Torrential rain flooding run

[Pippahales]

Hi

 

I'm hoping to get a classic or go eglu soon. This will be permenantly based on spare decking we have at the bottom of the garden. What should I put between the run and the decking to; a) be good for the chickens to scratch b) preserve the decking and c) to make cleaning up easy?

 

Thanks so much

 

Pippa x

[Plum]

Hi there, I presume you will want to keep it fairly dry to prevent the wood rotting so I would look at one of the horse beddings like hemcore, aubiose or easibed and cover the run. If you put stalosanf down occasionally it helps keep things fresh and dry and keeps parasites, bugs etc at bay.

You can cover the run with an ikea clear shower curtain for 89p + bungees or corrugated plastic sheet from wickes etc. It works really well. Anyway that is what I would do.

[sjp]

I'd suggest weed control fabric as it's the only stuff that will let the decking breath but it'll get torn by the claws

plastic sheet will cause the timber decking to sweat and rot in no time

the way I'd do it is with some timber battens 2x1 or roof lath about a foot apart across the width of the run with either exsterior/marine ply or floor boards well treated with a wood preserver or upvc cladding fixed to the battens so that theres an air flow under the run floor to stop the decking from sweating

but I've got access to these sort of things from work. that and I'm a skip rat

[chickenlegs]

Hi, was reading through posts as I do, mainly for inspired advice you find on here for keeping chooks happy and healthy, when I read yours felt that I should just offer a word of caution re using decking boards as a floor for the run, chickens make a mess and if not kept clean the smell could be horrendous, wood as a flooring in the run, no matter what bedding material used on top would in time become damp and smelly, even with constant cleaning, raising it off the floor to let the wood breathe could provide a space for vermin and it could harbour red mites. I think most folks on here place their run's on; paving slabs, concrete or mud. I've a WIR on mud covered with wood chip, about three or four times a year it gets completely replaced soil gets limed and soaked, couple of bails of fresh woodchip, then general maintence every two weeks or so treated with bio dry, it works for me and the chooks, good luck with your chickens, Theresa

[Redwing]

Its not an ideal surfact as already mentioned

 

Personally I'd use 1cm x 1cm wire mesh under the Eglu and run and woodchips in the run (which shouldnt fall through)

 

Another option would be sacrifical 8 x 4 sheets of OSB, not pretty but it would protect the decking, change when they become tired looking