Again, what do I put in the chicken run?

[patandchickens]

Unless you are restricted to only tiny quantities for some reason, don't overlook the option of buying a bulk dumpload of whatever aggregate you want -- look in the phone book under 'aggregates' or 'gravel', or call landscaping companies which usually will sell such things too.

For the subject of what to put in your run, see my "fix a muddy run" page, link in .sig below.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Keri78]

I toss hay in my runs and it works out GREAT! It keeps their feet up high off the mud and offers great drainage in all this snow and rain! About once every other month or so I pick up a bale and just through a fresh layer on top. It's not messy b/c it's contained within the run and they seem to love scratching through it and picking at it! I had to do something...I was SICk of the dirt and mud! This system has worked for us all winter. I did cover the runs with plastic drop cloths(stapled down) for extra protection from the snow and cold weather...but once spring gets here...I'll take the plastic off and it will be open again. I've thought of mulch...you could get "organic" to avoid the dyes and chemicals...that would do the same thing...keep it built up like a flower bed! Blessings, Keri

 

[Wesa]

What a great thread. Now I need to get some sand. Have been using the straw & am switching to hay. Hens love it but I'll do whatever it takes to keep these girls dry & happy. Use the DME faithfully in the nests & grounds outside especially where they take a sun/dirt bath. Haven't seen any signs whatever of lice which are supposed to be prevalent in some PNW flocks. The ground is wet & it sure doesn't help if you have winter springs on the land either.

 

[dcphotos]

We have had excessive rain here this year and it's made it difficult to keep the my chicken's dry. I use hay though.

All I can say about what I've read is I might avoid sawdust if you are composting. I read that absorbs nitrogen in your soil and does not make for good fertilizer.

 

[Soccer Mom]

I use a cheap sand mix that I buy in bulk. My runs are huge and I'd go broke buying "play sand." That stuff is expensive! My soil is pretty sandy anyway and adding sand to it helps keep it from being a total muddy mess in the winter.

 

[vpeterson]

We use pea rock. You can buy at at menards. Every once in a while we buy a few more bags when there is a sale. Nice drainage.

 

[purplechicky]

In the run I usually put chopped straw, otherwise I use hay, which are pretty much the same thing.
If you can't get chopped straw for some weird reason, then get hay, because un-chopped straw helps build up moisture, which can end
in a sickness spreading through your flock. Cedar chips absorb moisture, so if you have extra humidity or if it rains wherever you are often, then you can put cedar chips under the chopped straw or hay. I live in Texas, so there's not tons of rain, and I just use cedar chips inside the hen-house. Sawdust in the run(if your run isn't covered, mine isn't) then rain can get it a little nasty I think. I don't know this from experience though, and it might just depend on how thick or something the sawdust is.

~Ruthie