Ground Covering for Outdoor Run?

[MrsAuberry00]

UPDATE: I'm updating here since my time limit on updating my original post has expired. I started implementing the DLM today. I began with about 3-4" of glass clippings and pine shavings and I'll go from there.

 

[omlet the chicken]

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.

 

[omlet the chicken]

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.



JUST USE DIRT

 

[omlet the chicken]

Just use dirt.

 

[3riverschick]

Hi,
have you thought about putting a French drain on the sides of the run where the water is running down? maybe you drain the water away from the run.
Karen

 

[aart]

Hi,
have you thought about putting a French drain on the sides of the run where the water is running down? maybe you drain the water away from the run.
Karen

Drainage was discussed.

 

[MrsAuberry00]

Thank you everyone for the suggestions! I know there are a LOT of posts to read through so don't worry about it if you've repeated or referenced something we've already covered.

 

[kcpaull]

We have 14 chickens and the run is about 300 square feet with an 8'x12' coop inside that. We have about 3 acres that are grass so we have plenty of grass clippings that we put in there. After a year of doing that, I scraped down to the original dirt and put all that composted clippings and droppings into a 3'10' frame and covered it with hardware cloth and planted foraging feed in it. The hardware cloth allows it to grow a bit before they rip it up and eat it. We started over putting in grass clippings mixed with dead leaves. We don't have a smell problem, but when it rains, it can be a bit mucky. We also put a big bale of peat moss in their favorite dust bathing area. That soaks up a lot of extra moisture and they love throwing it all over the place. We also let them out to forage every day for at least two hours.

 

[Leahs Mom]

"A bit mucky..."
That's why I don't use grass clippings. Only the wood chips and wood shavings.

No muck. No slime. No unhealthy breeding area for disease. No water puddling in the rain.

A "word to the wise".

....We don't have a smell problem, but when it rains, it can be a bit mucky. We also put a big bale of peat moss in their favorite dust bathing area. That soaks up a lot of extra moisture and they love throwing it all over the place. We also let them out to forage every day for at least two hours.

 

[CDA15]

We have a similar set-up using a dog kennel run attached to our coop. I recently put a roof on it to keep the run dry. We started the DLM and so far so good. Nothing but an earthy smell and very few flies. I am a woodworker and use my pine shavings in the run. We also have an extensive herb garden and throw our trimmings in there to get eaten and mulched in...smells good too. The biggest help we found was from a thread on BYC years ago about putting catch trays under the coop roost for easy poop removal, and we have extended that idea to put trays under the hanging feeders in the run. It catches the crumbles they throw around and many of the girls will eat the spillage from the tray. I found a great website to order trays. I like the shallower trays (1.5-2" deep) so the chickens aren't tempted to sit on the high edges and tip the tray over. We put shavings in the coop trays which minimizes cleaning, we just pull them out and go right to compost!
http://www.greenhousemegastore.com/category/s?keyword=garden+tray

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So glad I saw this! My husband and I were talking about using cafeteria trays, I didn't think to look at gardening trays for the larger size! Thank you!