Chicken run ground cover

[feathermaid]

I have construction sand for the bottom of my run. It’s easy to clean, and plenty of grit!

I have sand in both my run and coop. I find it extremely satisfactory, and so do my chickens. It's for runs covered against being saturated by rain and snow and needs trenching so runoff doesn't flood the run. Soggy sand is just no fun.

How long have you been using sand? How often do you have to scoop it?

I used plain sand under the roosts before my new setup and it got really stinky after about a year, just from moisture buildup I guess. Now I use Sweet PDZ under the roosts and scoop daily, but I can't imagine having to scoop out a whole run. PDZ is compostable, though I don't mind a little sand in my compost too (makes nice loamy soil) but not a whole truckload. How do you keep it from smelling? And what will you do with it if you need to change it out? It seems like it should last forever, but my short experience with it makes me wonder. Maybe I did it wrong.

 

[gossettk76]

I have 2 sections to my chicken yard: the secure covered run, and a fenced narrow side yard open to the weather.

In the covered area, I use plain old wood shavings on top of dirt and keep adding fresh litter throughout the year... not exactly deep litter, but same idea. There's also a section under my coop filled with sand meant for dust bathing but they won't use it for that. For some reason they prefer the dirt floor in the run. They actually destroyed all the plants in one of my planters while free ranging so I just put that pot in their run and that's what they use now, just have to fill it with regular potting soil occasionally as they toss it out.

I keep the run doors open all day so they spend most of their time in the open yard. This area has been known to get very muddy in the past, and I finally found a great system that has kept their yard completely free of mud all winter! Big chinky wood chips, BUT... to keep them from sinking or mixing with the wet ground, I put down a barrier first and I'll tell you why. I used wood chips all the time with my horses and they just disappeared after a short time and turned back into mud. Yes, I know horses are bigger, but chickens scratch and dig, and I wanted the chips to last.
So I copied this mud management system.

I laid pvc poultry netting over the bare ground, fastened it with garden pins and added wood chips.
View attachment 1669004 View attachment 1669002 View attachment 1669003

The wood chips never get mixed with the muddy ground below, and it's not slippery or mucky or stinky at all! It's amazing! My chickens still enjoy scratching and finding bugs, and the PVC material won't hurt their feet. These chips should last a couple/few years before they start to break down enough to be replaced, a lot longer than deep litter. Then I'll reuse the old as mulch for my other landscaping.

Another thing to remember: a gutter for the roof.
The runoff from even a small roof can be quite significant and will puddle next to your run and probably flood into it. So the water needs to be directed somewhere else. I have a rain chain and collection bucket with a hose that leads to my garden beds. Maybe you don't get as much rain there, but here it can be a problem.

Man, you've got some great ideas! I like the idea using the PVC material. Thanks for the reply!

 

[aart]

I like the idea of sand in the coop. I'm planning on doing that unless someone can convince me otherwise. Honestly, I'm just looking for convenience and the most simplest way to keep the coop and run clean.

If you want easy...I'd skip sand in the run.
Heres' how I keep thing clean:
-I use poop boards under roosts with thin(<1/2") layer of sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily(takes 5-10mins) into bucket going to friends compost.

-Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

-Pine shavings on coop floor, add some occasionally, totally changed out once or twice a year, old shavings added to run.

-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.

-Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

That's how I keep it 'clean', have not found any reason to clean 'deeper' in 5 years.

I like the idea using the PVC material.

PDZ is the mineral zeolite, best used in granular form and available at most farm stores in the horse aisle.

 

[azygous]

In response to @FlappyFeathers -I scoop my run whenever I go out to check on my chickens. That would be several times a day.

I once changed the sand completely out since I had combined it with decomposed sandstone which I believed was making the run exceptionally dusty. But that was only once in the seven years I've had sand in the run.

In the coops, I scoop each morning, although I do have poop boards in my larger run that keep that to a minimum. I only add fresh sand now to both coops and runs rather than changing it all out.

