaun1says]

First off, I'm far from an expert so if someone corrects me I'd listen to them

I'd stray away from rubber mats unless you intend to clean multiple times a week. They are easy to clean but require it more often to keep birds from walking in their do-do

I like wood chips (pine works great) in the coop and drit covered in a little woodchips in the run. It stays nice for a while but is still easy to clean, and compost!

Good luck on your first flock!

 

[The Gate Keeper]

Your coop looks great.. but I would not use rubber mats in the coop, you'll have to clean them to often. I would go with sand in your run, it will drain good on top of the bricks... and very easy to clean... good luck.

 

[gabz44]

@thegatekeeper thanks! What would you put in the coop then? You don't suggest a rubber mat under shavings ? So I can hose down the Mat?

 

[lynnehd]

@thegatekeeper thanks! What would you put in the coop then? You don't suggest a rubber mat under shavings ? So I can hose down the Mat?

If the coop is untreated wood, I'd cover it in vinyl flooring (run it up the sides a foot or so, and caulk the seams), or paint it, or seal it first. Use a water based paint (high gloss is easier to clean) or sealer and let them air out for a few days.
Then you just spot clean and refresh, and then replace the bedding and wash out the coop when needed.

Pine shavings in the coop would work. Then sand, or wood chips in the run. Or you can investigate the Deep Litter method to use at some point in the run.
There are threads going on using Sand in the Run (or coop), and the Deep Litter method.

Cute coop!

 

[aart]

Quote: Agrees a single sheet of heavy duty vinyl installed as suggested above work great for me.
Sealing is unnecessary if you use a single sheet....so no water can leak underneath.
Make sure your waterer is secure to avoid spills...or keep it outside the coop.

A few inches of pine shavings should keep things dried up and any poop on the vinyl scrapes off pretty easily without water.

You don't really want to 'hose off' anything while it's in the coop...a dry coop is a healthy coop even if there are traces of feces left behind.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

We use pine shavings in the coop. The floor is OSB painted with DeckOver. There is a poopboard under the roost filled with PDZ that catches most of the droppings. The rest just dries up in the shavings. We clean it out once a year in the fall. No need to hose out.

In the (covered) run we do the Deep Litter Method. We use grass clippings, leaves, pine needles and straw. We clean that out once a year in the spring.

Everything goes on the garden.