wood bark floor for huge coup and run

sorry another stupid question, if i put the kids toys this side of the swings i have enough room on the wood bark to put a huge coup and 6-8ft run. so the question is would it be o.k just to plant it straight on top. i was thinking that raking over the bark in the run would be sufficient the coup is 7ft wide with solid floor. this would be for bantams, ( the quail when i get them all will be in the house/ run you can see and i also have 4 x4ft hutches the other side of the shed if i get too carried away)

i'd by worried about putting it straight onto the bark
it would be easy for foxes and rats to get in.
just my personal thought

keef

if you put some aviary mesh under the bark (i.e. rake off bark, put aviary mesh, plonk on run and reapply bark), you should be able to keep even the most determined fox or rat out.

meshing under isn't a problem thanks for that solution,
would it be too stinky or would regular raking sort that? obviously cleaning out the coup isn't a problem, just wondering about the bark in the run.

what do you keep in that lovely house at the back of picture?

original plan was quails in my 4x4ft hutches with runs and bantams in the house but if i get this new coup some quail will get to live in there. its empty at the moment. i will be a mini poultry farmer lol
have the 8 quail babies that will go into a hutch as i am only keeping girls so will be less than 8.
i have 6 bantam eggs due to hatch tommorrow they are really my sisters but will get to keep any over 2 hens, and i have 12 bantam eggs of hers due in 2 weeks that i get to keep any over 4 hens. so these if any will go in the house until i sort the large coup. then after that i will get enough quail eggs to fill the house and another 1 or 2 hutches with quail girlies.
will keep 1 hutch empty for emergencies etc.

don't use bark it gives off bad spores but chippings are fine.

it was sold as 'play bark', kid safe apparently, i wondered at the time what the difference was in play bark and garden bark was but never asked its been down for about 3 years.
does that make a difference or would you still recommend removing it.

I put play bark down in my aviary, but got rid of it .... it kept going mouldy, but it does rain a lot up here.

looks like it will have to go then,i can shovel some onto the play area they have left but its about 5inches deep.and i guess replace with chips or find a different spot don't think they will let me put it on the concrete though they like riding around there too much. humm now what to do.
the kids have never made it mouldy but then they never poop in it

Sounds like a busy little garden, mines going the same way to be honest! My bantam eggs arent due till next Friday,so you'll be first!

I am expecting complaints but we are semi rural and the lady one side is building a coup of her own and getting p.o.l. in spring so thats her sorted and i figured i will ply the chap the other side with quail eggs as a bribe lol but then he tolerates my kids and they don't sleep so he's not a bad person. when its all done sorted and filled i will invite you over.

I d love to come over. I havenet had any compliants yet.ive got nieghbours both sides. My cockeral has only crowed about 3 times since ive had him and its abit pathetic anyway because hes so small. Lol.

what do you guys suggest for flooring the run, i could do with some sugestions as the coup arrived today.
ie remove bark and replace with? keep bark and replace later etc etc.

Myself, I prefer pea gravel. Provided you have wire mesh underneath, it's safe from foxes/rats.

It drains, easy to hose down (and keep clean provided you don't have too many birds), inert (doesn't decompose).

Hi Sam - that looks like it will be a great setup. The floor of my aviary is just slabs laid on gravel. Easy to hose clean now and then. I find my quail do get more pongy than my chooks - I think this is because they produce more ammonia in their droppings. I'd love to see it when finished.

looks like i am in for a bit of landscape gardening then, pea shingle here i come, fingers crossed the dry weather holds.