It never smells as long as the sand doesn't get wet and I keep scooping regularly. As for the compost, I found that the sand compacts with the poop and gets too dense to use on most plants since the nitrogen is so high. Now I simply scatter the fresh poop over the grass I have growing around the area. Grass loves chicken poop.

 

[gossettk76]

In response to @FlappyFeathers -I scoop my run whenever I go out to check on my chickens. That would be several times a day.

I once changed the sand completely out since I had combined it with decomposed sandstone which I believed was making the run exceptionally dusty. But that was only once in the seven years I've had sand in the run.

In the coops, I scoop each morning, although I do have poop boards in my larger run that keep that to a minimum. I only add fresh sand now to both coops and runs rather than changing it all out.

It never smells as long as the sand doesn't get wet and I keep scooping regularly. As for the compost, I found that the sand compacts with the poop and gets too dense to use on most plants since the nitrogen is so high. Now I simply scatter the fresh poop over the grass I have growing around the area. Grass loves chicken poop.

This is awesome! This is what I was hoping to hear. I would love to see some pics of your chicken run. I'm looking for ideas on how to keep the sand from getting wet and smelly. Thanks for replying to me. This has been a big help.

 

[feathermaid]

@azygous thank you for the detailed explanation! I really do like the look of sand, but I think it might be more maintenance than a deep litter method.... ok actually, more work than I want to put into it every day

Man, you've got some great ideas! I like the idea using the PVC material. Thanks for the reply!

@aart I use both: PDZ under roosts and PVC netting on the ground separating my wood chips from the mud, in earlier post. Which brings me to your suggestion:

-Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.

I was planning to shovel out all the broken down wood chips in a couple years to use as mulch elsewhere, but if just adding new material on top works....
would that system still be feasible in a smaller 7x40 area?
I guess what I'm saying is my wood chips won't sink down as they normally would on "un-barriered" dirt so I worry that bedding would just stack up higher indefinitely. Even deep litter is normally changed out yearly, but since large wood chips take considerably longer to decompose, I was thinking I could get away with 2-3 years...?

 

[azygous]

Azygous's run photos https://www.backyardchickens.com/gallery/albums/new-pen.6343434/

 

[aart]

@aart I use both: PDZ under roosts and PVC netting on the ground separating my wood chips from the mud, in earlier post. Which brings me to your suggestion:

I was planning to shovel out all the broken down wood chips in a couple years to use as mulch elsewhere, but if just adding new material on top works....
would that system still be feasible in a smaller 7x40 area?
I guess what I'm saying is my wood chips won't sink down as they normally would on "un-barriered" dirt so I worry that bedding would just stack up higher indefinitely. Even deep litter is normally changed out yearly, but since large wood chips take considerably longer to decompose, I was thinking I could get away with 2-3 years...?

AH missed the PVC netting reference....sorry.

My run is 8x50, so not much bigger...I find the wood breaks down or maybe sinks..and also moves downhill with slight slope. I guess it is building higher on the low end, some finer stuff seeps or is scratched out thru the 1/2" HC lining the run walls, but it doesn't matter here. Only been going a couple years, not sure if I would have to remove any eventually or not, but you can if it's needed elsewhere.

 

[FlyWheel]

<Snip!>

Another thing to remember: a gutter for the roof.
The runoff from even a small roof can be quite significant and will puddle next to your run and probably flood into it. So the water needs to be directed somewhere else. I have a rain chain and collection bucket with a hose that leads to my garden beds. Maybe you don't get as much rain there, but here it can be a problem.

Another good use for that gutter; I use it to collect rainwater, as my (current) coop is over 100 yards from the nearest water spigot.

 

[Suzi18]

I use construction grade sand in my runs and coops. Its inexpensive, drains easily, a breeze to keep clean and no smell. I've been using it for 2 years now and love it!