Solitary chicken - need advice

[Cosmo]

Hi,

 

I've just taken delivery of a pre-loved Go with a 3m run and I'm planning to add chickens mid summer after we've been on holiday. While I've got some time to plan I'm thinking about their run. (I'll probably have quite a few questions over the next few weeks.)

 

While the chickens will get some free range time it will only be while I'm at home and working full time means this will often be confined to the weekends, especially during the winter so I'm thinking of woodchip (or possibly sand?) for the run. Is this best placed straight on the soil or is putting permeable membrane beneath it advisable?

 

Thanks, Cosmo

[Grandmashazzie]

I have my wood chips on paving stones.After reading about rat burrows etc I thought I would rule out the floor as point of entry.I also have awIR with small wire meld to prevent rodents.

[Chickabee]

You can put membrane down, but then it's advisable to put some netting over that. The girls can just scratch through it otherwise. I did this once with sand. I didn't like it though. The girls just mixed their poo in with the sand, so it was impossible to clean and just got smelly. Not tried it with wood chip though. I too use paving slabs

[Cosmo]

Thank you. Paving slabs may be the way to go. Off to work out how many I will need now.