Winterizing - Sand or Straw in the Run?

[AngryRooster]

I don't think you need to change what you're doing, though in the rain, sand can become a slight problem.

 

[Blooie]

Our coop is finished and we have shavings in there - using the DLM. But the run....well, that's where the jury is still out. The issue here in Northern Wyoming, besides winter, is wind. As a Navy wife I have lived from one end of this country to the other and most points in between. I grew up in Eastern South Dakota. But I have never - NEVER - experienced winds like this place gets, and it's year 'round. We can often SEE the wind before it hits because of the sand it lifts up. This area is high desert, so there's plenty of it to blow around. Would using sand in the run be an exercise in futility? I know that the wind here is strong enough to scatter the shavings like crazy. I dunno - feels like I'm gonna regret either tact. We plan on a 12" high batter board around the edges of the run no matter which way we end up going.

 

[ScouterJoe]

Ok, so it's not winter anymore but I have questions about the run. I've always used pine shavings over dirt. Clean up is easy and they compost really well, but it's an expense. I've never thought about sand. With shavings, when I put in new, they kick it all over and a portion ends up out of the run. Do they do this with sand? Does it require replacement often?