Mulch in the run?

[hoeftam]

Hey everyone! We have a smell issue in our run! Boo! We use sand in the coop and have no smell. I scoop the poop daily. I also pick up poop in the run with a dog popper scooper daily, but we've been getting so much rain and our run stinks. It was grass and is now bare dirt. It is approximately 350 square feet in the run. We have 6 chickens. We are hoping to move to the country someday so I do not want to fill the run with sand. I am considering using a natural dye-free mulch with the deep litter method and raking it daily.

Has anyone used mulch in the run with success?

 

[WIchickMama]

I do. I love it. Dirt underneath. I turn it some each week while I chat with the ladies but you dont have to because they will do it for you

 

[BawBaw101]

I use mulch, i added it to half my run and added topsoil and wood ash to one corner and just topsoil now and then to the rest. I like to rake the mulch and stir it up now and then to kee mulch to one side and help with he deep little method by turning the poo around lol. It works sooo much better that straw. I added a small batch of sand for a cooling area in e summer but i I don’t maintain any sand suring winter. Just a bag to wet in extreme heat

 

[hoeftam]

I do. I love it. Dirt underneath. I turn it some each week while I chat with the ladies but you dont have to because they will do it for you

Awesome! Thank you so much for your input! I think I'm going to try mulch.

I use mulch, i added it to half my run and added topsoil and wood ash to one corner and just topsoil now and then to the rest. I like to rake the mulch and stir it up now and then to kee mulch to one side and help with he deep little method by turning the poo around lol. It works sooo much better that straw. I added a small batch of sand for a cooling area in e summer but i I don’t maintain any sand suring winter. Just a bag to wet in extreme heat

Thank you!

 

[rosemarythyme]

If you're doing deep litter you want more than just mulch - dried leaves, garden trimmings, short cropped dried grass, etc. The mulch provides drainage and aeration (assuming it's chunky enough) but the other add-ins will help with the composting action to break down poops in it.

 

[3KillerBs]

Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree trimming service, are often considered the gold standard for controlling odor and mud.

They make a great base for a deep litter system.

Bagged mulch is a pricier but more easily handled version. However, you should make sure that the mulch you buy isn't dyed.

 

[hoeftam]

Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree trimming service, are often considered the gold standard for controlling odor and mud.

They make a great base for a deep litter system.

Bagged mulch is a pricier but more easily handled version. However, you should make sure that the mulch you buy isn't dyed.

I have a friend who owns a tree service. He's bringing me a huge load of fresh wood chips this week.

 

[hoeftam]

If you're doing deep litter you want more than just mulch - dried leaves, garden trimmings, short cropped dried grass, etc. The mulch provides drainage and aeration (assuming it's chunky enough) but the other add-ins will help with the composting action to break down poops in it.

Would pine needles be ok as a base on top of dirt? We only have pine trees in our yard. :/

 

[3KillerBs]

I have a friend who owns a tree service. He's bringing me a huge load of fresh wood chips this week.

Great.

It's best to age the chips because the new, sap-filled chips with the leaves ground up in them can grow aspergillosis (sp?). BUT if you use thin layers so that they can dry out in the run they ought to be fine.

Would pine needles be ok as a base on top of dirt? We only have pine trees in our yard.

Here in the US Southeast we have pine straw -- the long needles of the loblolly and longleaf pines. IMO, they make a fabulous chicken bedding for the run.

They're not as absorbent as straw* or shavings, but they are slow to degrade, resist packing/matting, and dry out on top quickly after even the heaviest rain.

*Yesterday at the farm store I had to specify that I wanted a bale of wheat straw rather than pine straw. If you see "straw farm" around here it's a pine tree planting specifically managed for the needles, which are baled up and sold as landscape mulch.

IMO, the best bedding is made from a mix of materials with a mix of textures. I have no scientific justification for that opinion, but it has seemed to work best for me over time.

 

[hoeftam]

Great.

It's best to age the chips because the new, sap-filled chips with the leaves ground up in them can grow aspergillosis (sp?). BUT if you use thin layers so that they can dry out in the run they ought to be fine.



Here in the US Southeast we have pine straw -- the long needles of the loblolly and longleaf pines. IMO, they make a fabulous chicken bedding for the run.

They're not as absorbent as straw* or shavings, but they are slow to degrade, resist packing/matting, and dry out on top quickly after even the heaviest rain.

*Yesterday at the farm store I had to specify that I wanted a bale of wheat straw rather than pine straw. If you see "straw farm" around here it's a pine tree planting specifically managed for the needles, which are baled up and sold as landscape mulch.

IMO, the best bedding is made from a mix of materials with a mix of textures. I have no scientific justification for that opinion, but it has seemed to work best for me over time.

I would also think that a mix of materials would be good in terms of composting. We compost and I know that the brown to green ratio needs to be in check or the compost is not as effective. Thanks for your help! We are adding pine needles and some leaves today while we wait for the woodchips. I don't think we can age the chips before the snow hits here (we are in Wisconsin). I will just make sure to turn the chips and leaves regularly.