Re-thinking chicken run 'floor'

[BigFuzzball]

Morning all, Am having a re-think about the floor in the chickens run, was originally grass but once they were let loose on it it's now just mud/dirt and has been for a long while. Am going to skim it (compressed poo etc) and loosen the top layer but as it's not lawn mowing weather the girls need something else to kick through and for me to scatter their treats on. Used to get something from local feed suppliers in huge bales they called 'scratch' but was actually wood chippings (not sawdust or shavings) and that seemed not only to last but the girls loved kicking thru it. Have used sawdust, straw etc etc but in this weather they just get soaked and stay soaked.
Please, has anyone any ideas or know the correct name for this 'wood chipping' - local suppliers simply don't stock it anymore !
Thanks !

 

[DobieLover]

Morning all, Am having a re-think about the floor in the chickens run, was originally grass but once they were let loose on it it's now just mud/dirt and has been for a long while. Am going to skim it (compressed poo etc) and loosen the top layer but as it's not lawn mowing weather the girls need something else to kick through and for me to scatter their treats on. Used to get something from local feed suppliers in huge bales they called 'scratch' but was actually wood chippings (not sawdust or shavings) and that seemed not only to last but the girls loved kicking thru it. Have used sawdust, straw etc etc but in this weather they just get soaked and stay soaked.
Please, has anyone any ideas or know the correct name for this 'wood chipping' - local suppliers simply don't stock it anymore !
Thanks !

I don't know what they'd sell wood chips as other than wood chips.
Have you checked your local municipality to see if they offer them free to the community? My municipality and the neighboring ones collect tree branches twice a year in our area and run them through chippers then offer the pile to the tax payers for free. I get mine by the truck load and keep the run covered with 4-6" of the stuff. It works great.

 

[aart]

Used to get something from local feed suppliers in huge bales they called 'scratch' but was actually wood chippings (not sawdust or shavings) and that seemed not only to last but the girls loved kicking thru it....Please, has anyone any ideas or know the correct name for this 'wood chipping' - local suppliers simply don't stock it anymore !

I have never heard of this stuff, might be a local thing?

I use wood chippings too, got a big pile from a local tree trimmer, can be hard to arrange this but it sure works great.
Looks like this:


Holds up nicely over time:


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[Mtnboomer]

I cut a lot of firewood and use a log splitter (I m no longer the 20 yr old Adonis I used to be ) which knocks a lot of the bark off and leaves scrap wood etc. My gals love going through the stuff because I try to only cut dead or dying trees and they always have little critters living in them. I started using it in my juvenile bird run (adults free range) and they love it too. Its essentially just thicker more robust mulch that won't become saturated like the finer stuff and continues to give insects places to hide and in turn for my birds to find them. But eventually it gets locked in a layer of poo too.

 

[eikome]

I used to use free wood mulch from my municipality, but it stayed too damp for my liking, even though my run is covered. And it froze solid in the winter.

I switched over to deep sand in the run last year and have been pretty happy with it. Even when it gets wet it dries faster and doesn't stick to their feet as much. It's been easy to clean with a rake and sifter/mud shovel. And even in below 0f temps it's loose because it stays drier on top. The hens love digging and dust bathing in it. It was a big expense up front but it's been worth it so far in my opinion.

 

[Criticalicious]

My property is surrounded by pine trees, so I use a lot of pine needles in the run. Dry leaves work too.

 

[rosemarythyme]

OP not sure as to your location but if you contact tree trimming/maintenance companies in your area, they can often deliver leftover chips from their jobs for a small fee or even for free.

 

[BigFuzzball]

Thanks for all the replies and ideas ! Have had leftover tree chips twice before, from 2 very large conifers we had in the garden. The firm came, cut the tree down then chipped it and I had them drop the chips onto a tarpaulin on the drive, used it for months and the girls loved it. Will ring the local authority and see if they have any.