4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[FlyingRamses]

Hi

 

Has anyone had experience with using rubber mats as chicken run flooring? There are some good deals at the moment on this rubber sheeting which is made for horse stables and horse boxes. It is typically in 3 X 6ft lengths and 15mm thick.

 

I was considering using this instead of paving as it is easy clean and can be removed for cleaning as well. I was going to put a paving border for the run to sit on and then sand infill with the rubber on top. I was then going to put down a few inches of Easibed. I will have a separate area with sand and earth as a dust bath.

 

My hens are only out a couple of hours a day and sometimes only at the weekends at this time of year. Main concern is they may prefer to scratch down to a hard surface rather than rubber!! Main objective is to keep the run dry and easy to clean.

 

Another idea and I will post pics once I have done it is using yacht sail material for a rain cover. I will have a run built with translucent roof and then a 1.5m wide sail running along the side to prevent rain entering the run as my girlies get quite fed up with this!!

 

Any ideas or thoughts on this subject would be most welcomed as I sit here nursing a twisted ankle after slipping in ice running for my bus!!! Oh and of course I did this in front of the neighbours!!!

 

Happy new year to all.

 

FR

[Carol U]

I really don't think chickens are too fussy what's under their bedding, as long as they have a few inches of something to peck about in. My run just has an earth floor with Hemcore on top and they never seem to dig down into the soil underneath. I have paving slabs round the outside to prevent foxes from tunneling in. I think the most important thing is to get a cover of some sort on to keep the bedding dry. Before I had a walk in run with a proper roof, I used Ikea clear plastic shower curtains, which are dirt cheap and let plenty of light in - which sail canvas may not. Look forward to seeing pictures of your run when completed. Good luck with it.