New to this, desert specific questions about run bedding

[busymama9]

We have one week old chicks and are building the coop this weekend. We live in Southern Nevada on a 1/2 acre city lot. We are allowed chickens and neighbors have them.

We do not intend to free range them as we have a well manicured yard and we just don't want them destroying it and don't want to clean poo off everything.

I have spent hours reading over threads about coop maintainance and I'm still confused at what will be best for our situation.

As I said it is very dry here so mold is not a big problem. The entire run will be covered/roofed for shade and for protection from the huge monsoon downpours we get seasonally.

Deep litter seems to be working really well in the brooder. It just doesn't smell at all and except right after they poo, I really don't even see any in there ever. I am comfortable continuing that in the raised indoor coop although I am allergic to both hay and pine so if there is another option I may try that. For now I have lots of pine and will wear a mask to avoid breathing much in.

My concern comes with what to do about the floor of the run. It is dirt at the moment. I would like them to have as natural an experience as possible and plan to grow greens in some areas (grow boxes) for them. I am concerned about ants and cockroaches if there is anything specifically better for that.

I was leaning towards sand but I keep reading about daily scooping of the poo and I'm really not wanting to commit to that. We have a busy active family and while we are committed to caring for these chickens well, daily scooping with a cat litter scoop is simply not reasonable. I would prefer a method that avoids daily tending(of the poo) if at all possible.

However, my husband is very skeptical about this new project of mine and is convinced that it will stink all the time. I need a method that is both easy and not stinky! Am I asking too much?

I am comfortable with fermenting people food and plan to ferment their feed or at least some grains for them. I've read that this cuts down on the stinkiness of their poo, does it? What else can I consider and most importantly, what do I use in the run? Approx 10ft by 17 ft. Fully covered if that matters.

Thank you for any help!

 

[ChickNanny13]

I thought about sand but glad I chose to do DLM. I use wood shavings, others collect leaves, grass clipping, etc. All I do is keep adding shavings as needed, along with grass clipping from mowing & sprinkle PDZ. No pick up, I do rake it about now & then to fluff it but the girls tend it themselves. I toss in some dry scratch at close up since they don't free range, I feel guilty. There are several posting about it, search DLM

A BIG MUST is a Poop Board (research) under their roost with PDZ in it. This will REALLY cut down on the work & smell. With the Poop Board/PDZ, their night poo is all one place & easy cleaning....PDZ kills the smell I do scoop daily but doesn't take long at all.

I ferment my feed from day one (chicks) it really does cut the (no) smell, less poop & alot firmer, cecal poo still stinks No feed waste & the nutritional benefits are another plus....Search Fermented Feed, great reading

Hope I was of some help, everyone has their own preferences/opinions, that's what's so great with BYC....Members with lots of ideas & experiences

 

[Goose girl1]

I should probably get a poop board
But I agree with ChickNanny13, wood shavings is a good option.

 

[N F C]

You could chat with other members in Nevada and see what they like for the run floor:
Nevada

As for growing greens for the chickens, I came across this idea the other day and that might be helpful for you:
#22

BTW:

 

[igorsMistress]

Hi @busymama9 I'm also in the desert, but in AZ. Similar anyway.

I use pine shavings and deep litter in my coop. Sand is too dusty when the wind blows. I also wet it down from time to time, but it's on dirt.

You can leave the run bare or use leaf litter or pine, but I don't suggest straw. In my experience it doesn't absorb moisture, just does a good job of trapping it below. This would likely create an odor problem. You need something that will dry after it's soaking wet that is easy to stir.

You don't mention if you're going to compost, that might play a role. If you do, you could do so in the run so your girls get to stir it up. Untreated grass clippings and yard debris along with litter from the coop and your kitchen scraps would work. This also gives them an activity that encourages foraging like behavior. Who doesn't like hunting bugs!

If it were my decision I would leave the run bare and add the compost pile. The bare run also lets your birds dust bathe in regular dirt, which my girls use instead of the sand we tried. Also, sand is heavy to remove and can take a very long time to dry. With high heat plus the wind and humidity during monsoon I was afraid it would be a stinky mess that gets blown all over.

Maybe others have had a different experience, this is what works for me. Good luck and Welcome! You'll get lots of good ideas from lots if nice people here on BYC.

 

[Ridgerunner]

The critical thing about the run to keep it from stinking is the same as for the coop, keep it dry. If water runs to the run and stands you are going to have problems no matter what you use. If water drains away so it stays pretty dry even in your monsoons you aren’t likely to have any problems no matter what you use. There are details, of course, there are always details.

If it sets in wet rain will blow in from the side. Sunlight will also come on from the side. The roof helps for sure but you might consider some shade protection on the south and west sides of the run that will also help keep some water out.

Think of bedding as a diaper, even if it is bare dirt. It will absorb moisture and keep things pretty dry until it gets wet, then it won’t absorb any more moisture. With good drainage and ventilation it will somewhat dry itself, depending on how wet the weather stays. You can help it dry by stirring it up. A trick to get the chickens to do that for you is to scatter some treat they like on it, they will stir it with their scratching.

Another way to help is to not think small. The higher your chicken concentration, more chickens in a smaller area, the more the poop will build up. The more room they have the more it will be scattered.

Some people turn their coops or runs into compost piles. Pile in grass clippings, dead leaves in the fall, garden or kitchen wastes, whatever you would put in a compost pile. Just like a regular compost pile, if it gets too wet it will stink, if it stays pretty dry or barely damp it does not stink.

A lot of times there is some trial and error in getting something that works for you but the key is how wet it gets and stays.

 

[busymama9]

Thank you everyone for your insight. It is very dry here so except in the rainy season we should be ok that way. There are two spouts in the run area for trees though that are being incorporated into the run. I will have to see how that goes.

Everyone just keeps saying how much they poop and how stinky they are. I'm nervous about being in way over my head

 

[igorsMistress]

It's so dry that odor is minimal.

In monsoon it's the heat combined with humidity that can be a problem in our environment. That heat means it can actually take longer than you think for things to dry out. Cuz monsoon season is humid. Wet and hot is stinky.

 

[busymama9]

It's so dry that odor is minimal.

In monsoon it's the heat combined with humidity that can be a problem in our environment. That heat means it can actually take longer than you think for things to dry out. Cuz monsoon season is humid. Wet and hot is stinky.

So would it be worth it to have the pellets that soak up wetness (I forgot what they are called) and turn into saw dust to throw down if the run gets wet or flooded during monsoons? Will the chickens naturally go to the coop during heavy rains or do I need to go out there and lock them in?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Mine enjoy walking around in the rain when the weather is warm. I always leave the pop door open and let them decide what they want to do, they know that better than I do. It was 4 degrees above zero Fahrenheit when I took this photo. It had been colder but it had warmed up by the time I took my camera down there. The wind was not blowing, it was +4 F, and I left the pop door open.

People tell you chickens will not go out in snow. Mine generally don't either immediately if they wake up to a white world, but this snow fell during the day while they were already out. They did not bother going in.

Relax, you really don't have to micromanage them. They can take care if themselves as far as weather goes, just give them the option to get out of it if they wish.