Cleaning Out The Chicken Run

[Awestruck]

This might sound like a stupid question but how do I clean out the run? I am sure that the manure will start building up at some point, but am concerned that it will become part of the ground (dirt).
What do others do?

 

[eggbert420]

Shovel and wheelbarrow will do a good job. Then add new bedding.

 

[ChickenMammX4]

Shovel and wheelbarrow will do a good job. Then add new bedding.

Same here except we load it into a trailer to haul to the garden (too far for a wheelbarrow '-) )

 

[Folly's place]

Ours goes into the manure spreader for the pasture, or to the garden. It's good stuff! Mary

 

[aart]

I don't clean mine out...lots of dry plant materials just break down with the poops.
Lots of bugs for chooks to scratch for.
If anything I will add more dry plant materials.
But I have 500sqft of run for ~20 confined birds.

 

[greggooo]

I don't clean mine out...lots of dry plant materials just break down with the poops.
Lots of bugs for chooks to scratch for.
If anything I will add more dry plant materials.
But I have 500sqft of run for ~20 confined birds.

Can I ask, what kind of plant materials? My run is 11x14 with a dirt floor. The straw I had in there got too moist and wow, it smelled and about killed me with a coughing fit. I raked and cleared it all out so the soil could dry, but I wonder where to go from here. Considered sand.

 

[WthrLady]

I use pine shavings in the run. Mixed with their poo, you have green + brown compost happiness. Its called deep litter method. I remove black gold dirt in april and October and add more pine shavings. I toss in anything i would toss into a compost heap and let the girls have at it.

I spill water, and chuck in treats and the girls turn the compost. Done. Easy. No smell.

 

[aart]

Can I ask, what kind of plant materials? My run is 11x14 with a dirt floor. The straw I had in there got too moist and wow, it smelled and about killed me with a coughing fit. I raked and cleared it all out so the soil could dry, but I wonder where to go from here. Considered sand.

You don't want sand. First make sure you have no standing water and/or run off collection areas in the run.

A mix of dry 'browns' in different sizes and shapes and sources is best.
Too much of any one thing can cause nasty problems.
The bedding of a good mix of dry plant materials use facilitates this nicely, it's basically no maintenance other than adding more material from time to time. I was able to start with a big load of tree trimmings from the power company that had been aged(6 months) so I avoided the toxic molds that can bloom with fresh chippings. I collect dry leaves in the fall (stored in feed bags in a shed) and add them occasionally, and other garden trimmings. I let my grass grow tall, mow and spread it out with discharge pattern, leave it to dry a few day, then push it into rows with the mower discharge, rake it up and add to run.

 

[WthrLady]

I forgot I add grass trimmings too, when I have them.

I'm not a fan of sand, hay, or straw. The mold that grow on them make me quite ill, and the smell of wet hay....blarque. Gag.

I don't use shaving in the coop for the same reason. Here they never dry. They just absorb the wetness and stink.

 

[boatagor]

We bagged up the leaves last fall and I've used them all winter in my coop and run. Unfortunately my last 5 or so bags got wet so I'm out of bedding material until the grass is tall enough to mow. But I really liked the leaves.