Paddock System in Permanent Run?

[rosemarythyme]

This is an interesting idea. So basically the second run is like a protected "pasture". You say 500 sq ft total, how is that split between the two runs?

Main run is 10x20 minus the space the coop takes up (it's in the center). Second run is 17x20 with 2 garden beds that may or may not be fenced off, depending on season.

This is an old photo back when both sides still had grass. About 40% remains on the left side now. With winter on the way that grass will get more time to recover, all the way through rainy start of spring.

 

[ChicksMN]

This is an old photo back when both sides still had grass. About 40% remains on the left side now. With winter on the way that grass will get more time to recover, all the way through rainy start of spring.

View attachment 1163634

rosemarythyme thanks so much for the pic. Totally makes sense now that I see it. I think we may go with an idea such as this...a main run and then a fenced in "vegetation" run. Might try to put the grass/plant filled raised beds in there that have HC on the top to prevent the girls from digging out the roots.

Thanks for your helpful suggestion!

 

[ChicksMN]

I knock snow off from underneath my 14ga 2x4 mesh run roof with the snow shovel,
if it doesn't fall thru.
Ditto hat/hood and coat zipped up tight to neck.
And I keep a path shoveled all the way thru the middle, throwing most of it thru the run walls. Helps for access to keep roof clear, place for birds to roam and quicker ground clearing in snow melt season.

Thanks for the pic! Brrrr just looking at that makes me shiver for what's to come. Thanks for the explanation too! We are considering 14 ga like yours or wood posts with HC. Can't quite decide!

 

[Kusanar]

rosemarythyme thanks so much for the pic. Totally makes sense now that I see it. I think we may go with an idea such as this...a main run and then a fenced in "vegetation" run. Might try to put the grass/plant filled raised beds in there that have HC on the top to prevent the girls from digging out the roots.

Thanks for your helpful suggestion!

If you were already thinking about doing 4 areas, you could still do 4, 3 with grass and such, and 1 that you do deep litter or something in that they can be in, then there will be 1 that is getting slightly torn up at a time and 3 growing up and on really nasty days they will be in something they can't damage. That's what you have to do with horses to keep them from destroying everything.

 

[aart]

I had planned to have the main run with 3-4 pop doors off the north side and use portable electric poultry netting to define rotating 'pasture' areas in the field beyond.
Didn't happen, mainly because of high hawk population here and some other circumstances.

That's what you have to do with horses to keep them from destroying everything.

True Dat...any livestock really.

 

[duluthralphie]

Guess who got so busy he never got a photo yesterday...... sorry


I have a bird show next weekend so I have been busy giving spas. I combed 2 million strokes of the comb yesterday and pedicured almost as many toes.

I will try to get it today. I promise.

 

[aart]

Guess who got so busy he never got a photo yesterday...... sorry


I have a bird show next weekend so I have been busy giving spas. I combed 2 million strokes of the comb yesterday and pedicured almost as many toes.

I will try to get it today. I promise.

No rush.
Would love to see it tho. In the fall and then after a 2' snow storm

 

[duluthralphie]

I had a picture on the old BYC site, but I have no idea if those came here and how to get to them. My old Iphone crashed and my putor had a coffee incident so I don;t have pictures from 3 years ago..which is where they were...

BTW NEVER allow you putor to drink coffee..

 

[ChicksMN]

If you were already thinking about doing 4 areas, you could still do 4, 3 with grass and such, and 1 that you do deep litter or something in that they can be in, then there will be 1 that is getting slightly torn up at a time and 3 growing up and on really nasty days they will be in something they can't damage. That's what you have to do with horses to keep them from destroying everything.

Good point here. I am so new to this you guys...I didn't realize you could do deep litter in a run. I thought that was only a coop thing. I had wanted to do DL method in the coop but there is a linoleum floor and from what I have read, DL doesn't really work unless there is a dirt floor. Now I have to read up on doing it in a portion of the run.

 

[aart]

This applies to both coop and/or run:
Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
http://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

This is how I do my run(I like dry shavings in coop with poop board under roosts).
I have a large walk in run and never 'clean' poops from the run,
and there is rarely any nasty odors. The bedding of a good mix of dry plant materials use facilitates this nicely, it's basically no maintenance other than adding more material from time to time. I was able to start with a big load of tree trimmings from the power company that had been aged(6 months) so I avoided the toxic molds that can bloom with fresh chippings. I collect dry leaves in the fall (stored in feed bags in a shed) and add them occasionally, and other garden trimmings. I let my grass grow tall, mow and spread it out with discharge pattern, leave it to dry a few day, then push it into rows with the mower discharge, rake it up and add to run.

This is what I started with, and add more of a couple times a year.


This is 'hay' day..this stuff gets broken down/mixed in with a couple days.


This is another example:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/disposing-of-old-shavings.1201566/page-2#post-19035555