Chicken run material…

[mldlm]

Hi, all! I am looking to add more to my chicken run - right now it is just regular yard dirt ( where there USED to be grass…lol). Anyhow, please see attached pic and advise on which is the better choice here in N. Central Florida. Thanks!

 

[ShaunJ421]

I would go with the coarser sand. Different companies, name their different coarseness of sand, different names. Making it hard to distinguish from one company to the next. I believe that would be the builders sand in this case. But it's hard to tell from the tiny pictures, of tiny hands, with even tinier grains of sand. LOL

 

[Pennysworth]

You can zoom it bigger just click the pistures

 

[David61]

wood chips. Any tree service should help you with it.

 

[Sammster]

If you're going with sand, it needs to be as coarse as this

 

[raingarden]

If you're going with sand, it needs to be as coarse as this

Here they call that material "roof chip". When put on the ground the variety of sizes makes it compact and stabilize really well. Having it pack down may, or may not, be what you want.

 

[Sammster]

Here they call that material "roof chip". When put on the ground the variety of sizes makes it compact and stabilize really well. Having it pack down may, or may not, be what you want.

Pulled this from the internet. My own is a bit different. I'll take a picture when I go out, today.

 

[3KillerBs]

here in N. Central Florida.

I personally don't like the sand concept. Especially because it has to be scooped very frequently -- often daily.

For sand to work, you have to either have a roofed run or live in a place that gets very little rain. And even with roofed runs, most people who are happy with sand over the long term live in dry climates.

I'm a fan of deep litter, using layers of dry organic material to neutralize the poop in a cold composting process.

As mentioned above, coarse wood chips of the kind that come from a tree trimming service are excellent -- especially if you have the room to accept a truckload and can let it age.

Are you in an area where you can rake up pine straw? How about dry leaves? Other yard waste?

Straw is traditional, though it may require more maintenance since it's more prone to packing and matting than the wood chips and can mildew if it gets wet.

 

[mldlm]

I personally don't like the sand concept. Especially because it has to be scooped very frequently -- often daily.

For sand to work, you have to either have a roofed run or live in a place that gets very little rain. And even with roofed runs, most people who are happy with sand over the long term live in dry climates.

I'm a fan of deep litter, using layers of dry organic material to neutralize the poop in a cold composting process.

As mentioned above, coarse wood chips of the kind that come from a tree trimming service are excellent -- especially if you have the room to accept a truckload and can let it age.

Are you in an area where you can rake up pine straw? How about dry leaves? Other yard waste?

Straw is traditional, though it may require more maintenance since it's more prone to packing and matting than the wood chips and can mildew if it gets wet.

I have access to plenty of pine needles, however, I worry about the mildew/mold that could occur with it, not to mention the ants….

 

[3KillerBs]

I have access to plenty of pine needles, however, I worry about the mildew/mold that could occur with it, not to mention the ants….

I have found that pine straw is the single most mold-resistant material I've been able to access. It tends to resist packing and matting, especially when mixed with wood chips, leaves, etc.

One of it's great virtues in my open pen is that it dries out on top quickly after even tropical storm level downpours.