[bigaky]

Hi everyone
Iam about to get my first hens in a few weeks,Iwas thinking of puting the coop/run on a small area of playpark astroturf . Is this ok ?thank you

[hillfooter]

It's not ideal.  Chx need to forage an d scrat about on grass ideally or earth otherwise.  Astro turf will quickly get soiled and insanitary.   You need to hose it and disinfect regularly and the chx wouldn't like it if it was their only run area.  Not sure if the nylon might be very bad for their feet also if it's hard nylon as they'd try and scrat in it.

Use wood chip (not shavings) as a run flooring in preference if you can't give them earth or grass.
HF

[rachelr]

No as a friend of mine did it and their little legs get all cut up.  When it rains the muck then gets into the cuts and they become poorly.

[bigaky]

Thank you for your replies.
As I have a small garden the only other area I have is a small slabed patio.  Do you think this would be suitable for the coop/run ?  I have a small landscape area that they can have access to when I am at home.
Thanks.

[orchardlady]

The patio will be OK but you will need to put something on the slabs otherwise it will be too cold, too poopie and to dismal for your girls. There are lots of posts on here about litter for runs. As my hens free range I don't use these methods so  maybe someone else can give a few pointers.

OL

[hillfooter]

A slabbed patio is OK if you use a litter which you can keep dry.  Woodchips are best but chopped straw is also possible though more work and tends to blow about a bit.

HF

[helens-hens]

I put my run onto paving slabs as the ground was becoming a mudbath back in the autumn. I tried using wood chips but found these hard to poopick and also the bags sometimes smelt a bit mouldy (probably better if you can source some from a tree surgeon or similar, mine were from B&Q).

I now use horse bedding in the run and have found easibed to be good though many here recommend hemcore and aubiouse. However the run is covered - I don't think the bedding would stand up to heavy rain very well.

Importantly the hens seem to like it and scratch through it much like they do when they are out in the garden, they even dust bath in it! It is also easy to remove & replace and gives you an opportunity to clean / disinfect the paving underneath.