Dirt floor for the run?

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I use bagged shavings, and add some grass clippings, fallen leaves, and veggie or fruit kitchen scraps, Think about it as a cold compost project; the birds will scratch around in it and have a great time finding bugs and stuff. As it decomposes, some can be shoveled into the garden, or just keep adding shavings to deepen the bed. Low wet spots are not helpful. Mary
 
Tonyandscarlett said:
Thanks Kim Z! What does DE mean? Have you used Lime to combat odor? Mine typically use the roosting area to do their business which I hated at first but now like because it is easier to clean, so not a huge odor problem but sometimes it is. Then again I am a "OCD Cleaner" by nature.
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For odor try using PDZ, it's used for horse stalls to absorb the urine smell. I use that on my poop board & sprinkle some in my DLM along with DE (bug control).
 
DE is ineffective when wet, and is very bad to inhale when dry. It will kill soft-bodied insects, and can be used for organic flocks. Having asthma, and in damp conditions (Michigan) I don't use the stuff. Mary
 
I live in AL and we built our run that is fully enclosed with hardware cloth. I bought several bags of soil conditioner and put out and my chicks love it. It is tiny pieces of mulch and ground up forestry product, no added minerals or anything. The chickens are always finding worms and bugs too because it is a soil product. I just rake it around every day.
 
I also use the Sweet PDZ on my poop board (this week). Last week I had peat moss and used that and it was great. I don't use DE. I have some granddaddy long legs and a few roaches, but my girls love to eat them. I have about 8 inches of pine shavings in the coop. I toss them around, but they don't really have any poop on them since I use the poop board.
 
chick-habit said:
LA is DRY. so dry.
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Perth and California have the same climate.... My run is just dirt (ie garden soil). I add bark chips to it. I will be throwing some compost in as well, when it's "done". The chooks dig it all up and over all the time. So far, it's fine, not smelly or poo-ey or anything. I'll add some garden lime at some stage. There's no reason you can't water the run if it needs it. Even though we get little rain, it seems to be enough to water in the poo/get the bark chips composting. I think it will depend on how big an area and how many chooks you've got in there. Lots of chooks = lots more cleaning/work.
 
Hi! Feel free to piggy back. Those are great questions.

Tonyandscarlett said:
I am so glad you wrote this I have a very similar question!  If I may piggy back on this feed - you may wonder this too.  I have a very similar situation but live in Alabama.  

I currently have 4 easter eggers that are about 5 months old and am awaiting 4 ameraucanas I ordered which should be 2 to 3 months old when I get them.  They have a coop that encompasses a roosting area with 6 boxes that is roofed with plywood and then covered with contractor shingles - their food and water hangs under that so it is shaded.   They have a "Pool" if they want it that fills with rain water.  They also have bars to roost or play on and ladders galore.  They also have a sunny area the same size - so they can choose what they want to be in.  It gets hot and rainy here but never very cold.  

My coop is a strictly dirt floor.  I do not want to rake litter.    Problem is there is no grass in mine... they also do not get let into the yard due to the dog.  We live in a neighborhood.  I planted herbs to feed them but they eat so much they are about gone.  

So question.... should I add fresh dirt once in a while or does that not matter?  Should I continue to feed them herbs or just let them eat their food?  I feel like they need green "vegetables".


Thanks!
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One of mine loves Sweet Mint, one loves Lemon Thyme, the last two will eat anything you give them.

Our prior two loved parsley of any kind. I also grew sage and marigolds. These all also ward off flies... The kids pick any dandiliones from the yard and give them too it is supposed to be good for them.
 

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