Are pine shavings necessary in the run?

[EggSighted4Life]

Thank you!
Ooo I'll look into that!

Pellets (stove or animal bedding) and saw dust will simply disappear into and become part of the mud (for your application).. please don't waste your time!

Still, thank you for participating to the poster who suggested it!
I have used pellets (which turn into saw dust once wet) in my brooders, tiny prefab coop poop trays, piggy litter boxes, or other non muddy locations without issue and they can sometimes be a good option.

 

[KyCoop]

It looks like your run would take about 3-4 prepared bags of pellets. Prepared meaning made into sawdust as per the directions on the bag. Only make it about 3 inches deep. Any deeper and you will get a build up of yuckyness from not being able to properly turn it with the rake after you have scooped the poop and feathers out. I have a dog poop scoop I use works great. You will need to add a bag about every 3 months or so and do a total clean out annually. But I think you will be pleased with the results. It's not free or mantience free. But it looks so nice. Enjoy!

 

[rosemarythyme]

This, and also make sure to use paper bags, not plastic, so the leaves can "breathe" and dry out if the bags get wet. They'll steam up in a plastic bag and likely mold, as it's hard to ensure they are 100% dry when you collect them. I collect around 20-30 bags each fall and store them on top of wood pallets under the back porch, where they aren't in direct rain but it's open on the front so they get snowed on from the side and rain blows in on them. They dry pretty quickly once the sun comes out though (the pallets really help with drainage, so the bags aren't sitting in water), and I haven't had mold issues. One downside to paper bags is if you don't use them the first year, after a while they start to break down... So lift gently at first and make sure the bottom is still attached, before you heave the whole thing up and dump it on yourself out the bottom

x2! I use both the large commercially sold leaf litter bags as well as paper feed bags, and I save mine in the greenhouse since we don't otherwise use it. It's near impossible to collect leaves fully dried here due to all the rain, but I find that "mostly dry" works well enough, as long as I don't pack the leaves in - they will air dry if they're loosely collected in the bags and kept out of the elements.

I even save the empty bags in the greenhouse and can get 2, even 3 years use out of them before they're falling apart to the point where they can't be used.

I've also taken to saving lawn clippings this year (due to AI, I wanted to let the grass age before putting them in the run as I usually do) and I do pretty much the same as with the leaves. I let the clippings dry out on the lawn, then loosely collect them in paper bags, and into the greenhouse they go. So far so good.

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

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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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Hi, for this run I suggest chopped straw. I have a covered run that had sod which they kill (I knew they would) it was pretty much dirt and dead grass roots but poop was caking on top, silkies and other feather feet were filthy, and flies were rampant. I started using chopped straw.......and a little goes a long way.......I clean once a week, very few flies, and the feather feet are much better. We live in florida so it's very rainy in summer and so far it's been working great. I use shavings in the coop but wouldn't in the run because they get slimy, dirty, and moldy quite quickly and aren't really good for an outside run. Hope this helps

 

[MysteryChicken]

Alittle bit of everything goes into our runs. Not all at once though.

Pine shavings

Wood chips

Pine needles

Leaves

Twigs/sticks

Lawn clippings

Straw

Cornstalks

Bark

 

[Faithful flock]

Hi, for this run I suggest chopped straw. I have a covered run that had sod which they kill (I knew they would) it was pretty much dirt and dead grass roots but poop was caking on top, silkies and other feather feet were filthy, and flies were rampant. I started using chopped straw.......and a little goes a long way.......I clean once a week, very few flies, and the feather feet are much better. We live in florida so it's very rainy in summer and so far it's been working great. I use shavings in the coop but wouldn't in the run because they get slimy, dirty, and moldy quite quickly and aren't really good for an outside run. Hope this helps

Thank you for this idea! I might actually do that

 

[Pampered chicken girl]

Thank you for this idea! I might actually do that

Glad to help

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you for this idea! I might actually do that

Just keep trying different things until you find something that works for YOU.

Because no two people have exactly the same setup and conditions.

 

[RoyalChick]

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!

That is what I do too. I toss in a bag of leaves from the yard and let the chickens spread them around.
I use shavings in the nest boxes and empty those on the floor if they get messy. I sometimes add shredded paper too.

 

[RDchicken99]

So many great ideas!
I do have a question, though. I would like to add raked up leaves to my run, however, we have a LOT of walnut and oak trees. Would the tannins and juglone cause my birds to get sick if they were to eat the leaves?