Chip Drop in the RUN! Show me your runs!!

[mandymcg05]

____________
@mandymcg05
Hi Mandy Mc, fellow Kentuckian- Just wondering how the run project is going. We had a TON of rain this past weekend (3 3/4 inches according to my hubby's collector). I had tried to mitigate the mud by adding a lot of grass clippings from a recent mowing. It helped a little. Then I ordered a box of "pine needles" from Amazon. A little disappointed in them, however, it's a big roll and they really seem to help keep the wet run a bit dryer. It keeps their little feet from trampling through the mud and puddles.

So I have been on a quest to find wood chips - preferably the "ramial wood chips" that Aart told us about. Having no luck so far. I don't want regular mulch, dyed mulch, or cedar mulch, and I don't want to use pine Shavings.

We also added an addition, a play yard near the coop/run, to which we've attached a chunnel. After assembling the metal frame & chicken wire play yard, we hurriedly threw together a chicken wire chunnel. We're going to completely redo that with that welded wire fencing stuff. It's a mess, my hubby put 2x4s inside to give it a frame to hold the chicken wire up. Functional, but very flimsy, totally non secure, and ready to collapse any minute. Maybe.

Anyway, wondering how your run is doing and what solutions you were able to find. I want to try the wood chips, mixed with pine needs and grass clippings IF I can find some non-treated wood chips.

The irony is we are surrounded by trees on all sides of our property. Recently we cut a dead oak down, but gave the run and wood to a neighbor who has a saw mill, for his use. Anyway....surrounded by trees, can't seem to find wood chips.
So how's your run?

LOL ... sounds like the year 2020. Surrounded by trees and can't find wood!

Well... to be honest. I'm still in the same boat. I can't seem to find wood chips either. We've started to let them out of the run during the day while i'm home so they aren't pounding the mud more. Our next-door neighbor harvested her green beans so they are free to roam "at the moment" lol. We've had another family pet fall ill this week so my focus is on him right now. But the chicks and ducks are living their best life outside. They love it and come running when I go out to check on them... Makes my heart happy.

My goal though... Take a tiller and till up the dirt and left over food and muck. Add a thick layer of DRY dirt then add the wood chips to the top. Hoping to level it out a bit and add about 4 inches to the floor. Also we are making a fenced area around their coop and out into our yard so they have a designated "free-range" area. Not the neighbors yard. Also noticed across the street has some dogs that like to take off on them... Better hope they don't come over our yard and get one of my babes!!!

Ya know, I also saw a fancy run with gravel on top the dirt. It was very pretty and nice pebbles for their little feetsies! I have not researched this much so I'm not sure about the maintenance. Just have to wait and see. I'm hoping chip drop pulls through soon!!!

 

[3KillerBs]

Ya know, I also saw a fancy run with gravel on top the dirt. It was very pretty and nice pebbles for their little feetsies!

IMO, gravel in the chicken run is a terrible idea.

The poop will filter down into the gravel but, lacking the carbon of wood chips or other bedding to react with, it will rot and stink instead of composting.

Additionally, gravel is FOREVER. If you or a future owner of the property ever want to do anything with that area -- plant a garden, return it to lawn, put in landscaping of any kind -- you've got a hard-packed layer of rocks that will require heavy equipment to deal with it and even then you won't get it all out and it will haunt the lawn for generations.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

IMO, gravel in the chicken run is a terrible idea.

The poop will filter down into the gravel but, lacking the carbon of wood chips or other bedding to react with, it will rot and stink instead of composting.

Additionally, gravel is FOREVER. If you or a future owner of the property ever want to do anything with that area -- plant a garden, return it to lawn, put in landscaping of any kind -- you've got a hard-packed layer of rocks that will require heavy equipment to deal with it and even then you won't get it all out and it will haunt the lawn for generations.

Thanks for that input...we new chicken owners are open to a lot of ideas just trying to find something that works. That makes sense. I think wood chips will ultimately be the best, and I think Mandy will agree.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

LOL ... sounds like the year 2020. Surrounded by trees and can't find wood!

