Help! Ideas to Maximize Run Addition?

[3KillerBs]

Pine straw bale:

Pine straw in landscape bed:

Pine straw in my run:

I just dump it in and let them spread it.

I *do* use regular straw in my run too -- mostly as intact bales for winter wind baffles, but sometimes as litter when I'm low on the pine straw. I have EXCEEDINGLY well-drained, sandy soil and haven't had a mold problem but most people don't have my soil.

You can put pallets down over muddy areas to give the chickens (and you yourself), something to walk on out of the wet.

 

[khind]

Got it.
And one thing I remember reading in a thread here is that if you rake deep litter too deeply, that's not good. I wonder if I may have done that - stirred up some of the lower layer that was supposed to stay put.

 

[3KillerBs]

Got it.
And one thing I remember reading in a thread here is that if you rake deep litter too deeply, that's not good. I wonder if I may have done that - stirred up some of the lower layer that was supposed to stay put.

I've never heard of that myself. The chickens dig down to dirt to make dustbaths regularly.

But, again, my soil conditions are unusually favorable for very casual management of my litter. When I have a problem I just pile more in.

 

[khind]

Great idea about pallets. I have a couple just sitting around. I have some large boards too, but the last thing I need is large areas of wet ground covered up.
That pine straw sounds awesome! I have pine trees in my surrounding woods as well, some of which I've mixed into the deep litter. I wonder if I could do more with it. In fact, I'm going to have a forestry person out here soon to look at out pines & discuss how many of which kind should stay or go, and ways I can use the extras. I will definitely add the coop to our discussion.
DH & I decided to have some topsoil delivered. And then, I know I've seen some well-functioning chicken yards with what looks like rocks right up to the chicken house. It actually looks like gravel. We can get some of that as well. When I first started with chickens, I planted rosemary bushes right in front & back, which they dug around without digging up. The bushes all died one year in a freak freeze-thaw-freeze, & then the smaller herbs I replaced them with just didn't flourish... and then it all got dug into and I let it go. I'm thinking added soil and rock right up to the buildings and extending a couple of feet or so... (They would lose that dust bath area right there (which is shady), but there are plenty of other shade spots and trees in the yard.) And then plan out another simple, easy to maintain area beyond the rock. That might be a good start anyway.

 

[khind]

Yes, all the rain this winter! That must have been so frustrating.
... and odd, rednecked housing is a great description for what I've got going over here! Lol.

 

[3KillerBs]

Our southeastern pines wouldn't grow in your area, but if you have a pine available that has long, flexible needles instead of short, stiff, spiky needles that would be the thing.

And then, I know I've seen some well-functioning chicken yards with what looks like rocks right up to the chicken house. It actually looks like gravel. We can get some of that as well.

I personally would not use gravel anywhere chickens would be unless you have no other means of solving a serious mud problem. IIRC, this article shows some times when gravel is necessary: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-fix-a-muddy-run-chicken-coop.47807/

People with sand in the coop/run long-term are usually in a situation where they can keep it absolutely dry and they scoop it very frequently.

The problem with gravel is that the poop filters down into it where it cannot be cleaned out by any means and, unlike organic material, it doesn't compost either -- instead it rots and stinks any time it gets wet.

 

[khind]

Our southeastern pines wouldn't grow in your area, but if you have a pine available that has long, flexible needles instead of short, stiff, spiky needles that would be the thing.



I personally would not use gravel anywhere chickens would be unless you have no other means of solving a serious mud problem. IIRC, this article shows some times when gravel is necessary: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-fix-a-muddy-run-chicken-coop.47807/

People with sand in the coop/run long-term are usually in a situation where they can keep it absolutely dry and they scoop it very frequently.

The problem with gravel is that the poop filters down into it where it cannot be cleaned out by any means and, unlike organic material, it doesn't compost either -- instead it rots and stinks any time it gets wet.

This is good information. I do find parts of it confusing though. I wish there were some pictures. The problem that I'm concerned about sounds like it's technically that immediate area right outside of the run... except that it extends further. But that doesn't seem to be covered in this information unless I'm not understanding it correctly. I'm not sure what the author means by raising up the run footing with boards, & I'm not sure if that would fit my situation. I've read it a couple times. However I am also finally able to caulk before the next round of rain, and so I've read it in between caulking this roof and taking a break. I might do better understanding it when I'm done.

 

[khind]

Well it hasn't rained yet today. It won't rain for another couple of hours. And with the place opened up some good news is that the smell that I smelled in the deep litter of the large run seems to be pretty much gone. Part of it might have been that they were stuck inside and I was working so hard and I wasn't able to stir things up & they were pretty much sitting still through the storms. But another part is, I think, the smell of the wet mud ground right outside the coop. And also the new run that only has some dirt right now because it's not built up or filled with litter yet, and the chickens have gone in there a number of times.
The mold, however, I can actually see in places on some of the "floorboards" of the run where it got very wet, but interestingly, this wood is a whole few inches under the level the run floor should be in those areas. (In other words, those edges the chickens dig up inside the run.)

 

[3KillerBs]

This is good information. I do find parts of it confusing though. I wish there were some pictures. The problem that I'm concerned about sounds like it's technically that immediate area right outside of the run... except that it extends further. But that doesn't seem to be covered in this information unless I'm not understanding it correctly. I'm not sure what the author means by raising up the run footing with boards, & I'm not sure if that would fit my situation. I've read it a couple times. However I am also finally able to caulk before the next round of rain, and so I've read it in between caulking this roof and taking a break. I might do better understanding it when I'm done.

I'm fortunately to have extremely well-drained ground.

I think that what raising the run footing means is to use boards (or maybe landscape ties?), to turn the run into a kind of giant raised bed -- like in the garden but the entire run.

Maybe?

 

[khind]

(... and not that that's a good place...)