[Bubbles]

What do you think is the best material for the floor of a small run I have attached to the coop. I have been putting leaf litter in there (same as in the bigger run) but the girls scratch it into food, even though the food is up quite high. Would shredded bark put splinters into their feet? What is the 'deep litter' method?

Alternatively, what about a concrete base that I can cover with something and then clean out mover regularly. I cant really move the coop round a lot. thanks

[LittleRedHen]

We have a concrete base and then Hemcore over that.  It cushions the hens' feet and gives them something to scratch in.  Poo's really easy to pick up and I just replace the Hemcore picked up with the poo with a handful of more Hemcore.  Very easy.  Our run isn't moved, but our hens come out into the garden to play as soon as we get home from work.

[OLLIE]

I was wondering the same thing for my run.  It is too heavy to move around and we have dug small foundations to stop foxes etc from getting to my ladies!  I have soil/turf at the moment and some plastic seed trays upsidedown that I put in underneath the nest box as it is hard to get underneath to clean there as a short term solution but they love to snuggle together on them and I can pull them out to clean them.  I think I will just keep popping a new strip of turk in there for them to scratch at and to keep it fresh.

[Bubbles]

We have a concrete base and then Hemcore over that.  

Hi Little Red Hen what is Hemcore and where do you get it?

[Roughlee Handled]

http://www.hemcore.co.uk/bedding.php