Dusty Run

[Jasfarm]

My main flock are pets, too. But I still don’t like scooping Their feeder and waterer hold a lot, so the daily upkeep is mostly just to check for eggs. This frees up more time to just sit and hang out with them. Makes it easier in the rare instances when we travel, too - I don’t have to ask the lovely friends who offer to help, to deal with poop, and the poop won’t build up and stink by the time we get back.

You are a genius!

I added so many more leaves and dust has been significantly reduced. They love rooting around in all the leaves and pine needles.

When I put the first batch in - it was a HUGE party and everyone was dust bathing together (which is unheard of!)

So thank you again!

 

[Jasfarm]

Large pine shaving from TSC is what i use. I use them in the nest boxes and after a month i dump them on the floor. Keeps the dust down and i rake it out every 3-4 months and use it to cover poop on the compost pile.

Thank you! We tried the shavings and they literally are menaces and I feel like they go on strike and don’t scratch to break it all down

 

[K0k0shka]

You are a genius!

I added so many more leaves and dust has been significantly reduced. They love rooting around in all the leaves and pine needles.

When I put the first batch in - it was a HUGE party and everyone was dust bathing together (which is unheard of!)

So thank you again!

Happy to help! I'm glad it's working out for you too.

 

[littlecoopnextdoor]

I love the 'forest floor' vibe in my run as well. I have a base of arborist wood chips that I toss in twice a year. In the fall I post on Facebook that I'll take leaves that folks inevitably bag up (we don't have leaf collection here) and I store about 8 bags in the basement for over the winter. Every 10 days or so I dump a nice dry bag of leaves into the run, which they love and it keeps things dry in most areas. The areas that do get a bit wet just help the leaves break down. Come early April, I'm telling you, I have the nicest compost to dig out of the run and toss on the garden to sit til June plantings.

 

[campchocolate]

Sugar snap! Haha we are all in the same boat. If only they would use their cute little feathered rumps to dust for us. Now that’s an idea

I’ll keep you posted! Maybe I’ll try mulch too - thank you!

There are different kinds of sand. River sand has larger particles therefore less dust. I only use it in the open run. It helps with drainage and prevents me from slipping on the compact soil. (12hens & 2 ducks). Inside the coop I place cut opened feed bags under the roosts. This way every few days (or on warmer days in the winter) I can harvest the poop for the compost. It has really helped to save on the amount of pine shavings we go through. I use bricks to keep the bags in place. I would be cautious about using straw and leaves in the coop or enclosed area as mold can build up as the matter becomes compacted. There’s just not enough air circulation as noted by the dust build up. The shaving matter is easier to be kicked around by the birds thereby being aerated. I only put down straw in the run after snowfall so they will leave the coop for exercise and fresh air. Good luck!

 

[Colorado Chicken Keeper]

We have insane winds. Mainly it comes from the S/SW but it will also whip from the N/NE. The coop blocks some of it, but then also creates a wind tunnel maybe bringing down that front panel would help though - thank you for the suggestions!

 

[Colorado Chicken Keeper]

We layed 1/4 inch hardware up the side of our run area and extended it out for a distance of 2ft around the run. I then filled over the screen with 8” of 3/4 road base and sloped it away from the run area. That leaves the floor of the run 6-8” below the outside grade with the outside grade sloping away from the run. In the winter we have 60-70 mph winds. We added a band of thin plastic 2 ft wide on all sides of The run. That leaves 6feet of open air caged area all around the run, and the chickens are below the wind. We have 70 mph winds in the winter. The chickens are shaded all summer as well. We use no bedding in the run. The coop door opens to the run so the chickens have their choice to be in the coop on bad days or the run on nice days. If we are home the chickens are free range. We have no mice in the run or coop using this method along with a grandpa feeder.

 

[thecatumbrella]

View attachment 3700407

That red roof!

 

[Colorado Chicken Keeper]

That red roof!

Matches some of the other buildings around here! . Or it reflects sunlight making it cooler in the summer?? Or the flock keeper thought it was cool?? Joking aside it’s a very well thought out coop. Far better than anything I ever would have been able to build. I purchased it and they delivered it on a truck. It’s an 8x20 ft coop/run. Some people build a nesting area on the ground for ducks, and the top area can be used as a storage area or a roost for turkeys!

 

[FourintheRun]

Sand is not a good run medium. If you make it wet to avoid dust, it will freeze solid once temperatures start dropping. In addition to dusty, it also gets poopy and stays poopy unless you actually scoop regularly, because unlike carbon materials like plant matter (wood chips, dry leaves, grass, straw, hay, etc.) the inorganic sand will contribute nothing towards any composting action, so the poop will just sit there until you clean it. When it dries out, it gets pulverized when the chickens walk/scratch and grind it down with the sand. So now you have the chickens and yourself inhaling poop dust in addition to the sand/ash/dirt dust. Yuck.

I would highly recommend changing the medium to something plant-based that has larger particles, or at least a variety of particles. What I use is a combination of wood chips, dry leaves (which I collect in the fall, bag and store so I can use them throughout the year to add to the run), grass clippings in the summer, weeds from the garden, and any other yard waste I have. This provides a variety of particles which helps with drainage, and it keeps the medium from getting too dusty. It composts slowly over time as the chickens churn it. And best of all, you don't have to clean it! My run is covered on the sides in winter as well, and mostly covered on top, but I still have an open area at the back and some on top, to get fresh air in there and some moisture from rain/snow. So mine isn't 100% dry except immediately under the covered area. Having lots of fresh air in there and some moisture is good, don't seal it too tight.

We are new to chickens, coops and runs, and this is extremely informative! I had read about adding leaves and Pine needles from my yard so I have done that but our daughter who is my “co-chicken raiser” didn’t want to add leaves. I will cut and paste and send this info to her so she’s on the same page with me.
Thanks again for your fabulous explanation!