Cleaning out the run?

[CheekyChooks]

For all those with a dirt run, how do you clean the run out and get rid of the poop? At the moment I have concrete slabs down, covered in sand and I am constantly sieving or replacing the sand and couldn't imagine having a dirt run as I can't imagine it would be easy to get the poop up?

I got fed up with constantly picking up poop that I let them free range now and the lawn mower gets up the poops in the grass and just wash the patio down with water once a week to get rid of stay plops they have kindly left me. They still have their sandy run but it is alot nicer now they don't poop in there all the time. Is a dirt run harder to clean than a sandy one?

 

[Nicole01]

I rake and hand pick up the poop, even the smashed ones. I wash it out with a hose, but now I'm washing the dirt out. I'm either going to section it off and regrow the grass or throw in sand where the dirt is.

My dh just built a door on the run, so they can free range to eat grass and bugs. I supervise their free ranging due to stray dogs and the dog across the street. I don't want my girls going into the woods and getting lost either.

 

[mame1616]

I have a dirt run, most of which is hard packed. I just rake it, or even sweep it, several times a week. It's the dust holes that get messy, because it is hard to rake all the stuff out. I have to get s sieve of some sort. It's only going to get just so clean, so as long as it's neat, I'm ok. I take the big pile I rake up and toss it for compost.

 

[PipiOli]

I have dirt run for my hens. I do not pick the poop ever. I just assumed it will decompose and is good for the ground.
I just clean the coop so they don't sit on the poop.

 

[stcroixusvi]

Quote:
x2 although sometimes I rake the grass that they haven't eaten.

 

[Patricia Jane]

I have a dirt run, I just rake it occasionally and put down DE with some pine shavings. Have no problems nor smell.

 

[darkmatter]

Quote:
Ditto, however with all the weeds & trees in my run, it's like a forest understory and everything returns to the soil naturally.

 

[StrayMagnet]

I was JUST gonna post this same question. as I noticed a slight "smell" when I was in the "temporary coop" today. I was thinking of taking a cat scoop out with me and every morning Scop what i can see. but then thought why? but as you can see I have all dirt

and the way they scratch and dig.. they end up covering up what they plop out during the day when I'm not out there. so I figured what's the point.. I may just get some sand and mix it in there with a rake. I dont know. it's just under a porch. and I only notice the slight smell when IN the coop. but I'm figuring once i get the hen house built and 2nd Run.. they will hopefuly Split their time between the 2 runs and make it where I can spray out the grass run and just sweep the coop

 

[Jloeffler]

Quote:
Ditto, however with all the weeds & trees in my run, it's like a forest understory and everything returns to the soil naturally.

Same here. I have an all dirt floor in the run. Once a week (more if it has been wet or raining) I use a weed rake to rake up/mix the top couple of inches of soil. Takes care of plops and smell.

 

[Sinfonian]

I'm 2 months into 4 inches of pine shavings in the coop and loose dirt in the temporary run. I can't smell anything yet and don't plan to. On nice days I keep the cleanout door open to air it out better, but for the most part I can't smell anything, not even in the yard where they spend most of their time. After a few days the poo just mixes into the dirt.

I thought of sand, but I like pine shavings for their compostabilty. I need the browns, hehe. Good luck