Ultimate bedding

[chickendipper]

I know this may been covered before but really need some advice!! I have a 10ft x 8th covered run.the run is framed with 3x2 sawn and treated timber covered in wire mesh! The roof is pitched and covered in breatherable slaters felt this is then covered in featheredge timber! So the roof is 100% waterproof, apart from any driving rain at sides the whole run is watertight, I have a purpose made chicken coop inside set about 2ft off the ground so as to not take up any floor space! Throughout the summer we just had wood chippings on mud but have pulled them all up over winter and covered in paving slabs but not happy with it! What ultimately is the best base for the run!? Concrete with a covering and what or mud with a covering and what??? Ideally prefer the idea of concrete base with covering as can be hosed and washed! But what to cover with? Main priority being looks nice and clean and is clean!! Any ideas??

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Chickendipper. Lots of us use deep wood chippings on a landscape fabric sheet or straight on the soil. They do rot down but last far longer if they are kept dry. The chickens will dig them up obviously. Sand has been considered but turns into a slurry when wet as does gravel. Rubber chippings has been mentioned as well but you need to ensure that it is 100% wire free. A lot of them are made from shredded tyres and still contain high tensile steel wire bits which could badly damage chickens feet. We throw down the old Aubiose bedding over slabs on two small coops, but it gets wet from the sides and rots quickly. Big open runs we use woodchip and keep topping it up. Eventually it will have to be dug out and replaced -big job. To preserve any surfacing we poo pick daily and put it on the compost heap.

 

[chickendipper]

Hi chrismahon
Thanks for your advice!! Think I may pull slabs up in spring put down 4"concrete base then cover with wood chippings! Any more ideas anyone!? What wood chippings are best? Took kids to local petting farm today (godstone) they have a lot of covered chicken runs with just straw over concrete! Looks quite nice and natural!

 

[Sue]

I buy my hard wood chips from MJ Giddings from their website. They deliver free, but you have to buy 15 bags minimum order, which works out at just over £100. Depends on how much you want to spend. Flytesofancy sell it buy the bag, but it is about £9 a bag and then you have to pay high carriage charges on top. But you don't have to buy a minimum number. I made the mistake of buying the 15 bags and using what I needed and storing the rest to top up as required, but it is bagged wet and if not used straight away or at least dried and re-bagged (this works), it will go mouldy due to lack of air circulation. I now have another run, so 15 bags would all be used at once which works out better. We don't have anywhere to buy it locally so this was the only way I could get it. Mine is used in a covered run on slabs in one run and another is on earth. I debated whether this was the correct thing to use or not (it was me who asked about the sand) and have now decided that it is the best option, as I didn't like the idea of the chance of wire in the rubber chippings. Straw would get too wet and would need changing often.