Well... to be honest. I'm still in the same boat. I can't seem to find wood chips either. We've started to let them out of the run during the day while i'm home so they aren't pounding the mud more. Our next-door neighbor harvested her green beans so they are free to roam "at the moment" lol. We've had another family pet fall ill this week so my focus is on him right now. But the chicks and ducks are living their best life outside. They love it and come running when I go out to check on them... Makes my heart happy.

My goal though... Take a tiller and till up the dirt and left over food and muck. Add a thick layer of DRY dirt then add the wood chips to the top. Hoping to level it out a bit and add about 4 inches to the floor. Also we are making a fenced area around their coop and out into our yard so they have a designated "free-range" area. Not the neighbors yard. Also noticed across the street has some dogs that like to take off on them... Better hope they don't come over our yard and get one of my babes!!!

Ya know, I also saw a fancy run with gravel on top the dirt. It was very pretty and nice pebbles for their little feetsies! I have not researched this much so I'm not sure about the maintenance. Just have to wait and see. I'm hoping chip drop pulls through soon!!!

Agreed! It's definitely a 2020 thing!
Your plan sounds good. I would consider adding grass clippings, pine needles or pine straw (which is what I got from Amazon) if you can get some, weeds, and other natural forest floor ingredients. Then the wood chips added in should make it drain well and not turn into muck.

The free range option is always preferred by the girls, but yeah, not if there are big dogs running loose. When we did free ranging (before we created the new play pen for them) it had to be 100% supervised because of hawks and predators everywhere.

I totally agree about it making your heart happy when the girls come running and or follow you around. Mine do that too, one of the perqs of owning chickies! I also get such a kick out of them with my DH. We have two fold up camper type chairs in the new play pen area now, and the other day, my hubby was sitting in there with me. The chicks were all over him! We have held and petted them since they were babies, so they learned to be lap chickens. But I get such a kick out of my husband being a real Chick Magnet! The Chicks really dig him!

I don't want to be nosy if you don't want to share, but which county are you in? I'm in Montgomery county. I know different counties offer different services, like wood chip drop off. But then there's COVID. Messed everything up. Still I'm trying to check with the county and the Highway department on wood chips.

 

[sunnie7]

@mandymcg05 and @JustAnotherChickie I’m a fellow former KY girl, moved just across the river into southern IN now. What part of KY are you all in?

I live on 5 acres with tons of woods but my run is huge and although we just had several trees taken down and they blew chips into my run for me we expanded it afterwards and I used up the remaining pile I had. I’ve called a few local tree services and they said they would put me on their list to drop off to next time they are in my area but that was a few months ago

 

[Galeann]

Agreed! It's definitely a 2020 thing!
Your plan sounds good. I would consider adding grass clippings, pine needles or pine straw (which is what I got from Amazon) if you can get some, weeds, and other natural forest floor ingredients. Then the wood chips added in should make it drain well and not turn into muck.

The free range option is always preferred by the girls, but yeah, not if there are big dogs running loose. When we did free ranging (before we created the new play pen for them) it had to be 100% supervised because of hawks and predators everywhere.

I totally agree about it making your heart happy when the girls come running and or follow you around. Mine do that too, one of the perqs of owning chickies! I also get such a kick out of them with my DH. We have two fold up camper type chairs in the new play pen area now, and the other day, my hubby was sitting in there with me. The chicks were all over him! We have held and petted them since they were babies, so they learned to be lap chickens. But I get such a kick out of my husband being a real Chick Magnet! The Chicks really dig him!
View attachment 2333500View attachment 2333501View attachment 2333503View attachment 2333504
I don't want to be nosy if you don't want to share, but which county are you in? I'm in Montgomery county. I know different counties offer different services, like wood chip drop off. But then there's COVID. Messed everything up. Still I'm trying to check with the county and the Highway department on wood chips.

Looks like he's listening to the chicken in the first picture telling him something important. Cute.

 

[CrazyTownChick]

@mandymcg05 and @JustAnotherChickie I’m a fellow former KY girl, moved just across the river into southern IN now. What part of KY are you all in?

