Dirt floor in the run?

[stitch81]

We've got the footings done for the new coop. I looked at all the wonderful coop designs here and picked one I liked. My question is, can you have a dirt floor for the run? It seems most of what I have seen is sand or wood shavings.... Is it okay to just leave it dirt? The coop will be raised from the ground 2 feet, and I'm still trying to decide if I should have sand in there or wood shavings...I've read most of the posts about the pros and cons of those, just haven't made a decision yet.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Mine's dirt. If I have trouble with muddy spots I sprinkle sand.

Wood shavings are awful if they get wet.

 

[greenfamilyfarms]

We have just dirt. When we first build the run we did put down a load of fill dirt, which is mostly sand. It keeps it from getting muddy.

 

[autsie]

Our coop is an old green house. It is a full dirt floor that the girls love! Dust baths are fab and it stays dry. We add a new layer of shavings once a year and do a thorough cleaning in the spring. They also have an area that is sawdust that they love. We don't have a solid floor at all and it works great! We do, however, have a concrete cinder block perimeter, so we don't have problems with entry under the coop. Good luck with your new plans! Post pics as everyone always loves to ooh and ahh!

 

[stitch81]

Thanks guys! I've been taking in progress shots. The kids helped me dig out the footings last night. My husband is putting up a building and the concrete guys came to pour the footings for the machine shed. They had extra concrete leftover, so they poured the footings for the coop too! We're looking at a 7ft. x 14 ft coop/run. The coop portion will be 5 x 7 and will be up off the ground so the chickens will have the full 7 x 14 area for the run.

 

[vstoltzfus]

My coop has a wire floor, my run has dirt. It does get muddy, especially with all the rain we've been having, but it bothers me more than it bothers the hens. I do try to move the run boundaries every once in a while to give the hens fresh dirt, and give the old dirt a chance to rest and grow new grass. Good luck!

 

[TreeHugger]

My chicken run is dirt. My chickens seem perfectly happy with it, but it bothers me. When it rains it's a muddy mess. I have plans to do the front section in sand this year.

 

[motherhenmindy]

We have a dirt run, but our run is covered. I am going to save wood shavings for the nest box only.

 

[BellevueOmlet]

Dirt is fine. I mix in sand and gravel to serperate it out a bit.

 

[patandchickens]

Dirt is fine, it's just that there is often a fine line between dirt and boot-sucking stench-making MUD

If you are on the right soils and in the right climates to avoid mud, dirt is great. It just doesn't work for everyone is all.

Shavings BTW are a *terrible* outdoor run footing. FOr pros and cons of different options, and discussion of how to minimize the chances of your dirt run becoming muddy, take a look at my 'fixing a muddy run' page (link in .sig below) which lays out your options.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat