Please help me modify my run floor

[Ted Brown]

You have two separate problems - ground water runoff vs roof runoff.

Ground runoff is normally dealt with by diversion eg a ditch filled with gravel that follows the contours of the property and moves the water away from run & coop.

Your roof overhanging the run will be a continuing pita. Use eaves-trough (either plastic or metal), you will need to construct & attach a fascia board that is strong enough to hold some weight; one side only.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I suggest a few inches of wood chips. Covers the mud and lets the water drain through it.

 

[Brittanysorrels]

Completely different climate and soil, but we started with sand in our chicken run. Loved it the first year. I scooped the poop twice a day and it was nice and soft for the chickens. By the second year, we were having issues with the main space compacting like concrete and having to use a hoe to break up the surface. The sand also began to smell anytime it got wet. We ended up removing the sand and spreading it on part of the driveway. Our driveway stunk for months! We now use a combination of wood chips, pine needles, shavings and straw to build up a base taller than the surrounding ground to keep the run dry during our spring floods.

I think I may do the same..Trying to decide on best run floor. First time having chicks. With this run setup how often do you have to clean & replace the run floor? For reference, I have 4 chickens and one duck for our backyard babies.
Been doing so much research & still feel conflicted on what’s best.

 

[DobieLover]

how often do you have to clean & replace the run floor?

If you have a properly sized run with a roof over it and no excess water in the run, you might have to removed material once a year.

I have never removed anything from my run in 6 years, only added to it.

BUT I also made sure to build on high ground and the roof of the run has a gutter and my flock does not stay in the run that much. They prefer to go out into their pen in good weather.
If you have runoff heading toward your run, you need to divert it with swales and French drains to keep the water from flowing into the run.
Any dry organic material is going to work well as it helps cold compost the poop load, slowly decomposing and enriching the soil, gives the birds something to scratch through and is typically free to get. I get my wood chips from local highway departments. You can rake up dry pine needles and leaves. Whatever you have available to you.

 

[RubelliteRose]

I think I may do the same..Trying to decide on best run floor. First time having chicks. With this run setup how often do you have to clean & replace the run floor? For reference, I have 4 chickens and one duck for our backyard babies.
Been doing so much research & still feel conflicted on what’s best.

We haven't removed any thing from the run nor do I have to clean the run. The poop composts fairly quickly, so it doesn't have a lingering smell especially if you periodically add more dry organic material. Our seasonal flooding is wind driven, so we plan to build up the ground higher than most people would need. How quickly the depth builds up would depend upon your chicken to square foot ratio. If your run level does manage to build up too high, you can always remove some of the dirt to use in a garden or flower bed

 

[Dominique King]

I built my coop late summer last year…after mud season! I have limited places to build because I live on a hill. My run floor is downhill of some drainage- not a ton, but enough to be wet a lot. My plan is to put in a french drain on the outside of the run to divert water away and then put in a floor to the run.

The run itself is slightly sloping. I thought it wouldn’t be a big deal, but it’s actually pretty annoying. I’m going to dig out what i can on one side and build up the other to make it flat (if i can).

Ideally I want a sandy floor. we have a lot of clay earth where i live so the drainage is slow. How can i properly do the floor? Can i just get construction grade sand and put on top? I’m thinking not. But that should would be easy!

Do i need to dig out, layer with a landscape mat, cover with bigger stones and then the construction sand? This is what you would do for a patio. Is it the same? I just don’t want the mud to be coming through. But this sounds like a lot of work!!

I have the exact same thing! I live on a hill and my coop and run are like yours from what you are describing. I have just continuously put down straw and leaves to soak up all of the water and mud and it also builds the ground up! Just from what happens with me during mud season.

 

[Dominique King]

These are some photos of my run.

 

[Dominique King]

I did put in logs and old tires in the run so that the chickens can have something to do!

 

[Brittanysorrels]

Very h

We haven't removed any thing from the run nor do I have to clean the run. The poop composts fairly quickly, so it doesn't have a lingering smell especially if you periodically add more dry organic material. Our seasonal flooding is wind driven, so we plan to build up the ground higher than most people would need. How quickly the depth builds up would depend upon your chicken to square foot ratio. If your run level does manage to build up too high, you can always remove some of the dirt to use in a garden or flower bed

Very helpful! Thank you. I will make sure to use a higher spot in our yard to help with this as well, I think I may be a bit over worried about the material aspect. Thank you!