I swear they are trying to dig to China!!

[blueberrychickens]

I have 8 hens & they have been out in their coop/run for just under 1 yr. They get to free range rarely, especially now that the hawks are back in the area to raise their young. Anyways, they are digging like there is no tomorrow! They have space under the coop so they can get out of the sun & they just love to spend the day under there. They have dug all under the boards that make up the frame of the run & they are under the skirt of the apron that makes up the run fencing. What can I do to stop them??? If I put soil under the coop, I just see them digging it all back out, same for mulch. Any suggestions to stop them from digging to China???

 

[swmalone]

Are they just scratching or are they looking for tasty tid bits to eat? If they are digging and kind of dust bathing you might try to add some kind of shallow bin with a dusty soil in it for them to scratch and roll around in. If it is for tasty treats I have no idea.

 

[Yay Chicks!]

Mine do the same thing, but since I have half as many they've made less progress

I think they are looking for bugs. They will dig in one spot around the edge and then dig in another spot the next day, thus kicking the dirt into the original hole.