Ground Covering for Outdoor Run?

[SueT]

After reading about deep litter here on BYC, I realized it was perfect for our run, which my 3 hens had turned into a desert. My DH is a wood turner, processes his own trees, and creates mountains of shavings. I asked him to begin dumping the shavings in the run about 6 months ago. (I also added more chickens and we now have 9. ) They spread out the shavings, and soon plants of various kinds began growing in the now mulched ground. There are weeds that have become bushes, a pumpkin plant, a basil plant, a small elm tree, and even some sort of ground cover. (obviously all these things chickens don't eat.) The shavings pile in the background is new, light colored hackberry, but in the foreground the shavings are dark walnut...you might not see in the photo but it's a thick mulch too. They have about 1000 sq ft. That makes a difference too, having lots of space per chicken. They created their own little botanical garden thanks to deep litter.

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[Folly's place]

Nice, but I would avoid the black walnut, as it's toxic to some species. You could check with a poultry expert at a university poultry department about it. Having a blend of materials is great! Mary

 

[SueT]

I would avoid the black walnut, as it's toxic to some species.

Well, they've all had walnut shavings for 2 years in brooders and coop, and all seems fine. They get cherry, osage orange and elm mixed in. I've used cedar as well in spite of warnings about that...tho it was well diluted with other kinds.

 

[aart]

They have about 1000 sq ft. That makes a difference too, having lots of space per chicken.

Makes a huge difference! Looks a lovely environment there.
I have 15-30 birds in a 500sqft run, nothing grows in run unless it's under a grazing frame.

 

[Coop de Grass]

So start with a good layer of pine shavings and follow with hay? My husband uses a lawn tractor to mow and the clippings aren't collected so that's out. What else could I put in? We don't have a garden so that's out, or is pine and hay enough? I'm intrigued by the use of trays... or waterer is of the hanging variety so it's ALWAYS wet underneath and gets quite nasty. I dug out an area and put about three inches of landscape rock but, of course, dirt, sand, poo, and tossed feed have eventually made there way into the rock area and it's so hard to keep up with. The feeder does not hang and sits on the ground...would that pose any kind of problem using DLM?

My husband didn't want to use the bagger on our rider mower at first - he preferred to "mulch" it, but we always had rows of clippings. I put the bagger on when I was mowing, and now he just dumps the bags into the inner and outer runs.
Do you have a nipple waterer? That would eliminate a lot of the water splashing out and adding to the mud.
Did you say how many chickens you have?

 

[Saint_ Marwenne_Chickens]

DLM is useful.

 

[Cindy's Phunny Pharm]

We use DLM in the chicken barn and change out shavings 2-3 times a year. The chickens are free ranging during the day and only return at night to be locked in away from predators. Visitors to the farm remark on the lack of smell which I just assumed was normal. We also run goats, ducks and geese on pasture during the day with the chickens...everyone is locked away separately at night. We've got about 50 chickens.

 

[chick-a- doodle]

My run is a stinking mess. I've typed that and think it sounds like a hygiene issue, so to be clear, I'm referring to the run in which my chickens live. I've read a lot of threads on here regarding different types of flooring material but it seems most post refer to the COOP where the girls roost and nesting boxes are. I use sand on that floor and pine shavings in the nesting boxes and that is working perfectly, (except for when it rains and leaks into the nesting boxes...then I have the chore of constantly changing out wet shavings for dry, but that's another thread.)

My problem is with the outdoor run. It is a covered dog kennel with hardware cloth skirting, so other than from above, it's totally open to the elements, (again, the RUN, not the COOP.) There is a deeper layer of white driveway rock that was there from years ago and was covered over by dirt. We placed sand in this area as well and at first, it worked great, but over time, the sand has mixed with the dirt, the rain has mixed it into a mucky mess, and the heat has baked it into a hard layer of poo, feed, and impenetrable rock like earth. Now, the chickens have scattered feed all over the area, (because who can eat from the feeder without digging in it and throwing it around like drunken pizza makers might throw dough,) so now there is a stinking mess of poo and now moldering crumble/crumble dust in the run. I don't know how to remedy this so I don't have the monumental task of breaking it up with a shovel and trying to salvage SOME kind of ground cover for the chickens. Someone suggested chopped corn cobs. Anyone heard of this and can you give opinions and suggestions on methods I could try? I've read about the DLM, but it sounds like it's used more in enclosed coops and not element exposed runs? Here it comes...

