good bedding for run

[SNJChickieGal07]

I'm getting ready to do a good fall clean up of the run. What's a good material that i can throw down? Right now its dirt and some tree stumping shavings, they seem to like it, but just wondering there is something better. I dont mind making a mix of something either.

 

[azygous]

The bedding you choose depends on your management style. Are you the type that would rather toss some material on top of poop and let it decompose in place? Or are you the type that likes to keep poop picked up and keep things clean?

If you are the former, then the deep litter method is for you. You can use any sort of "green" material to layer on top the poop - dead leaves, straw, wood chips.

If you like to keep the run clean of poop, there is no better material than sand for easy poop scooping. I have a sand run, as well as sand inside my coops. It's very easy to keep clean, and the sand also helps to moderate the temperature, warmer in winter, and cooler in summer.

 

[RonP]

The bedding you choose depends on your management style. Are you the type that would rather toss some material on top of poop and let it decompose in place? Or are you the type that likes to keep poop picked up and keep things clean?

If you are the former, then the deep litter method is for you. You can use any sort of "green" material to layer on top the poop - dead leaves, straw, wood chips.

If you like to keep the run clean of poop, there is no better material than sand for easy poop scooping. I have a sand run, as well as sand inside my coops. It's very easy to keep clean, and the sand also helps to moderate the temperature, warmer in winter, and cooler in summer.

I would agree on the dead leaves, straw, and wood chips.
These are actually referred to as "browns" in the composting world.
They are carbon rich, used to offset the nitrogen rich "greens" such as chicken manure.

 

[azygous]

They were green before they were brown....

 

[Mahlzeit]

I use wood chips in my run with amazing success. My run would be a muddy, smelly mess when it would rain. Since adding the wood chips the smell is no longer there. Same goes for the coop where I use dead leaves in a deep litter type method. It has gotten rid of all the smell the wood shavings never did that.

 

[aart]

Yes, wait until anything that was green is brown, or you're just kind of defeating the purpose. Chicken poop is the only green need be added .

I have a large walk in run and never 'clean' poops from the run,
and there is rarely any nasty odors. The bedding of a good mix of dry plant materials use facilitates this nicely, it's basically no maintenance other than adding more material from time to time. I was able to start with a big load of tree trimmings from the power company that had been aged(6 months) so I avoided the toxic molds that can bloom with fresh chippings. I collect dry leaves in the fall (stored in feed bags in a shed) and add them occasionally, and other garden trimmings. I let my grass grow tall, mow and spread it out with discharge pattern, leave it to dry a few day, then push it into rows with the mower discharge, rake it up and add to run.

 

[chicmom]

Love sand. I like cleaning up the poo. But some of these other ideas seem great! I may try some. Anybody ever use soft pine needles?