Chicken Run Ground-what to use

[jennyman]

Hello! I've had 4 chickens and 5 ducks for the past year. Half of the outdoor run is dirt. The other half is under the coop. We tried this rock system (big river jacks, smaller rocks then pea gravel on top) to make it easier to wash things away. Needless to say, it's not working well. Drainage is poor and the whole area is just gross. We want to change the bedding but not sure what to use. We were thinking sand. We live in New England so weather is nutty. Any suggestions?

 

[Silviaschicks]

Sand is best. Easy to rake poops and gets rid of pathogens

 

[rosemarythyme]

Need to address the drainage issue first or no matter what litter you use you're going to have puddling and odors.

I use deep litter which is a composting system. Works great in wet climates but you still need good drainage so water will drain through the litter and leave the surface dry for walking on.

 

[3KillerBs]

The people here who are happy with sand over the long term are almost always located in a dry climate and have the sort of personality that actively likes the daily scooping. New England not being dry, you'd need to have your run fully-covered to have a shot at it working for you.

The first thing you need to do is to fix your drainage. No bedding or management system can compensate for bad drainage.

Where is the water coming from?

If it's running off the roofs of nearby buildings then you need to install gutters to direct it away.

If it's running across the surface of the ground and passing through the run you need to install French drain, dig diversion ditches, and/or create grass swales to direct the water around the coop and run.

If it's puddling in a natural low spot in the ground you need to either move the coop or bring in fill and have the land re-graded so that the coop and run sit on an elevated area instead of a low area.

Coarse wood chips -- the sort you get from a tree-trimming service -- are usually considered the gold standard for managing mud and/or odor. They're absorbent but have good airflow and, unlike many other options, resist packing, matting, and the development of anaerobic pockets.

Combined with things like fall leaves, dry grass clippings, and other yard waste they make an excellent base for a deep litter system, where the poop and bedding compost together.

 

[jennyman]

The people here who are happy with sand over the long term are almost always located in a dry climate and have the sort of personality that actively likes the daily scooping. New England not being dry, you'd need to have your run fully-covered to have a shot at it working for you.

The first thing you need to do is to fix your drainage. No bedding or management system can compensate for bad drainage.

Where is the water coming from?

If it's running off the roofs of nearby buildings then you need to install gutters to direct it away.

If it's running across the surface of the ground and passing through the run you need to install French drain, dig diversion ditches, and/or create grass swales to direct the water around the coop and run.

If it's puddling in a natural low spot in the ground you need to either move the coop or bring in fill and have the land re-graded so that the coop and run sit on an elevated area instead of a low area.

Coarse wood chips -- the sort you get from a tree-trimming service -- are usually considered the gold standard for managing mud and/or odor. They're absorbent but have good airflow and, unlike many other options, resist packing, matting, and the development of anaerobic pockets.

Combined with things like fall leaves, dry grass clippings, and other yard waste they make an excellent base for a deep litter system, where the poop and bedding compost together.

This is very helpful! It is coming off the roof so we are installing gutters. The run does have a roof. The other issue I should have mentioned is the amount poop and how hard it is to clean the rocks.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is very helpful! It is coming off the roof so we are installing gutters. The run does have a roof. The other issue I should have mentioned is the amount poop and how hard it is to clean the rocks.

Yes, I've never heard of anyone happy with gravel and rocks long-term. The poop washes down between them, forms a concrete like layer, and REEKS every time it gets wet.

 

[aart]

We were thinking sand.

Sand will be easier to clean poops out of but it will still retain enough of it to reek.
Wood chippings and other dry plant material will decompose the poops.