Chickens are hard.

I had a similar situation with my covered, hoop run! I read several different fixes, but, like you, the sand which was my first choice, washed and sank into the dirt. I finally bought pea grave and used maybe 8 bags before I went to the creek to get sand and rock. Ten 5-gallon buckets full later, I have a very nice base of FREE "pea gravel" and an unlimited supply when needed. The chickens are digging through the creek gravel with no problem, and I had to rake it out from the middle to the edges again for all their scratching! When I want it clean, I can hose off the gravel and the poop dissolves for the worms. On each side of the run, 15.5 feet on each side, are grazing frames. They are two feet wide, and, also act as a trench for water that runs off the tarp cover. The grass in the frames, of course, are the only green area in the run, and it is a favorite spot for the girls to nip the tops off the grass, or lay. Again, any poop on the frames can be hosed away. In the first 9 feet of the run, there is sand only, and sun screen fabric. Bulk feeders with pellets have really prevented waste, and a 5 gallon waterer doesn't have to be filled for days at a time. I also have sand in the coop and pine shavings in the nest boxes. I really LOVE my coop and run. Also, when needed, I can use a fire-thrower to sterilize the sand in the run or coop, but, I sift the with a kitty litter scoop or stall rake with hardware clothe zip-tied to it. [Daily inside the coop.] You can see more photos on my blog: https://www.facebook.com/groups/chickadoodlestn/ Check out the pages: Chicken Coop/Hen House, Grazing Frames, and Bulk Chicken Feeder!

 

[FlyingNunFarm]

My run is uncovered and slightly downhill. In heavy rain I get a pool in the back corner. (I'd like to put some gutters up but didn't get that far yet.) Mostly the run is dirt and weeds. What I jokingly call Jurassic Park. In the area where a pond forms I throw peat moss. It doesn't soak up the water but makes it so it's not a sloshing mess. Once the water level goes down the birds scratch around and mix in the peat moss. They seem to like to lay in the cool moist dirt. Every so often I go out and try to break up the dirt if it gets dry and packed down, then rake away any poop. For the most part the birds just scratch around and mix in it.

 

[PennyM]

I had a similar situation with my covered, hoop run! I read several different fixes, but, like you, the sand which was my first choice, washed and sank into the dirt. I finally bought pea grave and used maybe 8 bags before I went to the creek to get sand and rock. Ten 5-gallon buckets full later, I have a very nice base of FREE "pea gravel" and an unlimited supply when needed. The chickens are digging through the creek gravel with no problem, and I had to rake it out from the middle to the edges again for all their scratching! When I want it clean, I can hose off the gravel and the poop dissolves for the worms. On each side of the run, 15.5 feet on each side, are grazing frames. They are two feet wide, and, also act as a trench for water that runs off the tarp cover. The grass in the frames, of course, are the only green area in the run, and it is a favorite spot for the girls to nip the tops off the grass, or lay. Again, any poop on the frames can be hosed away. In the first 9 feet of the run, there is sand only, and sun screen fabric. Bulk feeders with pellets have really prevented waste, and a 5 gallon waterer doesn't have to be filled for days at a time. I also have sand in the coop and pine shavings in the nest boxes. I really LOVE my coop and run. Also, when needed, I can use a fire-thrower to sterilize the sand in the run or coop, but, I sift the with a kitty litter scoop or stall rake with hardware clothe zip-tied to it. [Daily inside the coop.] You can see more photos on my blog: https://www.facebook.com/groups/chickadoodlestn/ Check out the pages: Chicken Coop/Hen House, Grazing Frames, and Bulk Chicken Feeder!

I love your little seating area outside of your run! I was trying to think of something to set up for watching and talking to my chickens. You can't sit in the grass in SC, too many red ants!