I live on 5 acres with tons of woods but my run is huge and although we just had several trees taken down and they blew chips into my run for me we expanded it afterwards and I used up the remaining pile I had. I’ve called a few local tree services and they said they would put me on their list to drop off to next time they are in my area but that was a few months ago

Personally, we're in Montgomery County, which is East/South of Lexington, by about 40ish miles. We're on the edge of the Appalachians, close to Natural Bridge State Park and Red River Gorge. We are recent KY immigrants though, just retired from Michigan last fall and have been in our house and farm1 year! 20 acres with barn, shop, and now CHICKENS!!! We LOVE Kentucky!

How's Indiana? Like it there?

 

[CrazyTownChick]

Looks like he's listening to the chicken in the first picture telling him something important. Cute.

I know, looks like a serious conversation! I told him to smile and not look so serious!

 

[CrazyTownChick]

@mandymcg05 and @JustAnotherChickie I’m a fellow former KY girl, moved just across the river into southern IN now. What part of KY are you all in?

I live on 5 acres with tons of woods but my run is huge and although we just had several trees taken down and they blew chips into my run for me we expanded it afterwards and I used up the remaining pile I had. I’ve called a few local tree services and they said they would put me on their list to drop off to next time they are in my area but that was a few months ago

Wow, I just read your list of animals! Woooooot! Quite the farm! They all must keep you VERY busy! Our 2 human kiddos are all grown up and gone, so we're enjoying being empty-but-full-nesters!
We will likely get a dog this year (according to me, not according to DH). We had an amazing Border Collie that died at 15 years old, last year in June. I'll never completely get over him, he was the BEST canine that has ever walked this earth on 4 paws. So if we get another, it will not be the same as Luke I get that. I'd like another BC though, great dogs. Do you like yours? We've had a German Shepherd/Lab mix before and she was Awesome!

 

[Sueby]

____________
@mandymcg05
Hi Mandy Mc, fellow Kentuckian- Just wondering how the run project is going. We had a TON of rain this past weekend (3 3/4 inches according to my hubby's collector). I had tried to mitigate the mud by adding a lot of grass clippings from a recent mowing. It helped a little. Then I ordered a box of "pine needles" from Amazon. A little disappointed in them, however, it's a big roll and they really seem to help keep the wet run a bit dryer. It keeps their little feet from trampling through the mud and puddles.

So I have been on a quest to find wood chips - preferably the "ramial wood chips" that Aart told us about. Having no luck so far. I don't want regular mulch, dyed mulch, or cedar mulch, and I don't want to use pine Shavings.

We also added an addition, a play yard near the coop/run, to which we've attached a chunnel. After assembling the metal frame & chicken wire play yard, we hurriedly threw together a chicken wire chunnel. We're going to completely redo that with that welded wire fencing stuff. It's a mess, my hubby put 2x4s inside to give it a frame to hold the chicken wire up. Functional, but very flimsy, totally non secure, and ready to collapse any minute. Maybe.

Anyway, wondering how your run is doing and what solutions you were able to find. I want to try the wood chips, mixed with pine needs and grass clippings IF I can find some non-treated wood chips.

The irony is we are surrounded by trees on all sides of our property. Recently we cut a dead oak down, but gave the trunk and main branches to a neighbor who has a saw mill, for his use. Anyway....surrounded by trees, can't seem to find wood chips.
So how's your run?

PS: Did you ever get your ChipDrop? I'm really hesitating to order a chipdrop because we live on a dirt road, have a long gravel driveway and plenty of space to store wood chips -- BUT from what I read, they only drop it in your driveway. That would not work, we wouldn't be able to get to our house and would have to haul them all ourselves to the backyard behind the shop or near the barn. We could use our tractor and bucket, but what a mess! They won't place them where you want them, I don't think.

They have no problem backing all the way down our gravel drive & then into the back woods behind the shop to drop a load. We had 2 loads dropped back there today, actually. They will drop them wherever we ask, they're just happy to have a place to dump them & not have to pay! You can specify it in your chipdrop request that they'd have to take them out to the barn, or whatever. If they question it they usually call or text first.