# Run floor question



## emeraldskye (Oct 6, 2013)

My run is about 12'x4'. I have 4 chicks (nearly 9 weeks old now). The coop has wood (pine) shavings on the floor. The run is just dirt at the moment. Every time I walk in there I come out with poop on my shoes. Not a big deal; I just hose it off. But it makes me realize that the chickens are always walking in poop too. What is my best option for keeping the run as clean as possible for the chickens while also allowing them to do the scratching and dust bathing that they want? Options are: hay, rice straw, wood shavings, rice hulls, and sand. I don't mind something that I have to turn to keep clean like the shavings in the coop. That is working pretty well, and may try rice hulls at some point. 

Independent of what works best in the coop, I would like to figure out the best solution for the run, even if it's just dirt. It is covered so there are no mud baths.


----------



## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

My run has deep litter. It is well frozen now, but it benefits mid summer are awesome. Less smell. More for the ladies to dig for. 
Add yard scraps and get a nice layer of compot going. Cover with a light layer of wood chips and in a few weeks turn, add what comes from the coop every day and before you know nothings are going good.


----------



## kessy09 (Jun 16, 2013)

I use leaf litter. I collect bags of leaves from friends and family in the fall and have enough for all year until the next fall. We had a grass run but they scratched it all up and made it very muddy so that's when I started the deep leaf litter in the run. After two weeks I was able to spread the leaves and see grass sprouting again. I put a sandbox out of a short sides large Tupperware in the corner for dust bathing in sand but they seem to love to roll around in the leaves.


----------



## matt_kas (Mar 11, 2013)

I use straw, if they get mites I put diatomaceous earth in it and they take a dust bath and it solves my problem. Two uses one thing


----------



## emeraldskye (Oct 6, 2013)

Tomorrow I'll go spread some wood chips and also some leaf litter. For the leaf litter users, do you put them in whole or shred them?

I also have some straw... I use it to line the pathways between my raised beds and have part of a bale here. Heck, I could toss some of that in too.


----------



## blparker189 (Dec 27, 2013)

I have a concrete run what is the best thing to use over this?


----------



## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

Deep litter IMO


----------



## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

powderhogg01 said:


> Deep litter IMO


Agree with this, especially if you live in a cold climate. Standing on cold concrete is about as miserable as standing in a puddle with no shoes on in the middle of Winter.

The birds need something to scratch around in, its part of their DNA.


----------



## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

Plus the stuff is warmer then the surrounding area because of the decomposition going on. 
My run stayed thawed for a week longer then the surrounding ground. And that first cold snap was around 0 f where I am, I imaging in a less harsh climate you would likely see the deep little never freeze at or even frost.


----------



## Barnbum374 (Mar 14, 2013)

We keep a dirt floor for our run, but we have a sandy soil here, so I guess you could say we use sand. It is very easy to keep clean. Just use a kitty litter scoop obit a couple times a week.


----------



## Apyl (Jun 20, 2012)

I have deep litter in mine. Dirt floor , star, red pine needles, pine shavings, and leaves . I toss in whatever I get at the moment and let it pile up. Its mostly frozen now and could use another bale of straw.


----------

