What should I put on the floor of the run?

[black_cat]

I am planning to get three chickens (possibly bantams) with a 6x5 run. I was planning to put sand in part of it so that they could take dust baths, and was going to leave the rest as grass/dirt. I am planning to put hardware mesh under the coop to prevent anything tunneling in. Would that hurt the chickens' feet? should I cover the whole floor of the run in something? I am brand new to chickens and am unsure what to do.

 

[dawg53]

Welcome to BYC. Your chickens will eat the grass and the run will be bare. Sand in the run is best. It wont wash away when it rains like mud and there's no nasty mudpuddles for them to drink out of. Sand dries quicker than wet dirt or mud and helps deter insects and parasites. Sand is also easier to scoop poop.

You can lay an apron of field fence on the ground going all the way around the outside of your run. Tie it in at the base of your pen. Predators cant dig through field fence. Eventually grass will grow through it and wont be noticeable.
Here's a pic of field fence going around my carport coop on the ground. Nothing can dig through it.

 

[black_cat]

Thanks! I know that some people bury the mesh so that nothing can get through, but I wasn't sure how to do that. I hadn't even thought about mud puddles, this was really helpful!

 

[aart]

Anti-dig aprons on a run are good......not a fan of sand or chicken wire tho.

My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed. Never have to 'clean' up any poops.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.