Muddy run - Any advice!

[HappyChickenLover]

To be honest I see a tonj of people say sand, I would think it would work. Personally I use maltch, A mix of hard wood and pine and it does great. It naturally makes a false bottom, it soaks up liquads, they love the bugs in it to eat, and it obsorbs poop and makes the smell un smellable. I rarely clean mine

 

[geebs]

mites can live in the multch.... and it can mold... that is deadly...

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Neither of these are particularly a problem outdoors. If you have a real mite problem, you'll have it no matter whether you have mulch or sand in the run; and if you got mold growing in your outdoor run you got MUCH bigger problems

, that would be extremely unusual.

It's just that in areas with wet climates and/or poorly drained soil, mulch or shavings or hay or other organic materials will eventually break down into a fine water-retentive humus that just makes your run swampier and smellier.

Pat

 

[HappyChickenLover]

my chickens have dust bath pits too, i have never had mite problems