chooks on concrete

[veggielover]

My chook house/run is currrently on half concrete, half grass-mudbath ....... i am re turfing lawn at the weekend and would like to put house/run on full concrete base...... the chooks love a good dig around in the muddy area so was wondering if putting a good sized tray with mix of soil and sand in the run this would be good enough for them? I rent my house and although the landlord is happy enough with me having chooks i don't think he's realised the damage they can do to a lawn........ i really don't want to have to give up my girls. any advise greatly received

[pdblake]

If mine are 'owt to go by whatever starts in the tray will end up all over the place

I suppose if you put in something akin to a small raised bed though....

[Hilary B]

A solid base is OK if you put 'scratching material' down. Straw, shavings, or one of the modern 'horse bedding' alternatives, all provide fun and exercise for hens (advantages/drawbacks get discussed on here frequently). If they have space enough, a dustbath, and some 'food-seeking' opportunities (including green-foods, which can be suspended in the run) they won't suffer from lack of mud.

[HayleyB]

You will need to give them somewhere to dust bathe and give them greens. My girls have a concrete yard but they have stables and straw to play in and have built their own indoor swimming pool under a trailer which has an outddor pool area in front and behind the trailer

They will need something to keep them entertained, ours have a gym - ramps up to what was a mounting block with alternate ramps down - they love it

[veggielover]

Thanks for quick replies, concrete base it is..... better than the alternative. The girls get greens everyday..... all peelings go to them and all grass cuttings, my neighbours give me their peelings too,

[smileyt]

Oooh a hen gym .... I'm off to scour local skips to find some wood to build a gym then. Although mine, being ex-batts, probably won't be fit enough to use it immediately.

[HayleyB]

Welcome to the vine smiley, 31 of mine are ex-bats and they use the gym regularly

[dozey1]

Go on show us a piture of these gyms, mine have a mirror, cds, lpgs and a big perch out in their run a long with parrot goodie bars.