run flooring..can I use shingle?

[clucking chicks]

I have a cunning idea!!!!
Can I put large shingle down in my run to keep the girls feet out of a swamp? I could hose down and the water would drain away? Clean and dry.
Not very soft for my girls to walk on though. :?

 

[chrismahon]

Turns to surry when mixed with poo and it gets wet. Difficult to poo pick without picking up shingle so can't go on the compost. There is another post on this subject running at the moment with plenty of advice on alternatives.

 

[Sue]

I have pea gravel in my outside run (on soil) and they don't mind walking on it and scratch around in it. Chris is right though, it is impossible to poo pick without picking up the pea gravel, but the run doesn't get muddy and can be hosed down and drains well. If I was starting again I would use play sand as it would be easy to poo pick, would be easy to hose down and would be softer on their feet. I don't know whether there is any problem with using sand, not many people seem to use it. I wish I had a large paddock with grass, but unfortunately I don't!

 

[Tim]

If you can cover the run to keep it dry and then board around the base so that a deep litter system can be used, you can fill the run with six inches of softwood chippings or course sand. These are the most popular options. It allows birds to scratch but can be cleaned up daily and replaced periodically to keep the run clean.

I agree with Chrismahon on the shingle. I have used gravel for a while but you can't really wash it through for long as the muck soon builds up.

 

[Marigold]

Also, when you come to change the shingle, you can't put it on the compost heap, and it's horrible smelly muddy stuff to bag up and take to the dump.

 

[Sue]

And you would have to pay to dump it now! At least you do with our council.