What to use as their flooring?

[Sierra Hughes]

hey guys!

My run and coop are both on top of a grass area. As I know, it's a matter of time before the grass turns to dirt.

Should I keep the dirt? Add sand? Hay?
Any advice would be great!

Also, when considering a dust bath. I was going to dig a hole, Add DE to mix with the dirt. But when it rains, won't it all wash away?

Thanks for the help!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Hi, and welcome to BYC! I prefer sand for runs, though i have been known to put any organic material in as a last resort to combat mud. I bagged oak leaves one year and tossed those in. If you only have one run to deal with, it is less complex than having 20. Some folks use a kitty litter pan or other container for a dustbath and keep it inside the coop to avoid having it get all wet. Where are you located, and what sort of animals do you keep?

 

[Sierra Hughes]

Hi, and welcome to BYC! I prefer sand for runs, though i have been known to put any organic material in as a last resort to combat mud. I bagged oak leaves one year and tossed those in. If you only have one run to deal with, it is less complex than having 20. Some folks use a kitty litter pan or other container for a dustbath and keep it inside the coop to avoid having it get all wet. Where are you located, and what sort of animals do you keep?

Thank you for the input! That's excellent! I'm in Savannah, Ga. I have two Nigerian dwarf goats, four silkies, two barred rocks, a jersey giant, and three Bantams. All in the backyard of the city!

 

[CapricornFarm]

A regular mini farm! I will be getting some ND, after we get fencing up and build a shelter. Right now we have 2 dogs, a cat with kittens and two rabbits. But the guineas are coming soon! Next construction will be the coop, since the brooder is about finished. Keep us posted on how things go for you.

 

[Dawnclucks22]

hey guys!

My run and coop are both on top of a grass area. As I know, it's a matter of time before the grass turns to dirt.

Should I keep the dirt? Add sand? Hay?
Any advice would be great!

Also, when considering a dust bath. I was going to dig a hole, Add DE to mix with the dirt. But when it rains, won't it all wash away?

Thanks for the help!

As a matter of fact, we were in the same situation we kept the dirt and it keeps everything smelling relatively nice and it sort of blends in with the poop, too. I've heard people talk about lots of benefits for sand but it really just depends on preference.

 

[Almost Acre]

check with your city/town, you may be able to get woodchips for free. I'm able to get a few loads each year and spread that in the run. Throw some leaves in there too in the fall, chickens love digging thru them.

 

[RobotMermaid]

hey guys!

My run and coop are both on top of a grass area. As I know, it's a matter of time before the grass turns to dirt.

Should I keep the dirt? Add sand? Hay?
Any advice would be great!

Also, when considering a dust bath. I was going to dig a hole, Add DE to mix with the dirt. But when it rains, won't it all wash away?

Thanks for the help!

So far (having had chickens less that 2 years) I haven't tried sand, but I've gone with just dirt, leaves, hay and now straw. Personally I don't like when it's just dirt AT ALL, especially in Florida when it's the rainy season and hot, so most of the time. I just had dirt this past month or so when I ran out of hay, and the flies have been atrocious as the poop is all exposed and the rain and heat just makes it all a smelly mess. Just laid out straw and have noticed a big improvement in fly activity. Kinda like how you keep adding some bedding to the coop to cover the poo between cleanings and deter flies while making it smell better. The chickens seem to enjoy having stuff to scratch through so the turn over the straw well, and it's a lot safer for your shoes avoiding landmines when you go in the run. I like them not just walking in mud too when it's been raining. Use leaves in the fall for the same benefits. I forget what the difference is between straw and hay tbh but the hay seemed more compacted with longer strands so harder to spread out. Can't remember if I'd heard straw could get moldy or something but I like it so far and its cheaper. I also like using straw/leaves and then raking it all out when it's time to add fresh stuff and putting it in the same compost pile as the soiled bedding.

 

[flyin-lowe]

Are you the type of person that will clean sand or cat type litter regularaly. I knew myself enough to know that I wouldn't want to be scooping out droppings often. I chose to go deep litter/bedding. In my coop I start with a couple inches of pine shavings. Then every couple weeks I throw in some grass clippings or dried leaves. Pretty much the same for the run except it breaks down a lot quicker. I thrown in a bail of straw also if it gets down to mud. The coop I change about every 6 months, spreading it on my garden in the fall and spring. The run I just let it break all the way down then I add more.

 

[jeria]

A word of warning on using free woodchips, though it depends on your location. I did that for garden mulch a few years ago and it was full of chopped up poison oak.. Still battling it in my yard and I almost ended up in the hospital my case of it was so bad.

 

[JinxieKat]

We framed in our duck coop and put vinyl flooring in. Then we just add pine chips or straw bedding. Here is a picture before the coop was fully built. It's 2'Wx8'L. We have 6 runner ducks so they don't need a lot of room.