Muddy run? Use leaves!

[PioneerChicks]

For many of the warmer climates, your chicken runs are probably a muddy mess right now. I know mine was! But conveniently, nature supplied us with the solution at the same time!

Use fallen leaves in your run! I've been doing this ever since I started raising chickens! It keeps the mud down and the chickens can scratch around in the leaves for insects and other tasty snacks!

However, I've heard that oaks and some walnut trees have toxic leaves. I prefer to steer clear of those.

Have fun homesteading naturally!

 

[Jenessa_096]

Bark chips and Mulch are also very nice for keeping it less muddy. What do you use inside your coop?

 

[Ursuline Chick]

I have extremely large water oak in my from yard. I was so disappointed when you said steer clear of oaks. That is pretty much all the trees in my city.

 

[Ursuline Chick]

Bark chips and Mulch are also very nice for keeping it less muddy. What do you use inside your coop?

Can I use oak bark chips and oak mulch or is it just the leaves?

 

[Poodlemum]

We have been putting ours in since my mom isn’t gardening next year and they’re having a blast! The leaves seem to be breaking down really nicely too. Need to finish taking the back lawn for them this weekend

 

[Isadora]

I dumped a bunch of leaves in my duck run this spring to cut down on the mud. It was very helpful. The ducks also had a blast dabbling through them.

 

[scjcb37]

We use horse stall pellets in the run during muddy season. They super absorb ALL the water and then disintegrate into the dirt

 

[PioneerChicks]

Bark chips and Mulch are also very nice for keeping it less muddy. What do you use inside your coop?

I've heard of people using leaves in their coop, but they need to be %100 dry and that isn't always possible for me. So I just use pine shavings inside my coop. Bark chips work great too! Though we don't have a lot of those. I'll have to try mulch sometime!
What do you use inside your coop?

I have extremely large water oak in my from yard. I was so disappointed when you said steer clear of oaks. That is pretty much all the trees in my city.

Can I use oak bark chips and oak mulch or is it just the leaves?

Aww, that's too bad! I'm not sure about oak chips or mulch, hopefully someone else here will!

 

[Jenessa_096]

I've heard of people using leaves in their coop, but they need to be %100 dry and that isn't always possible for me. So I just use pine shavings inside my coop. Bark chips work great too! Though we don't have a lot of those. I'll have to try mulch sometime!
What do you use inside your coop?

I use pine shavings too!

 

[rosemarythyme]

Leaves work great with some caveats. Large amount of leaves, and nothing but, in an uncovered run in wet conditions or a run with poor drainage will pack down and create anaerobic conditions, which can worsen smell and mud issues.

I do dump in a lot of leaves each fall. But under it all I have good natural drainage, and a lot of chunky wood chips to allow for aeration and drainage through to the soil layer, so that controls mud and odor while allowing the leaves to compost down with the poop on top.