muddy runs, hay?

[Corey NC]

My runs are very muddy or they are all dry and hard. I worry about how the hard or muddy ground affect they're feet. Would hay be a good thing the put in the runs? I would love to sand but it is too expensive and shavings I know wouldn't work.

Any body use hay in their runs?

 

[okiechick57]

I use both hay and straw.......... they eat the hay

must be cleaned out in damp hot weather...but needs to be cleaned anyway right !

 

[Redfeathers]

I think sand is the best thing for a run like that. I have sand in mine and it drains beautifully and is easy to rake and keep clean. I live in Oregon, it's always raining. My back yard is a mud pit but the chickens run is still in great shape because of the sand.

 

[johnnyjack]

we got hay in the open run and shavings in the covered runn. works out for us.the feeders are in the covered run . then if i feed scratch it toss it in the hay side.

 

[tazcat70]

I use hay. I started by putting a flake in the corner and they moved it around. I have also used a rake to spread it around. When I start getting wet spots again I add another flake. When it gets kinda compacted I will throw out a little scratch and they stir it up for me.

Tonya

 

[jab91864]

Now that it's winter and the ground is frozen here I have been using straw in the run. We get those days where we'll heat up just enough to make things drip some or get drizzle/sleet instead of snow. Since the ground can't drain it just sits there in a icky pool till it freezes. Straw helps with that a lot.

I find the hens enjoy having something to scratch around in the run too. It's not the same as digging up the dirt looking for bugs but it's a close second...lol.

Julie

 

[homecatmom]

I thought hay and straw were bad. Didn't someone on the board do crop surgery on one of their girls because she had eaten straw and got all plugged up? I have not put anything in my run, which is a muddy mess in this rain because I was afraid that they would start eating the stuff and get impacted. I'm also not sure I know the difference betwen hay and straw....I know, I know....city girl...
Cathy

 

[Smitty's Farm]

We were having the same issues with our run getting muddy, b/c of all the rain the end of Nov and then it snowed a few times in Dec and then that melted, so the run was a mess. I put straw in the run to keep their little feet dry. I wanted hay, but couldn't find it at the time.
I haven't witnessed them eating any of the actual straw, but they do eat the seeds from it. They love scratching all around & spreading it everywhere.

 

[silkiechicken]

Yes they can get impacted from eating the straw and hay... but I use both anyways and have not had an impaction problem with any of the birds gone though here.

 

[doodledo]

I have sand in the outside run and straw in the inside. they really lov when I get chaffe (?) you know, clean the farmers floor where the straw is stacked. But the sand has been a blessing. I do toss a few chunks of straw out and they kick it around when there is snow. I got my sand at a block company and I got a bucket load for around $30-40, and let me tell ya it was way more than enough. DIdnt look like it in my truck but it was.