How to clean up the run?

[robinaggie]

Pine straw is what they call pine needles in Charleston SC. I assume it's the same elsewhere?

 

[SeaChick]

Forgive me if this has already been suggested: we had a friend with a packed-dirt run and she cleaned it daily with a doggie pooper-scooper, you know the type like a dustpan on a long handle so you don't have to bend over? They just scooped and composted. Worked well for them as far as I saw...

We have straw/hay but our run is covered so it stays dry. In fact oday is the FIRST time I have ever noticed any smell out there. We had a wicked, torrential, very unusal thunderstorm last night with sideways rain and the edges of the run got soaked. Hoping it dries out before too long, as I have very close neighbors....

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
I have pine shavings in my coop floor . SAME as pine straw ?

I have not put anything down yet in the run area . coop and run have been completed now for about a week or so , so naturally the run WAS FULL of grass ( lawn section ) and now in several places chickens have cleared out sections of the grass . ALL I have is lime . I have NOT used it yet . IS LIME safe to sprinkle in the run ? FEED STORE told me its the lime that is safe for chickens tho . JUST looks weird , WHITE POWERY STUFF .............. JUST need to make sure before I spread it . IF OK , do I have to MIX it into the dirt areas , OR just let the chickens do their thing ?