Chickens run

[junkman56]

Hello all,
recently my chickens had a bad bout with coccidia and worms , and I was wondering how you all clean up your runs? My run is approximately 50' x 25' covered with bird netting, the run its self pretty much looks like mars.
I was thinking about roto-tilling the top inch or so and then put down DE and then saw dust from the amish mill, for them to scratch around in.
How do you all do yours, I clean out the coop a couple times a year, but never cleaned up the run area.
Thank you

 

[Roo5]

DE is worthless, use Permithian spray.I use to put wood chips down on the run bedding but have been using hay.Usually rake the run every couple months, coop is cleaned every week, not sure how big yours is and how you but maybe try cleaning it more often.Keeping things dry and clean will help avoid disease.

 

[aart]

the run its self pretty much looks like mars

How's your drainage?
Any standing water in there?
Not sure there's anything you can do to eliminate coccidiosis and worm eggs from the ground...the permethrin suggested will do nothing for either.
Do you know what kind of worms?

My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.
Aged ramial wood chippings are best IMO.

 

[kook8]

Best advice I got from BYC (hen house) was to put 12" of sugar cane mulch, any other would do. Then rake that over to keep the poop mixed in. As it ages and matures it builds natural bacterias that kill, deter (whatever) mites and fleas AND smell. Changed it once in 3 years. Use the aged litter as compost.
For the indoor run area (about 9sq m) used 12" of rough wood chips. Rake it over from time to time. Been down 3.5 years now, no smell. More important no fleas mites or sick chooks. External run mulched leaves, bark and grass cuttings, plus add some cane mulch from time to time. I also turn that over.
We have heaps of parrots visit and in 8 years no sick birds!!

I am sure the cleaner your coop the sicker the birds, just like humans, if we live in a sanitised environment we make ourselves vulnerable to everything going.
I'm not advocating dirt or even disorder or untidy. Just allow good bacteria to thrive and nature will find the balance required for health.
After all health is natural, sickness is imbalance

 

[aart]

As it ages and matures it builds natural bacterias that kill, deter (whatever) mites and fleas AND smell.

Smell yes....bugs .....Hmmm, I doubt it.

 

[kook8]

Smell yes....bugs .....Hmmm, I doubt it.

Evidence based. Check for mites and fleas on a regular basis.
Further, bacterias attack mite and flea eggs and young.
Beauty of life is personal choice. The pesticide industry is a multi billion dollar industry and has many advocates buried within the ranks of any and all forums.

My evidence is long life, healthy and productive chooks WITHOUT all the essential potions, and sprays. Was not like that till I implemented changes.
I lost an entire flock of silkies to leg mites and flea infestation prior to going chemical free.

The other half of the change was feeding. However, I am lucky there in that I have the space, and environment to be able to go mostly home grown feed.
Another bonus is that now that I have a stong, viable bacteria culture established, any uneaten feed is rapidly turned into nutrients for my base soil and simply keeps the beneficial cycle going.
Last element I follow is low bird density to space, which allows me to lock the chooks out of an area so it self regenerates.

 

[kook8]

Smell yes....bugs .....Hmmm, I doubt it.

I'm absolutely NOT an evangalist for total chemical free, or even the regimen of chemical free.
My experience is with finding a balance in my chook yard that has minimised pests and reduced my flocks vulnerability to sickness in the way that we, and everything around us actually in FACT got here.

Life and evolution did not come after remedies, it came before.

So its not a revolution against anything, or anyone. My failures just took me down a path that has reduced MY and I do stress MY flocks' health needs to a once a year worming.