pine shavings in the run

[jvanatta]

I’ve seen a few posts already talking about if pine needles are safe and i’m aware that they are. My question is if i cover the enclosed run, which gets very muddy when it rains, with pine needles will this be a problem. I know people use the needles for their coop but if i have it on the ground outside will i be damning my birds to mold and infection? I have a lot of left over pine needles which is why i was planning on using them, but if not i can seek out some wood chip mulch or sand instead.

 

[Debbie292d]

The good thing about them is it keeps the chickens out of the mud and they're good for them.

The bad thing about them is they aren't absorbent at all.

I'm thinking if I had a choice of putting sand, wood chips, or the free pine needles, I'd go with the pine needles and just rake them around with a metal rake once week or two. Once they get old and dirty, it seems they'd be just as easy, if not easier, to rake out and put fresh than the wood chips.

Can that be raised up a little bit with dirt or gravel so it stops taking in water there?

 

[jvanatta]

The good thing about them is it keeps the chickens out of the mud and they're good for them.

The bad thing about them is they aren't absorbent at all.

I'm thinking if I had a choice of putting sand, wood chips, or the free pine needles, I'd go with the pine needles and just rake them around with a metal rake once week or two. Once they get old and dirty, it seems they'd be just as easy, if not easier, to rake out and put fresh than the wood chips.

Can that be raised up a little bit with dirt or gravel so it stops taking in water there?

I’ve also got traditional mulch that i could lay down and top it with pine needles if you think that would work. I just assumed the mulch would lead to a similarly muddy problem

 

[Debbie292d]

I’ve also got traditional mulch that i could lay down and top it with pine needles if you think that would work. I just assumed the mulch would lead to a similarly muddy problem

I agree that mulch would probably lead to muddy too, but maybe with enough pine needles on top, it would help keep their feet dry. I couldn't say for sure as we don't have a run, they free range, but in a pen, we have issues; hubby tossed a five-gallon bucket of horse bedding pellets in the low area. That turned to saw dust which the chickens loved and scratched it around. You can't tell there were once pellets there anymore lol.

 

[paintedChix]

Actually using mulch is a GREAT idea. Yes, it breaks down, it is supposed to. When you have dirt, mud or smell, you add more.

Pine needles will also work, but as stated previously, aren't real absorbent by themselves. If you top the mulch w/ them, they will allow water to filter threw. I have found that they take longer to break down & can mat up if they aren't mixed w/ other materials of different sizes (the mulch works).

You can also add other materials, if you'd like to - ones commonly used are the pine pelleted horse bedding, sawdust, hay/straw (better if chopped smaller - mowing over it works great), pine shavings, lawn clippings, hemp, garden left overs, prunings from bushes & trees, shredded paper & cardboard (remove plastic windows). On top of this you can put out your kitchen scraps or set up an actual compost bin.

You don't have to mix the materials. Leave for a while & your birds will naturally scratch & mix them. If you want any area scratched more - drop some feed, scratch grains, BOSS or meal worms in that spot.

What your run now will be using is a DLM or deep litter method. This will "digest" chicken poop & filter water trough w/o causing mud. If it gets muddy or develops a scent, it's time to add more materials. It will continue to break down. You don't need to clean it out at all, unless you'd like to utilize the black gold you chickens are now creating for you. If so, rake back top layer to acess bottom layer which is now compost. I don't ever remove all of it.

 

[gimmie birdies]

If you plan on using the run for fertilizer it may not be a good thing. They are acidic.

 

[paintedChix]

I agree that mulch would probably lead to muddy too, but maybe with enough pine needles on top, it would help keep their feet dry. I couldn't say for sure as we don't have a run, they free range, but in a pen, we have issues; hubby tossed a five-gallon bucket of horse bedding pellets in the low area. That turned to saw dust which the chickens loved and scratched it around. You can't tell there were once pellets there anymore lol.

This surprises me & I'm not sure why? Mulch is a natural material that is often used for chicken coops & runs. Most prefer it just in the run & often used other products in the coop.

If you get mud when using mulch, the layer of mulch isn't deep enough. Or there is a serious drainage problem, but that would usually show as water on top of the mulch, not mud.

 

[aart]

Mulch is a natural material

"Mulch" could be many different materials or a mix of them...
...need to differentiate exactly what you are suggesting/talking about about.

 

[paintedChix]

"Mulch" could be many different materials or a mix of them...
...need to differentiate exactly what you are suggesting/talking about about.

I didn't think of that...

I always think of mulch (for chicken runs) as wood chips. They are generally different sizes if you create them on your property, get directly from an Arborist or get from garden suppliers.

The bags from a garden store need to be checked as some contain dyes or may not work as well due to whole bag being similar size.

Arrt, I was thinking of your ramial wood chips.

Here is a pic of some of ours before being put into chicken areas.