What's the best ground for a run?

[Sqwidy]

Hey! What do y'all think makes the best ground for a run? I've heard just the soil/grass, sand, deep pine? Something else? Thanks!

 

[biteme2134]

Sand! Use it and love it. Drains well. Dries fast. Birds dust bathe in it instead of our garden areas

 

[Sqwidy]

Cool -- thanks!

 

[RWD]

Natural pasture with, green grasses, seed, trace nutrients from soil, bugs, worms, and no mud......That is possible with moveable coops.

 

[Sqwidy]

Thanks! I wish I could :/ This coop will have to be stationary though.

 

[RonP]

I would place my vote on a deep litter.

Lots of info on this site.

 

[Sqwidy]

Cool -- thanks! Is it easier to clean or keep up with?

 

[RonP]

I keep mine deep...8 - 24 inches deep with free wood chips and leaf litter.

I haven't cleaned the run in 6 years now.

Smells like a forest floor.

No bad odors, flies, or mud.

 

[jennianne]

This is my first time keeping chickens, but when we built our coop/run last spring, we went with deep litter.

Our chicken setup is built partially under pines, so there was a lot of forest-y type litter to begin with. Each time we mowed, we dumped the grass clippings in there and the girls sorted it all out. In the fall we took all the leaves we collected and piled them into the run which worked well also.

Unfortunately, I did not save any material to add in over the winter and the girls had it scratched down to almost pure dirt. Since all my yard material is wet with snow, I did not want to use that in there. Instead, I went and got a couple bags of Koop Clean ($13 ea) and threw that in the run. Not looking forward to doing that again from a $ point of view, so I am already thinking about how I can save extra dry material to add over next winter.

All in all we love this method so far--no smell, the girls love it, and cheap if you use what you have. Just my 2 cents, hope that helps.

 

[RonP]

For a lot less money here, you could get bails of straw or hay, alfalfa is best for the birds.

Keeps them busy all winter...