Question about my run

[lewlew]

I have a quick question hopefully it will be an easy answer!

My coop in almost completed (still have a few cosmetic things to do). But the Run is 18 x 8 and we have 7 girls. They are 7 weeks old. They have been in the coop for about 1 1/2 weeks and just this week they have been allowed in the run. So far they are doing great, and go back inside the coop around 7:30 or so each evening on their own, YAY!

The run is still just the ground/grass. The grass is slowly disappearing lol. I plan on doing deep litter in the run and I just wanted to check in to make sure I start this correctly. Should I put some of the pine shavings in there first? I have a HUGE pile of dried up leaves, grass etc that have been sitting in the back corner of my yard for about a year now from where I run the mower over my property picking up leaves etc. Could I scoop up some of that and toss it in the run? I would have to sift it first because of all the sweet gum balls that are in that big pile (I don't want to put the sweet gum balls in there, I am worried they would hurt their feet).

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I never knew what sweet gum balls were until you said that and I googled it. The tree that is smack dab in my run (25' x 30') drops balls like those (green spiky balls) into the run. I haven't had any issues with them. As far as what to put in there, once the grass is gone go ahead and start throwing your leaves and such in there. Also when I clean the coops out a couple times a year I just rake it out straight into the run and they spread it all around. If I'm low on leaves and grass clippings I add a bale of hay occasionally, after I restock the nest boxes.

 

[dfalco]

I use dried leaves (have in abudance) and hay. I added the first dry leaves, enough to cover the floor by about 6 inches, a few days after putting the chickens in the run. Whenever things start getting messy, I add more leaves or hay. Hay works great during rainy times, for giving them something drier to walk on. Just a couple days ago, after many months, i did remove some of the hay. Then added dry hay. I put a couple ducks in the chicken pen. I might as well have put pigs in there. They are super wet and messy, and the hay had become so sodden that it was damming water, as my pen is on a slope. I needed it to dry on out, so I removed some of the problem areas, and replaced with new hay. The old stuff is in the compost heap. But when it was just my chickens in there, it was very clean and nice with adding new layers of leaves and hay. I plan to build a separate duck enclosure soon.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I don't think I will ever have ducks, unless I have an actual pond, just for that reason. They are so dang messy!

 

[dfalco]

messy, yes, but they've stolen my heart!

 

[lewlew]

Thanks. Every tree in my yard is a sweet gum tree with the exception of two that are out by the road. But all in my back yard are the sweet gum trees. I absolutely hate them... the balls take FOREVER to compost and if you burn them, they just turn into smaller balls. I kid you not, I have bagged up 58 large lawn and leaf bags full of nothing but the darn sweet gum balls on fall! So I just started dumping them in the back corner of my property along with what I bag up from cutting the grass. So there is now a monster pile of cut up leaves and grass and sweet gum balls back there.

 

[blackdog043]

I wouldn't bother trying to get the gum balls out. I have them also and haven't had any issues. You can also add some branches, bigger & smaller to help keep your DL from compacting.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

Thanks. Every tree in my yard is a sweet gum tree with the exception of two that are out by the road. But all in my back yard are the sweet gum trees. I absolutely hate them... the balls take FOREVER to compost and if you burn them, they just turn into smaller balls. I kid you not, I have bagged up 58 large lawn and leaf bags full of nothing but the darn sweet gum balls on fall! So I just started dumping them in the back corner of my property along with what I bag up from cutting the grass. So there is now a monster pile of cut up leaves and grass and sweet gum balls back there.

We have three black walnut trees so I feel your pain.

 

[aart]

Biggest thing when getting started with DL is to use a good mix of stuff,
a mix of hard, soft, small, and large,
so you don't end up with an anaerobic pack of nasty.
The drier the stuff is the better, IMO.
The shavings from the coop are a viable addition.
Better to add too little than too much at once.
Be creative with what you have available,
adding here and there while observing how it is holding up.

My 'Forest Floor'
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). 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.