First big clean out. Is there an easier way in the future?

[3KillerBs]

What kind of wood chips?

Any kind other than aromatic cedar will do, though I would not want to use dyed mulch myself.

It's best to let them age and dry because there is a specific kind of mold that favors green wood, but if you use very thin layers from the outside of the pile you can avoid that problem.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It's 1.5 deep in some parts. I've already unearthed bowls, logs...a lot of it is wet towards the bottom. I'm going to start fresh with a few inches of hard wood chips.

It's amazing how much shavings you got in there!!

I'd start with a lot less chips (like 1" is plenty to start), and build up layers over time, including some other organic matter to help break down poop. Don't know what other materials you have on hand, but it's a great way to use up some fall leaves, dried grass clippings, stuff you yank from your garden, etc. Free is best!

 

[Swbertrand1]

You might try fewer shavings and more frequent cleanings. We are blessed to have a HUGE run (about 15' x 75'), and we don't put anything down since there is never a huge mess anywhere. Nonetheless, my bf rakes it out about once per month, sometimes more often in the summer, just to take the large, hardened waste out and get up smaller bits, leaves, sticks, feathers, and other debris that seems to build up.
During the summer, he adds fresh grass clippings to the more well-traveled areas of the run for the birds to pick through at their leisure, some light pine straw in the fall, winter, and spring, so everything gets turned over quickly, and our run stays pretty much clean enough to walk through at all times.
Hope that helps a little.

 

[Kaesi2020]

Seems like..a lot of shavings for the run. I’m disabled, so, I have plenty of time, every time I go into the run to interact with them, I take my poop bucket and drywall spatula and scoop poop. I have typical garden center pine bark mulch in mine, the coarse stuff has held up better than the fine. I don’t have the depth you do. However, mine isn’t so dirty I would need to scrape it out 100%. Does your run get rained on? Does the poop get decayed? Do you scoop? It’s hard to see in pics because it doesn’t even look dirty to

It's amazing how much shavings you got in there!!

I'd start with a lot less chips (like 1" is plenty to start), and build up layers over time, including some other organic matter to help break down poop. Don't know what other materials you have on hand, but it's a great way to use up some fall leaves, dried grass clippings, stuff you yank from your garden, etc. Free is best!

View attachment 2811485

It was amazing and frustrating how much there was! Collectively to remove it all took about 5 hours. The hardest was getting it all out under the raised coop.

Nice picture! I miss when my chickens were that old! They are big brats now LOL

 

[Kaesi2020]

You might try fewer shavings and more frequent cleanings. We are blessed to have a HUGE run (about 15' x 75'), and we don't put anything down since there is never a huge mess anywhere. Nonetheless, my bf rakes it out about once per month, sometimes more often in the summer, just to take the large, hardened waste out and get up smaller bits, leaves, sticks, feathers, and other debris that seems to build up.
During the summer, he adds fresh grass clippings to the more well-traveled areas of the run for the birds to pick through at their leisure, some light pine straw in the fall, winter, and spring, so everything gets turned over quickly, and our run stays pretty much clean enough to walk through at all times.
Hope that helps a little.

Very helpful, thank you! I'm looking to start a similar system just with a very thin layer of wood chips on bottom..

 

[Kaesi2020]

This is what it looks like. It rained yesterday (and for several days before that due to Henri) but you can’t even tell, it dries up very quickly on the surface (stays moist underneath, which the chickens love digging holes in).

View attachment 2811067
View attachment 2811068

Looks great!

 

[Swbertrand1]

Very helpful, thank you! I'm looking to start a similar system just with a very thin layer of wood chips on bottom..

You're welcome. We do have a smaller (ICU) coop area, and it doesn't get shavings either, but we're blessed with mostly sandy soil on the coast of North Carolina. If I were inland and had a heavy, clay soil, I'd likely use shavings or mulch chips, but I'm sure my bf would be cleaning those out pretty often too.

We've found that the cleaner you can make things for creatures that, by their nature, aren't the most clean makes for happier chickens and happier chicken-keepers...

 

[K0k0shka]

Looks great!

Thanks! It never looks poopy and the chickens don't get muddy feet. Which is important, because they like to climb on me and sit in my lap

 

[3KillerBs]

You're welcome. We do have a smaller (ICU) coop area, and it doesn't get shavings either, but we're blessed with mostly sandy soil on the coast of North Carolina. If I were inland and had a heavy, clay soil, I'd likely use shavings or mulch chips, but I'm sure my bf would be cleaning those out pretty often too.

We've found that the cleaner you can make things for creatures that, by their nature, aren't the most clean makes for happier chickens and happier chicken-keepers...

Your experience is a good example of how different ways of management can all produce excellent results.

I prefer the natural self-cleaning of the deep litter environment (my preferred substrate being pine straw since it's free for the raking in my yard). I have enough work to do cleaning my house and don't want to have to add continually cleaning up after my chicken. My run has no odor and I don't track manure unless I accidentally step in a fresh lump.

I believe that, as creatures of the forest floor, a deep litter system best imitates chickens' natural environment. But as I wrote in my article on Deep Bedding, there are valid points against it.

I encourage anyone who isn't happy with their current management method to try another method to see if it suits their personality and philosophy better.

 

[Swbertrand1]

Your experience is a good example of how different ways of management can all produce excellent results.

I prefer the natural self-cleaning of the deep litter environment (my preferred substrate being pine straw since it's free for the raking in my yard). I have enough work to do cleaning my house and don't want to have to add continually cleaning up after my chicken. My run has no odor and I don't track manure unless I accidentally step in a fresh lump.

I believe that, as creatures of the forest floor, a deep litter system best imitates chickens' natural environment. But as I wrote in my article on Deep Bedding, there are valid points against it.

I encourage anyone who isn't happy with their current management method to try another method to see if it suits their personality and philosophy better.

Well said. There is certainly no absolute "right way". I try to encourage others to do what works for them, maybe offering an alternative to try based on experience, or maybe something they haven't considered.

We learn every day, and this forum is a fantastic place to learn about chickens, even if it's not what we might do...