Rocks in general are abundant here, but we have been doing a lot of work in our back yard this summer (drainage, and well work) so it's pretty rocky right now. I can try to rake some of it up, but it will be resolved by next spring once it gets graded, and planted (It is going to be their chicken garden). Maybe I can spread some straw after I rake just to soften the yard/rock a bit while it is still rough. They yard by scope is small. They free range in the pine forest, and around my veggie garden most of the day. Our yard has a steep bank in the back where soil washed away during a hurricane years ago. We dump garden debris over the bank (alot of sticks, and weeds etc.). They have tunnels through all of it. We dont have a mowed space so it's more "wild then alot of yards"
No cement anywhere. They free range in the yard during the warm months, and I keep them in a covered run during the winter. The run is dirt floor, and the coop is plywood floor. I have been doing DLM in the coop during the winter. In the coop I've used wood chips, and was using forest debris: leaves, and pine needles, but thought maybe random sticks or pine cones were poking their feet so I've been using the shavings again. There was a pile of garden fencing too that I thought maybe they were getting into so i tried to pick that up.
Last winter I gave them straw in the run, but discovered the mites in the Spring. When the snow thaws the run can get pretty mucky so I was using straw for the muck, and to help with boredom through the winter months. I will look into the litter life. I worry about my runs soil getting worn out, and gross. I was turning the soil for them, and to try and help with that, but then got worms.... so I'm up for tweaking the system going into this winter.
