Ideas for Run

[rosemarythyme]

Is it wise to use fresh wood chips? Thought I read that they needed to "age" before using them in a coop/run.

I saw that too, so I was wondering about that. Unless they maybe have a store of them that have been sitting around. I live in a really small town without access to alot of things, unfortunately.

Best to NOT use fresh chips. Ideally you want to age them out a bit... 3 months, 6 months, how much ever you can wait.

Call some local tree service companies and ask what it'll cost for them to drop a load of chips off. In my area many companies will do it completely free. Obviously you will need space to store them, as they can drop several cubic yards at a time.

Do not expect for the tree service company to age them for you. THey will likely arrive with the freshest possible chips, chipped and brought straight over from the last assignment they were at.

 

[aart]

Best to NOT use fresh chips. Ideally you want to age them out a bit... 3 months, 6 months, how much ever you can wait.

Yes!
How long to age them is variable.
Depends on how 'wet' they are.
If chipped from live tree branches, especially with leaves, they are going to be very wet.
This can cause a mold 'bloom' that can be toxic.

It's kind of a play it 'by eye' thing...
...adding thin layers of fresh chippings with other dry plant matter can be a good way to go.
Scraping the outer layer off the pile is another good thing to do.
Doesn't take much to get started, just a thin layer an inch deep,
then slowly add more every week or so.

 

[adwil21]

Call a tree service. They chip and should dump for free. Anything to break up line of sight. I use old plastic bins. If they can't see each other they bullying of the picking order is not as bad. They weak can hind and get a break. Less stress more eggs.View attachment 2173264View attachment 2173265

Thank you!

 

[David61]

Yes!
How long to age them is variable.
Depends on how 'wet' they are.
If chipped from live tree branches, especially with leaves, they are going to be very wet.
This can cause a mold 'bloom' that can be toxic.

It's kind of a play it 'by eye' thing...
...adding thin layers of fresh chippings with other dry plant matter can be a good way to go.
Scraping the outer layer off the pile is another good thing to do.
Doesn't take much to get started, just a thin layer an inch deep,
then slowly add more every week or so.

The wetter the chips the more dried leafs, dirt you add. Thin layer and add to it. The chickens will scratch it around in no time and dry it out if you add it a few days at a time. My first 3" of chips were a week old. Clean hardwood and it was in the fall so not much leafs on the tree and fairly dry. I add a 1/3 more biomass to it over the next month. Oak leaf, grass clippings, dirt, coop floor muck out...

 

[aart]

and it was in the fall so not much leafs on the tree and fairly dry.

Makes a big difference.

 

[David61]

I'm going to go to my friends tree service and take some pictures of what his chips look like. Day old - ten years old

 

[adwil21]

I'm going to go to my friends tree service and take some pictures of what his chips look like. Day old - ten years old

That would be great!! Thank you

 

[adwil21]

Bought some pine bark nuggets and spread them to see, they might be ok.

 

[David61]

As you'll see I can pick what I want but at lest you will see.
He has a large chipper. It can take 10" logs.
Just the way it works out with a large hard wood tree is the top and canopy leaf limbs get cut and dropped to the ground first. It will be chipped first. When they stop for lunch they will drive back and dump. That is all twigs and leaf. The next load is all the clean big wood chips. If Its not a big tree can be both or all kinds off crud. Here you will seee palm, shrub bush, yard scraps … this old Stuff is 10 years + from the bottom of the wood yard. This is clean hardwood. I kicked the pike so you can see how wet. It sun dries quick on top. This pile is a week old

 

[David61]

This is pine and is wet heavy with turpentine and pine straw.