Mulch OK?

[9ByDesign]

My hens live in a sand run and coop with shavings. They free range several times a week. We are thinking of mulching in the large garden area their coop stands on. They spend a lot of time foraging for bugs there.

Do any of you have experience with your flock and mulch? Is it ok for them...toxic or anything?? Do they dig holes in it??

 

[Ilovemyladies!]

My girls dig up the flowerbeds that have mulch and it's a total mess but it only takes five minutes to sweep up. I'm not sure about it being toxic. Hope this helps!

-Shannon

 

[yinepu]

I ended up with several LARGE mulch piles which have been composting over the past few years (a company who trims trees for the power companies brought me 15 dump truck loads for free before I finally convinced them I had more than enough).. anyway.. we use the mulch (with whatever compost we pick up with it) in our run.. the birds LOVE it.. all kinds of good bugs in there for them to munch on... and when we clean out the run the chicken poo is mixed with compost.. so we just set it aside to finish doing it's thing before putting it in the garden or on our fruit trees

 

[Mrs. K]

I have sand, and I add old hay. I think it keeps the run cleaner, and less flies. I keep a pitchfork, and in the winter, I will pile it up, and the hens scratch it down. They eat it too.

I am not sure about bagged mulch as in garden stores, but old hay works good, and keeps the run smelling better.

MrsK