Grass-less Dirty Chicken Run

[Auntiejessi3]

I'm in the same boat as OP with the exception of smelling. My run floor is dirt and is completely covered so not that much rain gets in. I like the idea of possibly putting mulch into the run my only hesitancy is doesn't the larger mulch make is difficult to rake and clean the run, such as cleaning up poop and random craps?

That's the whole point, NOT to clean up poop anymore, you don't need to

 

[RoyalChick]

I'm in the same boat as OP with the exception of smelling. My run floor is dirt and is completely covered so not that much rain gets in. I like the idea of possibly putting mulch into the run my only hesitancy is doesn't the larger mulch make is difficult to rake and clean the run, such as cleaning up poop and random craps?

I have some covered and some open runs. I don’t rake up poop in any of them. It has been about three and a half years. No smell.
The open runs rot down very fast and I just keep adding leaves.
I don’t really understand how the covered ones rot down as they seem too dry - but maybe there is enough moisture somewhere below the surface. Anyway, somehow it all breaks down and the worms come and feast and so do other insects which makes the chickens happy and keeps them entertained.

 

[3KillerBs]

The horses would be actually eating all the grass clippings, not just a nibble here and there like the chickens. So if any problems do happen, I would expect horses to have more trouble than chickens.

Additionally, horses have very delicate digestive systems while chickens are part of what I call "God's Garbagemen" -- the cleanup squad for the world's random messes. Their natural habitat is the forest floor where they ate whatever happened to be around.

my only hesitancy is doesn't the larger mulch make is difficult to rake and clean the run, such as cleaning up poop and random craps?

With a Deep Litter system you don't have to clean it up. It vanishes into the litter and nature deals with it.

Thanks. My run is under some wonderful Orange Osage trees so it's covered very well, doesn't get muddy but it does get wet. The ground is still hard as a rock as the girls have only been in there for 3 months. I'm wondering if I need to get the rake in there to help move it around a bit or just wait. It's nowhere near fluffy.

This could depend on the nature of your soils.

My run is unlikely to ever get fluffy because the soil here compacts like concrete and so sandy that we have almost no worms (they may not even be native here).

It's a different way to manage the run: instead of the person cleaning up the poop and removing it, the poop and the mulch slowly decompose. When it works right, it doesn't stink, saves work for the person, and seems to suit the chickens very well. (If it doesn't work right, that is often because it is too wet, or because there are too many chickens for the amount of space & mulch. There can be other problems, but those seem to be the most common two.)

Very well said.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! I figured out a system
I've started taking up all the dead grass after mowing, and putting it in the run (along with some pine shavings, etc) and just replacing the pooped on parts!

That may or may not work long term. Issue with using strictly grass and shavings is the litter will compact down and turn anaerobic, which leads to odors. Ideally you really need larger chunks to promote drainage and aeration, which is why you see wood chips being mentioned a lot.

Also as 3KillerBs mentioned, you need to consider the volume of your run litter (size and depth of litter) vs the number of chickens - you don't mention the size/post a photo of your set up, but deep litter isn't really feasible in a small enclosure, as there simply isn't enough volume to compost the poop volume.

my only hesitancy is doesn't the larger mulch make is difficult to rake and clean the run, such as cleaning up poop and random craps?

If you prefer scooping (which I do to collect poop for composting and so I don't step in it) it's no issue doing it in chunky wood chips. Don't expect to get every piece but I just use a dog poop scooper and pick up whatever obvious poops are on the surface.

 

[raingarden]

Hi!

Should I get another attachment run and lock them out of the old one until the grass comes back?

They probably ruined the grass in the old run in just a matter of days. They will do the same thing to a new run. When the grass in the new run is ruined the old run will not have recouperated yet.

An interesting rule-of-thumb-type of number would be how many square feet a chicken needs to not deplete the vegetation.

Deep liter is the usual solution to a mud problem. It's just a matter of finding cheap material, like leaves or chips.. Fill dirt works well too.

 

[NatJ]

An interesting rule-of-thumb-type of number would be how many square feet a chicken needs to not deplete the vegetation.

It is affected by how fast the vegetation grows back, how much vegetation there was in the first place, and how well established it was.

But as a very rough guess, I think it's going to be hundreds or even thousands of square feet per hen.

Also, no matter how much space you have, chickens will cause some bare spots (like right around the coop, and their favorite dustbathing spot.) But with enough space, yes it is possible to have permanent vegetation even with constant chicken access.

 

[Akachicklil]

Hi!
I have 3, 21 week old hens, (I'm a first time chicken owner) and within the first 2 weeks of them being in their coop and run, they destroyed and ate up all the grass! All that's left is feathers, dirt, and chicken poop. I try to let them out every day to free range for a bit, but I'm worried it's not enough. (Plus, their feet get all dirty when they go back to the run, and it doesn't smell all that great either!!) What do I do? Should I try to free range them more, and give the run floor a break? The coop is right next to my house, so predators aren't a big issue, but it's still a worry I have.
Should I get another attachment run and lock them out of the old one until the grass comes back?
It's really embarrassing to have people come and see the chickens since it looks so gross, and stinks, too.
If you managed to get through all that reading (lol), could you help me? Any suggestions?

Same thing happened to me. Don’t be embarrassed! Lol… good luck. Can’t wait to hear the advice.

 

[Akachicklil]

I have really good luck with that shredded mulch. My pen is covered with it. Yes it needs replenishing about yearly. It is carefree. I don't notice an odor from it and the poop just magically disappears! Makes a pen look good.

What type of shredded mulch do you use? Is it pesticide and chemical free?

 

[GreenieBeaner]

Hello again
That's a lot of replies! I didn't realize that the mower fumes could make the grass unhealthy , I'll definitely make sure it's dry and use less. Leaves, mulch, and wood chips sound interesting, I'll definitely be trying that! Do you guys have any mulch/ wood chip recommendations? Company, type, etc.
For those of ya asking about my location, I live in NY (USA) (currently very rainy). Fortunately, all the water drains away from my coop, so it doesn't get too puddle-filled during wet seasons.

I'll try to post a photo of my current setup! I'm very busy with school starting soon (I'm in high school). Im currently not old enough for a job, so I've been slowly saving up money to buy another attachment run, just so they have more room, since currently the run is pretty small... I have only really been keeping them in the run for a couple hours a day tho, so currently they're doing pretty well. They will be getting more space soon!
(My fam and I might be moving soon, and all of the houses we're considering have large fenced in backyards, so hopefully they will be able to be out of their run much more there!) (And I have been researching how to move with chickens without stressing them too much)
Thank you again for all the advice peeps! This is very helpful

 

[rosemarythyme]

Do you guys have any mulch/ wood chip recommendations? Company, type, etc.

Best choice - whatever you can get from a tree company chipping stuff from your yard, neighboring yards, or sometimes even for utility maintenance. Depending on your area it may be available for free or for a driver's tip. Be aware they may expect you to take a whole truckload.

You can buy mulch if that's the only option, but it's not as ideal because it's generally shredded more finely and might be dyed.