Help! Run Maintenance and Question

[TOCityChicken]

Hi All,

My name is Andrew. I am a student at Upper Canada College in Toronto and I am working on legalizing hens in the city of Toronto, with the group name, "Toronto Chickens".

I currently have 4 chickens, and have a couple questions about them (I have had them for about 3 months).

In the hen house (totally secured part of the coop, where they sleep and lay), do I need to put down horse bedding, or any bedding? Right now, I am putting down bedding and when they poo in the bedding, I clean everything up. This takes a long time, and it a hastle. So I was wondering, if it was even necessary to have bedding. If I do not use the bedding, then the chickens would be walking/sleeping/laying on plywood. Or should I only put bedding in their nesting boxes... What would you do? What do you recommend?

Also I have a run attached to my coop. In the run, the bottom is just dirt (because they ate all the grass)! Currently I do not put bedding in the run. Should I? When I go to clean out the run, it is hard to tell what is poo and what is dirt. So I end up taking a lot out. Could I put a piece of plywood down on top of the dirt, so when they poo, it is easy to just pick it up. Or should I use gravel/sand or something to put ontop. Please help me! It is hard to clean so much every week. What do you do in your chicken run, to keep it clean?

I do not know how many people respond on these things (first time using one), but I appreciate all help.

In addition, here is my email address if you would like to contact me personally: [email protected]

Thanks,

Andrew

 

[Wolftalk]

Id do straw in the hen house and nothing but dirt in the run. Thats what my 4 chickens have

 

[RonC]

Dirt or sand in the run. The sand can be sifted out with a cat litter scoop. In the coop most use straw or pine shavings several inches thick. The shavings can be stirred several times before having to clean them out as the poop dries up in the shavings and doesn't smell. The straw I'm not sure. Some also put a board under the roosts to catch the majority of the droppings sometimes covered with sand to make it easier to clean. Letting them poop on the wood sounds like a nightmare to clean.

 

[Wolftalk]

Yea sand would work. I just rake mine out when I clean it. Simple and easy. I use straw because its cheaper for me. But I used shavings when my chickens were babies and it did work well.