Outdoor Run..."Bedding"?

[SteveE]

......covered with pea gravel....., and plenty of fresh lawn clippings on top of that.....Im hoping for the combination of clippings and droppings to break down into a nice soil type compost layer.....

I know this was was a couple years ago. Please share how it worked? I'm especially curious about trying to compost on top of the gravel layer. Would you recommend that approach based on your experience?

 

[aart]

I know this was was a couple years ago. Please share how it worked? I'm especially curious about trying to compost on top of the gravel layer. Would you recommend that approach based on your experience?

Looks like @jeffy2 hasn't been around since the week they made that post.
Maybe the tag will get them back here.
Gravel is generally not a good idea....stuff will sift down into gravel and rot(not in a good way).

 

[Lilalicious]

I use a crushed rock they call fill lime. It is $7.50 a ton compared to the $25 a ton they wanted for sand. (NE Kansas price) It packs, sheds water and rakes well. The girls can dig in it and use it for grit. Never muddy!! Great stuff. Not too soft or too hard. Doesn't cling to my shoes and not a problem tracking it into the house.

Hello,
Is crushed rock the same as barn lime? I’m looking for an alternative to sand. How do you like the crushed rock that you are using? How often do you use it and does it help keep moisture and smell down? I live in Houston and it’s so humid here so I’m constantly fighting with flies in the summer time.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Hello,
Is crushed rock the same as barn lime? I’m looking for an alternative to sand. How do you like the crushed rock that you are using? How often do you use it and does it help keep moisture and smell down? I live in Houston and it’s so humid here so I’m constantly fighting with flies in the summer time.

Looks like @bald egg hasn't been on since 2013.

I would worry any rock material as a run surface would cause issues with their feet.

That and rock is not biodegradable so poop will sift into it making a stinky mess under and throughout the rock especially when wet.

I would read up on deep litter in the run. It's a mixture of materials that biodegrade.

I use leaves, lawn clippings, garden plants that are spent and non toxic, and well basically any organics I can get my hands on. It's composting in the run which turns into a wonderful garden additive when raked back so you can harvest the lower decomposed material. The process of decomposing n the run helps immensely with flies that droppings can draw in.

I have also found the bigger the run the better.