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It really all depends on how much you are out in your yard. I use hay in my nests, run (and when I have one the coop). I do not really like using straw as it tends to slime up when wet and it molds quickly when it gets wet. But for some reason I have never had the same problem with hay. Even when it gets wet it dries pretty quickly. Of course I go out every morning to spend time with the girls and clean up their nests and run. I like the hay because it is really easy to pick up poop and when you fluffy up the left over hay it gets rid of any odor. I use a regular garden rake, pick up all of the poop I can find with the rake and shake it off in a bucket then the hay that is left on the rake goes back in the run.
After everything is cleaned up I just rake up all of the hay in little piles and leave it for the girls to redistribute it. They love it because all of the grass seed that is in the hay actually starts germinating in the run and when you rake up the hay like I do, the chickens get to eat fresh grass sprouts and bath themselves in the hay piles at the same time. They love it and so do I. They also eat the hay which gives them good roughage too.
My run always stays dry and smelling of hay, it's easy to clean up and when it gets to a point where it will not fluff up anymore I remove it and put it in my worm beds for my worms to compost down and then I use it in my gardens. Nothing goes to waste. Anything that I cannot scoop up for the worms gets composted into the soil of the run and makes that soil super nice. If you are into moving your run, once you have a good bit of mulch and poop built up in that area, you can just move the chickens to your new spot and grow some fantastic gardens in that soil. We used to do that when I lived in Maine. We never used straw, it was more expensive than regular hay and like others have mentioned it is such a mess to deal with once it gets wet.
Although, I just found that article about using River Sand and I am seriously considering trying that out in my coop once we get it finished. It sounds like a really amazing hygienic way to keep your coop clean. There really is no reason to do it out in the run for us though. We have enough sand in our yard already. I have been working for the last 7 years to get rid of the sandy/clayish soil so I can grow something in it besides hogweed and sagebrush *LOL*, adding to the already sandy soil out there is not what I am looking for.
I was wondering if anyone else is using that method in their coop here in NV. If you do could you tell me how it does in the summer time with the heat. I am totally thinking of taking Ron's clear roof idea for the coop and I was wondering if I use the River Sand in there will it make it like molten lava to walk in for the chickens? I know during the summer time in my yard the sand heats up so much that just thinking about putting a toe in the yard without shoes is like walking on hot coals. I understand that in the winter time the sand can get pretty cold but if you sprinkle some hay on top it helps with that problem... but would I have to do something like that in the summer too?
It is such a dreamy idea, especially with my worm farm. Being able to give them just the poop instead of it mixed with the hay makes their composting go much quicker. I am pretty obsessed with everything being clean and this sounds like it would make the cleaning process so much easier and efficient. And let's not forget how cheap it is compared to hay or shavings, etc.
I know a ton of questions and another novel post to go through but you all are so helpful when it comes to stuff like this, I really appreciate any and all help you all give.
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Thank you for the compliment on the coop. We are having a lot of fun designing this thing and you all are so welcoming and full of ideas that I cannot help but share our progress just to get new ideas from you.
My Dad and his Dad and all of his brothers are Master Carpenters, Mechanics, Electricians, own construction businesses, my Dad's older brother is a world famous rifle maker, and growing up I always was Daddy's little helper. So yeah reinventing the wheel into something more efficient, "solid" and fun at the same time is definitely in the genes for sure. I do not have any school training but I have been around a lot of experienced ppl growing up. When I was a kid one of the many careers I dreamed about was being an Architect. Back in the day, women were not readily accepted in the engineering and construction fields and I always wanted to grow up and work with my Dad so I figured if I could become an architect then I could do the design and he could actually build them. It was the best compromise a 9 year old girl could come up with at the time. hehe My Dad also owned his own welding business for 20 years, working mostly in the shipyards on big oil tankers, he worked for the navy off and on through various contracts and then when we moved to Maine after his logging business died out from the mills closing down he went back to welding on the trucks and equipment up there, so as you must know, there is a lot of engineering that goes into that as well. He was always the type that would not settle for bandaid solutions. If he designs something and builds it, whatever it is could have a meteor hit it straight on and it is not going anywhere. *LOL*
My husband's father was in construction as well and his grandparents owned and operated a boat design, building and repair business and he helped out with them every summer. So the love of designing and building things is definitely in our blood. And yeah I am a big counter and problem solver. I always thought I was just a little wacky though, I never considered it having to do with my left side of the brain dominance.
Ok so I guess I'll shut it for now, I have already rambled on way past anything remotely reasonable...
wow thanks! i didnt know there was a difference! i just wish someone in RENO would sell some gosh darn hay >