Outdoor run material

[Rockergirl]

Attached is a pic of our setup. We have the coop (sleeping/laying quarters) to the far left in the shed. The "indoor run" in the middle - that uses hemp/deep litter and then to the far right is their "outdoor run" - this a little outside play area with netting on top to protect from hawks etc.

My question - the "outdoor run" on the far right....the flooring is just the natural earth, which I don't love because it is very hard/compacted dirt with tree roots and rock so you can't really get too deep in it.....I don't love it because a) they dust bath, but it isn't the best since they can't get too deep so I feel they deserve better but 2) what about all that poop? there is no bedding/flooring so there really isn't a way to cleanup the poop....isn't that going to get nasty over time? It's supposed to be more of a natural area for them and with it being out in the elements, I'm not really sure I can put a bedding...I considered sand, that way I could see and scoop the poop. Obviously the sand or any flooring will get wet from rain. What would you do for this area? See attached pic

 

[21hens-incharge]

Sand also stinks super bad when wet as the unscoopable bits of poo are mixed in.

Many (including myself) find coarse wood chips work really well. Not the dyed bagged stuff but natural undyed from say a wood chipper. In my area it's hard to come by but is my preferred. It needs aged to limit fungal growth but once aged is wonderful at keeping the floor dry, poo composting and odor down.

In times when I cannot get any I use dried leaves, grass clippings, pine needles, and any organic non toxic plant matter I can get my hands on.
I shoot for 4" or more deep.

For a dust bathing area I use a rubbermaid stock tank 1" deep filled with peat moss, sand, and top soil.

Once a year I pull back the uncomposted coarse material and "harvest" a few buckets of dark black compost from the run and add it to my gardens or around shrubs. That's how I keep it from getting to deep in there.

 

[Hedgeland Farms]

I have pine shavings in my first run and they've broken down beautifully and have been mixed so well by my chickens I can't wait till add it to the garden!!! (That run is netted)

I have cypress mulch and sawdust pellets (broken down) and maybe some shavings in my second run.... and that also is working so fantastically well...

They just dust bathe in that and love it...

First coop has deemed under the coop a communal bathing quarter...

And my second coop they dust bathe everywhere....EVERYWHERE

 

[Shadrach]

Attached is a pic of our setup. We have the coop (sleeping/laying quarters) to the far left in the shed. The "indoor run" in the middle - that uses hemp/deep litter and then to the far right is their "outdoor run" - this a little outside play area with netting on top to protect from hawks etc.

My question - the "outdoor run" on the far right....the flooring is just the natural earth, which I don't love because it is very hard/compacted dirt with tree roots and rock so you can't really get too deep in it.....I don't love it because a) they dust bath, but it isn't the best since they can't get too deep so I feel they deserve better but 2) what about all that poop? there is no bedding/flooring so there really isn't a way to cleanup the poop....isn't that going to get nasty over time? It's supposed to be more of a natural area for them and with it being out in the elements, I'm not really sure I can put a bedding...I considered sand, that way I could see and scoop the poop. Obviously the sand or any flooring will get wet from rain. What would you do for this area? See attached pic

I'm a fervent believer in natural ground for chicken runs. I do appreciate your problem with roots etc making digging difficult.
What I would do is add more soil; composted soil works well, or a compost and locally dug soil mix works well.
Managed soil works surprisingly well when it comes to drainage provided it's kept loose by digging over.
So, dig what you can as deep as you can and fit gravel boards or similar around the perimeter of the run to contain the extra soil.
Provided the stocking density isn't too high the natural ground will take care of the chicken poop; or failing that a bit of regular poop cleaning in the run (it makes wondefull compost) should keep things manageable.

 

[Rockergirl]

I'm a fervent believer in natural ground for chicken runs. I do appreciate your problem with roots etc making digging difficult.
What I would do is add more soil; composted soil works well, or a compost and locally dug soil mix works well.
Managed soil works surprisingly well when it comes to drainage provided it's kept loose by digging over.
So, dig what you can as deep as you can and fit gravel boards or similar around the perimeter of the run to contain the extra soil.
Provided the stocking density isn't too high the natural ground will take care of the chicken poop; or failing that a bit of regular poop cleaning in the run (it makes wondefull compost) should keep things manageable.

I think I may have ruined the soil already from being able to create it into a natural composte....I added DE to the soil and from what I learned recently that was a mistake if you want something to turn to composte.....