Is there any required maintnence for the run

[Farmer Mike S]

I haven't been able to find much about this, I have a covered run with a dirt floor. I was wondering if there's any necessary cleaning or maintanence necessary. Like I said I haven't found anything about this

 

[BrendaJ]

I clean my run as needed. Not nearly as often as my coop though. I just rake things up & don't let poop pile up.

 

[salt and pepper]

I rake it once a month, and put some bedding ( not shavings ) if we are going to have rain. I also spread lime in it when it starts to smell.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Like practically everything else to do with chickens, it depends. How big is it? How many chickens do you have in it? What is your weather like? If it’s wet you are more likely to have issues. How much time do they spend in it? Is it located where a tiny whiff of a smell could be offensive to you or your neighbors or is it out in the country where that’s not as much of a concern? Is it in a low spot where it gets wet and stays wet or does it drain really well?

Mine is fairly large for my number of chickens, plus they spend a lot of time elsewhere. It drains really well and rainwater runoff does not run into it. It’s located where a bit of a smell would not be a problem but it really doesn’t smell. I never maintain mine.

Some people in suburbia rake or pooper scooper their runs daily. Some scatter scratch in theirs so the chickens rake it for them. How much maintenance you need to do depends on your unique circumstances. If it smells, you need to do something.

 

[jandlpoultry]

Really it depends, like Ridgerunner said. Mine mainly free range, so I don't do allot with mine. I've had to patch holes, and replace a whole section of fence after a storm blew a tree into it, but thats not an every day thing.