Chicken Run Floor Material

[Jancan]

First time BYC farmer, and yes, all the info online is overwhelming. Our coop/run is pretty much done. We have 6 6 week old hens, the coop has sand on the floor, and everytime they come out the sand slides out down the run. Any suggestions on how to edge that? Also, the run is about 12 x 8 and is the natural pre-existing scrubby lawn. Does it have to have a layer of something else? thanks in advance for ideas. It is a covered run. Drainage of that area has never been a problem in the past.

 

[FrostRanger]

First time BYC farmer, and yes, all the info online is overwhelming. Our coop/run is pretty much done. We have 6 6 week old hens, the coop has sand on the floor, and everytime they come out the sand slides out down the run. Any suggestions on how to edge that? Also, the run is about 12 x 8 and is the natural pre-existing scrubby lawn. Does it have to have a layer of something else? thanks in advance for ideas. It is a covered run. Drainage of that area has never been a problem in the past.

Welcome! it's up to you if you want to put sand or mulch or whatever in the run, but you can certainly leave it bare if you want to, your birds will be just fine. The main reasons you might a substrate besides drainage is for odor control, to give them something to scratch through and to hide/make poop easier to clean. IMO it also helps with flies but YMMV on that one

 

[RedHillChicken]

Welcome! it's up to you if you want to put sand or mulch or whatever in the run, but you can certainly leave it bare if you want to, your birds will be just fine. The main reasons you might a substrate besides drainage is for odor control, to give them something to scratch through and to hide/make poop easier to clean. IMO it also helps with flies but YMMV on that one

I agree with FrostRanger here. We put down pine bark (readily available here) and it did help with the smell, especially after a rain. Our runs are covered, but blowing rain can wet the whole run. Also, we throw scratch in their runs periodically, and pine bark hide some of their delicious treats until another day. I read that Auburn vet center recommended coarse sand. What is readily available in your area, easy to move, doesn't hold water, and cheap? If you're not having an issue with muddiness, why not leave it natural?

 

[rosemarythyme]

the coop has sand on the floor, and everytime they come out the sand slides out down the run. Any suggestions on how to edge that?

Photos of your coop would help. I assume your pop door is right at ground level, not raised by a few inches? Depending on how big the opening is you could put a board across the bottom to hold in the sand, but if the opening isn't very large then raising the pop door is the best solution.

Also, the run is about 12 x 8 and is the natural pre-existing scrubby lawn. Does it have to have a layer of something else? thanks in advance for ideas. It is a covered run. Drainage of that area has never been a problem in the past.

You might be okay with just dirt, you might not. Depends on your climate, your soil, whether the run is climate protected or not, etc. I have excellent drainage but that doesn't matter as I have an unroofed run with 3 seasons of precipitation, which means poop + dirt = sticky, smelly mud. So run litter is not optional for me.

 

[Unswydd]

I have used straw (winter) , and pine chips for absorbing rain. I have a uncovered run. It's created a very hard floor and if I try to clean it and dig some it smells really bad. So I quit digging and only rake it once in a while and add wood chips in the summer months when it rains. They appear to be fine and there's no smell at all.

 

[JanetRN1]

I would do this.

See above comment about cedar. I'm new to chickens, but I believe cedar is toxic to them

 

[aart]

See above comment about cedar. I'm new to chickens, but I believe cedar is toxic to them

If they are new aromatic cedar chips and used inside a small area, yes they can be toxic.
If you read further you will learn that they are not necessarily bad.
Especially in this case where the chips are older and will be used outside.

 

[JanetRN1]

Thank you for that info!

 

[Bawkbok]

See above comment about cedar. I'm new to chickens, but I believe cedar is toxic to them

why is cedar toxic to chickens?

 

[Bawkbok]

Interesting article:

https://bitchinchickens.com/2020/12/14/myth-buster-are-cedar-shavings-toxic-to-chickens/