Covering a chicken run

[chickentherapy1]

What is an inexpensive way to cover my chicken run to keep it from getting muddy?

 

[David61]

Free wood chips from tree service. You have to add brown bio mass with it. Leaf,pine straw, grass, compost...

 

[wamtazlady]

Cheapest way to roof your run is to use a tarp. Tarps are not perfect. They get develop water pockets when it rains. If it snows you have to get that snow off it. Tarps last less than a year. However, that is what I used for several years and it worked although was not the best solution. I finally had a wood frame built to hold metal roofing.

 

[aart]

Free wood chips from tree service. You have to add brown bio mass with it. Leaf,pine straw, grass, compost...

This^^^^
Covering run is not always the answer to a mucky run, the right bedding is.
Water can also flow into run from outside.

 

[chickentherapy1]

This^^^^
Covering run is not always the answer to a mucky run, the right bedding is.
Water can also flow into run from outside.

What is brown bio mass and where do you get it?

 

[aart]

What is brown bio mass and where do you get it?

'Brown' in this case is a composting term...it means carbon, like wood chippings and other dry plant matter.
'Green' refers to nitrogen, green/wet plant matter and manures that are all high in nitrogen.
In a chicken run you want a high carbon mix to 'eat up' the chicken poop(nitrogen).
Does that make sense?

 

[chickentherapy1]

'Brown' in this case is a composting term...it means carbon, like wood chippings and other dry plant matter.
'Green' refers to nitrogen, green/wet plant matter and manures that are all high in nitrogen.
In a chicken run you want a high carbon mix to 'eat up' the chicken poop(nitrogen).
Does that make sense?

Yes. Thanks.

 

[David61]

What is brown bio mass and where do you get it?

Brown biomass = Leaf, pine straw, grass, compost... That is dry and turned "brown" dirt has microbes and bugs so adding will help start digestion. Fresh chips from tree derive will be green to start if the tree was alive with a leafy green canopy chipped up with it so try and add as much other brown as you can. A few weeks in the mix will fix it. If you just use fresh wood chips they can mold. Not good so add the brown stuff.