Another DLM thread..

[LindseyC]

Ok, I've searched and I haven't really found the answer I'm looking for. We are putting the finishing touches on our run tomorrow and will be letting the girls out for the first time. I'm still on the fence about which way would be best to cut down on odor, wetness, etc. I live in Oklahoma.. it's either drought or monsoon and not much in between. When it's wet, it can get really wet. The run is covered, though. I have thought about sand, but the pros sound great.. the cons, not so much. I'm definitely doing the DLM in the coop and didn't realize that it was also an option for the run. My problem is, how to get started? It's my understanding that you don't just throw in a ton of pine shavings like you would in the coop, right? I know you add grass clippings and such as you go, but should I just haul dirt in and then add that stuff along the way, or do I need to start with a deep covering of something right from the start? I'm not even sure we have a bagger for our mower.

 

[aart]

First make sure the run drains well, that any run off from roofs and hard-scaping like(driveways/patios/etc) doesn't drain into and gather/puddle in the run area.

If the area is now grass you have a while until they tear that up.
Then add a mix of dry plant materials hay, straw, dry leaves, dry grass clippings, and aged wood chippings is the best base material and even just those alone can do the job of breaking down poops so they don't stink. The litter doesn't have to be deep to deter odors, only if you want to actively make compost.

When my grassy run turned to sandy muck and started to stink just a thin layer of straw did wonders immediately to reduce the odors. Eventually I got a load of aged ramial wood chippings from a buddy who had the power company dump them on his land.
Beware of fresh chippings, they can have mold growth blooms that can be toxic to chickens.


I have a large walk in run and never 'clean' poops from the run,
and there is rarely any nasty odors. The bedding of a good mix of dry plant materials use facilitates this nicely, it's basically no maintenance other than adding more material from time to time. I was able to start with a big load of tree trimmings from the power company that had been aged(6 months) so I avoided the toxic molds that can bloom with fresh chippings. I collect dry leaves in the fall (stored in feed bags in a shed) and add them occasionally, and other garden trimmings. I let my grass grow tall, mow and spread it out with discharge pattern, leave it to dry a few day, then push it into rows with the mower discharge, rake it up and add to run.

 

[LindseyC]

No, we don’t have grass because the grass doesn’t grow in that spot. It’s a somewhat shady spot area, but we were sure it was a place where water didn’t collect. It was a new build house when we bought it and we had to lay our own sod. We’ve got 1.25 acres, so we didn’t sod toward the back of the yard where the coop/run is. It isn’t sounding like it would be very easy to do without access to aged organic material. *sigh* I just have to figure out something to cover the ground with for tomorrow. We’ve got 1/2 inch vinyl coated hardware cloth to secure the floor, so I’ll have to cover it with dirt or something.

 

[aart]

I would caution against having HC under the run floor
chickens can dig a good foot deep and it can hurt their feet.
So either add a couple feet of fill dirt or use aprons on the outside of run to deter predators from digging in.

Good examples of apron installation, tho I'd not recommend 1/2" HC...go with 14ga 1x2 or 1x1, will hold up much longer and is easier to lay flat.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1110498/wire-around-coop#post_17093528
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/new-coop-project.1169916/page-2#post-18481208

 

[Justso]

Dry leaves are like gold, I started to bag them up in the fall in durable plastic bags and store them behind the garage. Don't tell anyone though, I'm starting to look like a hoarder! I'll dump a moundful in the run periodically. The chickens love to dig into it! My litter floor is getting really deep now with composted material. I alleviate that by digging out 1 shovel wide x deep the length of the run about every weekend

 

[LindseyC]

I wish I had access to dry leaves! I'll definitely have everyone save them for me this fall. As far as the hardware cloth floor, that ship has sailed. I'll just have to hope for the best because, at this point, I'd be divorced if I asked to change it. It is already attached to the run frame. We have a 6-inch high perimeter around the base of the run to help keep it all in. I guess my only option is to fill it with dirt for the time being and see about a way to bag our grass clippings. Any other suggestions?

 

[Justso]

Make sure your grass clippings are dry. Otherwise they'll ferment and stink to high heaven. In fact I wouldn't recommend bagging them, instead create haymounds

 

[LindseyC]

Make sure your grass clippings are dry. Otherwise they'll ferment and stink to high heaven. In fact I wouldn't recommend bagging them, instead create haymounds

Good to know! Thanks!

 

[aart]

As far as the hardware cloth floor, that ship has sailed. I'll just have to hope for the best because, at this point, I'd be divorced if I asked to change it. It is already attached to the run frame. We have a 6-inch high perimeter around the base of the run to help keep it all in. I guess my only option is to fill it with dirt for the time being

Yeah, I get it and figured, had to say it for posterity tho.
....The best thing to do would be fill it up with dirt.
How big is it...got pics?

Here's an example of how deep they can dig...that hole is a good 8-10" deep.
Little excavators they are!

 

[LindseyC]

The coop is 8x8 and the run is 16x8 pictured and we're adding an 8x8 (I think that's the dimensions) section going back behind. We've got a mound of dirt we planned hauling in to cover, but I really liked the idea of the deep litter to help combat any odors. Our soil is super sandy with us living close to the river, so it does drain well. The section we are adding will be covered, but with something that allows light.. some kind of skylight material. I forget what it's called.