Pathway material ideas

[beginnergirl]

I would like some advice on pathways I'd like to create in the area where the 3 chickens free range.. I noticed poop on concrete looks horrible. Wondering about bark, pea gravel and 1/4" minus gravel. The later compacts but has sharp edges. Would this hurt the pullets? Sounds like pea gravel is safe but I don't like a path that makes so much sound.
And which pathway might be easiest to clean the poop off? Right now the backyard is under construction. Am still trying to figure out how to make a garden for the girls, a wildflower garden and more raised garden beds which I will fence.
So far the girls have not done too much damage to the landscape. The rhododendrons, hosta, ferns, hydrangea, twinberry, roses, salal, rattlesnake plant, inside out flower, meadow rue, goatsbeard, thimbleberry, lilac have all survived! Yeah!!!

Dang they may have eaten the columbine. Not sure. They love the blue eyed mary and violets which are everywhere. So no problem there. They scratch the heck out of my oxallis, crocus and decapitated lots of the squash. Ate kale down to the stems. Ate sala berries and raspberries. But overall, I'm pretty happy that I don't have a barren landscape!!!

Any thoughts on pathway materials appreciated!

 

[lazy gardener]

What kind of edging will the path have? Unless you are going to put a tall edging around it, you're better off with your concrete IMO. At least you can was the poop off. Pea stone, and stone dust will hold the poop, and the poop will wash into it when it gets wet, IMO making a stinky mess. Chipped trees would be a nice option, b/c the poop would mix in, and break down nicely into a natural compost, but you'd have to put a nice tall edging around it (6" or so) so they don't scratch it all into the lawn.

 

[beginnergirl]

Hi lazy gardener! Love that name

Haha that is where I hope to be someday.

What kind of edge would hold the path material from the little

scratching machines? How tall would it need to be? Maybe 2" bricks or pavers?

I was amazed the girls completely scattered 3 different piles of leaves, old bedding and finished compost into one messy area. But that is fine. They can have that area.

Stinky gravel sounds awful.

With 3 pullets poo in the yard is so spread out that I only pick up a little bit. Mostly it seems to work itself into the beds and grass. But poo looks terrible on the one piece of concrete I have. And today the sidewalk was covered with compost and leaves from their scratching.

I just hope I can have a pretty place to hang out with the girls while I garden and read. I don't want to have to run around cleaning up constantly. I do keep their coop very clean.

I want garden beds with lots of bark mulch and compost where the girls will love doing their scratching. Some grass between the beds IF they do t destroy it lol.

 

[lazy gardener]

IMO, you'd need edging about 6" high, even then, it won't keep them from flinging the mulch up over the top. As far as cleaning up any chicken poo... as long as weather permits, a strong jet stream from the hose will wash it off your concrete, and also wash it into the soil.