Cleaning the Run

flrn

Songster
7 Years
Apr 11, 2013
55
19
111
SW Florida
My Coop
My Coop
I am new to backyard chicken keeping, and was wondering what to do about the chicken run. I've been doing a lot of reading on cleaning the coop, and want my girls (6 hens) to be healthy and want to make sure that I'm not missing anything. Their run is small at the moment, but we are building a new coop and run for them that will be much bigger. So far, the only thing I've done was add Diatomaceous earth to the ground, but it's rained here lately (SW FL) and it's beginning to smell a bit. Any suggestions? Hay, straw, bedding material?
 
I haven't got mine done yet, but the plan is to use wood shavings like mulch. Looks fine, and when it gets bad I can shovel it into my garden, or compost it. Sand was my other option, but cleaning it just sounds like such a hassle.
 
I use sand, too. Love it!! I've used play sand and construction sand, I prefer the construction. I like that it has grit built in ;) So easy to clean and no smell. If it does start to smell a bit, throw around some Sweet PDZ (totally safe and compostable horse stall refresher), it absorbs the ammonia smell.
 
Make sure the sand you purchase does not have arsenic in it. We put in a block walk way and the bag of sand had a warning on the label NOT to be used as play sand as it contained arsenic. WHY I have NO IDEA! Anyway just double check to be certain you are getting the right kind of sand. If you are not sure it is safe go with play sand and purchase grit if necessary.
 

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