Foundation Question:

[aart]

I had planned on using river sand. I was thinking it would be a giant kitty litter box this way.

Sand would be a lot of work to clean at least daily , even then it will still likely stink once it gets damp.

If I used coarse wood chips, wouldn't it be harder to keep clean?

No.
You'd not need to clean at all as the wood would break down the poops.

Chip Drop is bringing a full load of chips sometime this week. We share the drop between 3 neighbors. A couple times a year. I use it on pathways. Should I be concerned about not knowing what type of wood is being dropped or does it matter where it is outside? We could get hemlock, pine, oak, cedar, birch, dog wood, maple, myrtle, .

Type of wood makes little difference, but it's best to let the chips age a bit to reduce the chance that you'd get a toxic level mold/fungus bloom. Take the outer layer off the chip pile and do not pile more than a couple inches in the run at a time.

 

[Eggcentric NanaJ]

Sand would be a lot of work to clean at least daily, even then it will still likely stink once it gets damp.


No.
You'd not need to clean at all as the wood would break down the poops.


Type of wood makes little difference, but it's best to let the chips age a bit to reduce the chance that you'd get a toxic level mold/fungus bloom. Take the outer layer off the chip pile and do not pile more than a couple inches in the run at a time.

I have so much to learn! Wood chips it is. My chicks arrive in late Apil and will be moving to the Coop early June. I should have the run completed and the wood chips would be aged by then as well. If I kept a mound of chips to use as reserves, should I pitchfork it to keep the fermentation down?

 

[Eggcentric NanaJ]

I would just install an apron instead. I believe what you plan is to also have HC buried under the run, which IMO, is not a good idea as chickens DIG. If/when they hit the HC, it can injure their feet.

I agree, I wouldn't want them to injure themselves on the HC. Thank you.

 

[3KillerBs]

I had planned on using river sand. I was thinking it would be a giant kitty litter box this way. If I used coarse wood chips, wouldn't it be harder to keep clean?

Most of the people who are happy with sand over the long term live in a dry climate and are fanatic about scooping poop.

I'm a fan of deep bedding and deep litter myself. I'm going to be shoveling compost out of my coop in the next few weeks -- the first "cleaning" I've done in the dirt-floored, deep litter system in about 15 months.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/using-deep-bedding-in-a-small-coop.76343/

Should I be concerned about not knowing what type of wood is being dropped or does it matter where it is outside? We could get hemlock, pine, oak, cedar, birch, dog wood, maple, myrtle, .... I don't want to get the Girls sick.

My understanding is that western cedar doesn't have the high concentrations of irritating oils that Eastern Red Cedar has.

My only concern with wood chips in my open-air coop or in a run would be if I got black walnut because the compost might be harmful to plants if the jugalone didn't break down completely by the time I used it.

 

[aart]

If I kept a mound of chips to use as reserves, should I pitchfork it to keep the fermentation down?

Nah, not necessary.
The biggest risk comes when the chip pile is 'green', especially if they have a bunch of green leaves in them.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Should I be concerned about not knowing what type of wood is being dropped or does it matter where it is outside? We could get hemlock, pine, oak, cedar, birch, dog wood, maple, myrtle, .... I don't want to get the Girls sick.

Those should all be fine. Since you mention being in OR the cedar is most likely a Western red which is lower in aromatics.

My chicks arrive in late Apil and will be moving to the Coop early June. I should have the run completed and the wood chips would be aged by then as well. If I kept a mound of chips to use as reserves, should I pitchfork it to keep the fermentation down?

No need to turn the chip pile. Just skim chips off the surface layers for the next year or so, so you're getting the most dried out, aired out chips for use in the run, then after that the pile should be good to go.

 

[Eggcentric NanaJ]

Nah, not necessary.
The biggest risk comes when the chip pile is 'green', especially if they have a bunch of green leaves in them.

 

[Eggcentric NanaJ]

This time of the year is about the only time that there isn't a lot of leaves, pine needles, yes, storm clean-up and trimming for Spring. If I get it now, it should have time to age. Your has been Amazing!!