Are pine shavings necessary in the run?

[Faithful flock]

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Hey there!
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Currently, I only have shavings in the coop. What about the run?
Right now it's just dirt.
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The cost of shavings is getting pretty pricey and to fill up the whole run it would be around two full bags.
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Thoughts? In a couple months I'm also adding silkies and when the rain hits it does get quite muddy.
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[sdm111]

Shavings can get dusty to the point of your birds getting respiratory problems. If available near you I suggest wheat straw. 3 wire not the chopped up stuff in a bag at tractor supply that stuffs just as bad as shavings. The straw is hollow and wicks water away as opposed to shavings that absorb water. And never use hay. Has absorbs water and molds

 

[Faithful flock]

Shavings can get dusty to the point of your birds getting respiratory problems. If available near you I suggest wheat straw. 3 wire not the chopped up stuff in a bag at tractor supply that stuffs just as bad as shavings. The straw is hollow and wicks water away as opposed to shavings that absorb water. And never use hay. Has absorbs water and molds

I didn't have a pleasant experience with straw do to the fact that my hens would eat it and get impacted crops.

I did find that it actually is very messy and does tend to get dirty much faster too. My hens do sleep on roosts above the shavings so there really isn't much dust.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

-----------------------
Hey there!
-----------------------
Currently, I only have shavings in the coop. What about the run?
Right now it's just dirt.
-----------------------
The cost of shavings is getting pretty pricey and to fill up the whole run it would be around two full bags.
-----------------------
Thoughts? In a couple months I'm also adding silkies and when the rain hits it does get quite muddy.
-----------------------

Hi there!

Is your run covered?

I like to suggest "semi" deep litter.. aka cold composting.. or in other words.. add in different sizes and shapes of mulch (dry leaves, large bark (like for landscaping but not treated or dyed) or wood chips (preferably aged not fresh to prevent Aspergillosis or other fungal concerns), pine needles, used shavings from the coop, grass clippings, etc.. to make it like the forest floor and invite good bugs and bacteria to the party.

Using a single material (even straw) results in it getting matted down and nasty in MY experience, plus poo sits on top.

Dirt stunk to high heaven when the rain starts.. around the edges of my covered run.. Since making the change, there is NO smell OR mud. Please note I am not describing the standard deep litter method many use.. which did not work for ME with MY set up and location.

I also tried the ever popular sand.. a whole truck load of nice river sand.. for the run/coop base.. it turns into a nasty litter box EVEN if poo is removed daily.. all the liquid stay behind and when dry.. uh, well it's still there ultimately. And again stunk to high heaven around the edges when the rain started.

You might use the BYC search box to look up "muddy run" threads. Or other terms that might net decent results could be "deep litter", "semi deep litter", "cold composting".

Hope this helps give you some ideas!

 

[Faithful flock]

Hi there!

Is your run covered?

I like to suggest "semi" deep litter.. aka cold composting.. or in other words.. add in different sizes and shapes of mulch (dry leaves, large bark (like for landscaping but not treated or dyed) or wood chips (preferably aged not fresh to prevent Aspergillosis or other fungal concerns), pine needles, used shavings from the coop, grass clippings, etc.. to make it like the forest floor and invite good bugs and bacteria to the party.

Using a single material (even straw) results in it getting matted down and nasty in MY experience, plus poo sits on top.

Dirt stunk to high heaven when the rain starts.. around the edges of my covered run.. Since making the change, there is NO smell OR mud. Please note I am not describing the standard deep litter method many use.. which did not work for ME with MY set up and location.

I also tried the ever popular sand.. a whole truck load of nice river sand.. for the run/coop base.. it turns into a nasty litter box EVEN if poo is removed daily.. all the liquid stay behind and when dry.. uh, well it's still there ultimately. And again stunk to high heaven around the edges when the rain started.

You might use the BYC search box to look up "muddy run" threads. Or other terms that might net decent results could be "deep litter", "semi deep litter", "cold composting".

Hope this helps give you some ideas!

Thank you this really did help!
I will go do more research on the "semi deep litter" as that does sound like something I'm interested in doing!
Yes, the run is covered with a metal roof at the top. But of course the rain does still come in at the sides and does get a little muddy.

 

[Faithful flock]

Here is a picture!

 

[K0k0shka]

Hi there!

Is your run covered?

I like to suggest "semi" deep litter.. aka cold composting.. or in other words.. add in different sizes and shapes of mulch (dry leaves, large bark (like for landscaping but not treated or dyed) or wood chips (preferably aged not fresh to prevent Aspergillosis or other fungal concerns), pine needles, used shavings from the coop, grass clippings, etc.. to make it like the forest floor and invite good bugs and bacteria to the party.

Using a single material (even straw) results in it getting matted down and nasty in MY experience, plus poo sits on top.

Dirt stunk to high heaven when the rain starts.. around the edges of my covered run.. Since making the change, there is NO smell OR mud. Please note I am not describing the standard deep litter method many use.. which did not work for ME with MY set up and location.

I also tried the ever popular sand.. a whole truck load of nice river sand.. for the run/coop base.. it turns into a nasty litter box EVEN if poo is removed daily.. all the liquid stay behind and when dry.. uh, well it's still there ultimately. And again stunk to high heaven around the edges when the rain started.

You might use the BYC search box to look up "muddy run" threads. Or other terms that might net decent results could be "deep litter", "semi deep litter", "cold composting".

Hope this helps give you some ideas!

This is what I do too, and I love it! No mud and no stink, it's not poopy, and I don't ever clean it. I just keep adding more plant material, whatever I have on hand to get rid of - dry leaves, grass clippings, various kinds of yard waste, wood chips. It forms a loose bed that the chickens scratch through and turn over. I wouldn't add pine shavings to that - they turn to mush in the rain and just look nasty. Collect your fall leaves and save them (get more from your neighbors if you don't have enough). They come in really handy to top off the run every once in a while, and are free!

 

[Percheron chick]

Very nice set up.
I would just rake up the leaves from those beautiful trees and toss them in the run. If your town has a Christmas tree or leaf drop off take a bunch of feed bags an fill them up when they give away mulch. Check out CL for free wood mulch, leaves and pine needles. No need to buy bedding for the run.

 

[3KillerBs]

Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree-trimming service, are often considered the gold standard for controlling mud and odor in the run.

But any sort of dry organic material can work. Since you're in South Carolina, do you have pine straw free for the raking in your yard? I LOVE pine straw in my run. It doesn't pack and mat and it always dries out on top quickly no matter how heavy the rain.

 

[KyCoop]

Wow beautiful run. Because your run is covered you can try pine pellets/saw dust. This method does require raking and scooping poop but it's not terrible.