mulch

[redstarbill]

does anyone use mulch in there chicken pens? thought about putting a layer down to help with the smell.

 

[n2h20]

you mean more like shredded bark or tree material or actual mulch?
i wouldn't add regular mulch to the pen, i think it would smell worse.

j.m.o..

shredded bark i think would be better if you wanted to add something to the soil.
less moisture.

 

[lilchick]

I use pine bark in my call duck pen.
It keeps their feet drier and off the wet ground..
I rake it occasionally and add more.
Works for me...

edited to say:
If you have a Lowes store near you try scoring the broken bags.. They sell them for .50 cents a bag!
I usually get a few extra and they never go to waste!

 

[sandspoultry]

We tried that a few years ago and and it didn't work very well. We found where a local tree service was dumping all the tree tops etc that they ground up, the price was very "right", take all you want and the owner even offered to come to our farm and dump it if they were in the area. We put down a thick layer and it did work well until we had a lot of rain, the mulch held the water really well, to the point it actually killed two trees in the pen by drownding them. We ended up taking it out (that was fun) and putting down sand, now that is all we use.

Steve in NC

 

[brandywine]

I mulch with hay/straw in the pen (which is never closed now) and the whole yard around the coop.

So far, so good.