@ChirpyChicks1
I highly recommend using wood chips. A deep litter in the run with wood chips makes a very healthy soil and eliminates the compacted, unhealthy slime that you see in many runs when it rains. The rain water just soaks right in.
When I first started with chickens, the run had grass, of course. I let them use that until it had been pretty much destroyed. Then I started putting in wood chips. I had some trees cut down and had asked the tree guys to leave me piles of wood chips.
A key here is that the chips must be left to cure - you don't want to put green, fresh wood chips down for them.
My wood chips had sat at least 8 months before I used them. One thing I look for is life in the wood chips. These were full or red worms by the time I started using them in the run.
Then I'd just bring over a wheelbarrow full and dump it in a pile. They love digging through them and will do the spreading while entertaining themselves.
So...if you don't have any wood chips now, what can you do?
Contact tree services in your area and ask them if they would dump some on your property for you when they're working in your area. Keep calling around until you find someone that will do it for free. That saves them hauling them to their home base or having to dispose of them some other way. Be sure they know
you don't want chips from areas that have been sprayed for anything.
And that you only want chips from trees that aren't poisonous to animals (no yews, for example). Regular hard woods and pine are okay. Then have them leave you a pile and let it set until you see worm activity or 3-8 months before using in the run.
In addition to the wood chips, I use
wood SHAVINGS inside the coop. When I clean out the coop,
the used shavings go right into the run. You can start doing that now. Note, however, if you're using the fine shavings and you haven't been able to start using CHIPS yet, the shavings tend to mat down in the rain. They don't do that when you're using chips too, but just wanted to give a heads-up.
Benefits of the chips are huge. The ground under them stays healthy and will be full of worms. I'd often go out and turn some up and the birds would go nuts digging through for worms. The soil is soft and easy to dig.
One season, a couple of my daughters came over, and we dug down under the chips and they took some loads of the dirt over for their gardens. One was starting a raised bed and that was the dirt she used. That dirt smells amazingly healthy. And it looks great as well. That run was about 10x20. We dug out quite a bit (2 pickup truck loads) and when done, the birds spread it all around again and it didn't even look like anything was gone.
Here are a few photos. Keep in mind that
this will work for a small run too, and is probably even more important for your bird's health in a small situation. The dirt below will be alive and healthy.
This photo was when we were first establishing the wood chips in the run. You can see in the back right corner there is still grass. I had just put in a pile and they were spreading.
This photo was after it had been fully chipped for awhile. I just keep dumping more in every now and then and let them do the work. Also put out all the shavings from inside in a big pile. They love digging through it.
Poor Mister. All those girls and he's stuck over there.
