[1st time veg grower]

I know my girls, when I get them, will sadly have to have a fixed run rather than one that can be moved about the garden. I therefore need some advice about what substrate would be best on the run floor.

I have been searching forums and the most common in use seem to be the following:
- wood, not bark, chippings (I notice that B&Q have wood chippings but they seem to have been dyed bizarre colours and am not sure that would be good?! But other than that all I can seem to find is bark chippings )
- 1cm gravel a few inches deep
- paving slabs covered with straw (I am allergic to straw and therefore would need an alternative - would aubiose or hemcore mentioned to be before as suitable alternatives for the nest boxes work instead?)

Any advice on which of these or any alternatives that would work well?

Many thanks.

[Jeanette]

I use bark chippings in the run, i just put in a load of it and the girls sort it out looking for bugs and other things and it saves me having to level it of. For the nesting box i use straw but as you are alergic to it then use hemcore or aubiose which ever is best for you.

[1st time veg grower]

Thanks for replying, that's useful but (and I am only going off what I've read) aren't bark chippings (as opposed to wood chippings) supposed to harbour fungus that is harmful to chickens?

[judesailor]

as long as you change it reguilarly - we change ours every week - ten days or so then the fungus shouldn't affect them.  Looks great on te flower beds afterwards too

[1st time veg grower]

Thanks Jude for replying - that's helpful.

[Henlady]

I have just bought a bale of aubiose to use inside the coop and I find it quite dusty.  When I'm poo picking in the morning it seems to fill the house.   I was using dust extracted sawdust which wasn't as dusty but I wanted something more absorbant.  I will try hemcore next time.

[1st time veg grower]

Again that's really useful to know as I'm still investigating different materials at the moment.

I have found a place online that does woodchip for poultry runs so am going back to my first, original, plan!

[Flowerpower136]

I tried a few things, but have just ended up with bare earth, and they love it.  Though our run has a roof so we don't get too muddy.  At the moment one lovely big dust bath.  If rain blows in and we get a bit squelchy then I do use soft wood chips from B&Q.  Poo pick the area every day, and it shouldn't get smelly.
Also from time to time, very roughly dig it over with a garden fork.  Leave it all lumps and chumps for the girls to sort out, they love it.  Worm time. Yum   And it refreshes the surface.

[Hennery]

I use B&Q play area bark . You get 4 bags for  £12 { and if an old geezer like me 10% off on Wednesdays! ). This lasts for ages on a covered run.