Suitable flooring in a large run?

Hi we are having this trouble and have put thick straw down, I said I wouldnt do it as it does stop the ground under from drying if you get a nice breezy day, if you do decide too try not to walk on it as the hens dont tread it in and it does keep them clean, I try to walk on the same paths.

bet it won't be dry for months yet! i threw some hemcore down recently and it seems to have done some good. i did put barrow loads of woodchip down months ago yet that's all sank under the mud. good whilst it floats though.

Upert, please can you tell me if hemcore smells?   Am thinking of trying it in the hen houses and on the gloopy mud, the mud is getting very smelly in parts and I thought that the hemcore might help....  wood shavings are not much help with the mud/smell and last year I found bark grew fungus really fast.

My woodchip (from a local tree surgeon) is about 4 inches deep when laid/raked (it soon has holes in it once they start scratching!) and so far that's been OK ... but I only have three hens in a run 4x4m.

Our 3 new girls are currently elsewhere, but it might be a different story once they're in together.