Whats best for run "flooring"...It's driving me crazy!!!!!!

[ontimeborzoi]

The paver stones look really nice. Had chickens on them long?
Bet you end up covering them with sand. My guess is that you are going to be shocked (shocked, I tell you! LOL) at the sheer volume of crap chickens produce!

 

[claudicles]

That is just what i was thinking

It looks like a run BC (before chickens). I know people swear by sand but I love deep litter. The poop disappears into it. I just cleaned out 20 wheelbarrow loads of sweet smelling compost from my run and I'm building up the next lot.

 

[ontimeborzoi]

I have two runs, both about the same size. Same number of chickens in each. One is filled with sand, the other is a loam base with TONS of dead leaves dumped in on a regular basis. Neither run smells. The dirt/leaves run doesn't show poop as much and I don't clean it, where it ( poop) is higly visable on the sand and I scoop it several times a day. If one of the runs smelled, I would know it, since they are no more than ten feet from the house. My guess is that its the numbers of chickens in the space alloted that accounts for problems, more than the substrate.

 

[ontimeborzoi]

I should add that the sand run is 10' x 12' with a 10' x 8' coop and six LF cochins. The dirt run is 8' x 24' with an 8' x 6' coop and 3 polish, 3 crevecouer.
The cochins free range a few hours a day.
I consider both runs to be successful, husbandry wise. Clean, dry, odorfree, with healthy vigorous chickens, not due to substrate but stocking rate. My guess, anyway.

 

[CluckyJay]

Deep litter!

 

[ChickEngineer]

Yes the picture is before sand. Put about 12 bags of play sand the last of Sept. So far works great, wouldn't use anything else. Use my rake & strainer twice a day.

 

[baldessariclan]

Sand in the run will dry out faster than just about anything else when it gets wet (if high enough / properly drained). A covered run helps as well.

We actually wet ours down in the summer sometimes to help keep the birds more cool -- even after the top dries out, they dig down through to the cooler wet sand below, and then sit in the holes.

 

[Frost Homestead]

Quote:
when I had my birds in a coop/run set up I would do the same thing. they love the cool sand when it's hot out

 

[Chick Charm]

I have used straw and hay myself. I like hay better because it provides food for the chickens to peck at. It also breaks down much faster than straw does. If you like you could also use sand. I personally like the hay because I use the compost for my gardening.

Best of wishes to ya on your run.

 

[mendozer]

I have paver sand in a run on a concrete slab. Do you think adding straw will fluff it up and cut down on odor? I don't have nice coral beach sand here unfortunately. all the aggregate suppliers around here feature paver builder's sand which sucks as it packs down. So i can't even rake the poop up.