? regarding chicken yard

[Eggie and Me]

We have 7 hens, 7 wks old. Their "yard" is 15'x14' the top is covered with fencing as well for protection. Their area is a combo of dirt and grass in a raised area that's about 8'x4'. We thinking about putting hay down in the lower area. It USED to be mostly grass, but they are having a wonderful time digging in the dirt. IS SPREADING HAY ON THE GROUND IN THE DIRT AREA A GOOD IDEA???

 

[DTchickens]

i don't see why not, most people will probably come in with a "Don't use hay! it causes impacted crop" Which i have seen on this site, but myself, and other people i've known all use hay and have no problems.. of course their all game chickens and don't eat just anything, so no worries of them getting impacted crop from hay.

I guess it would depend on the chickens you have?

 

[Bailey1234]

Don't do it. It will hold moisture, bugs, mildew and give mice a hiding place.
They will kill all vegitation in the run area no matter what you do. As long as your run is dry it is perfect for them.

 

[fledgling]

Hay gets nasty once it gets wet and pooped on. Great place for yucky things to grow. Sand might be better.

 

[Eggie and Me]

THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPLYS................ Makes sense, now that I hear it out loud.

 

[tdgill]

yeah, I've been using hay now and then in muddy spots by my back deck. But I think it could be problematic if its able to build up heat and compost or become moldy. so far, i havent had any real problems but I make sure to keep the hay layer thin just to give me some traction on the mud really...and I also stir it around to make sure its not able to heat up. i would imagine in a run, you'd just have to keep a good eye on the conditions, and or rake it up and put fresh down before it gets a chance to get funky. and send it to the compost out of reach.

I also would think as long as the chickens have plenty of other good stuff to snack on that they wouldnt be eating on the hay. I have seen mine pick at the seeds in there, but never eat the hay strands. many people would say better to be safe than sorry. i would think if you already have the hay and need some help in your run, that its worth a shot. just keep in mind the pros and cons. and dont let it get deep in any areas, and keep it fresh. how many chickens you have in there

i have noticed that my chickens LOVE scratching through leaves. i did a good job raking last fall and dont have any, so i might get a bag from the woods with a little of the top soil underneath the leaves, I bet they will have a blast.

 

[patandchickens]

If you want great compost, put hay (if you're not concerned about the impacted crop possibility) and nontoxic garden weedings and any sort of stuff like that in there, let them pick around and snack and scratch and eat bugs and POO on it... and then once it is pretty well 'used up' from a chicken entertainment point of view, or is starting to really break down and cause stink/flies/mud, rake it out, compost it a while longer, and it will be GREAT for your garden and soil

(This is what I do).

If you just want to cover the ground so it isn't bare earth/mud, see the link for 'fixing muddy runs' in my .sig below for a discussion of the pros and ocns of different options.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[realmofthewoodsranch]

I put straw down in my run last winter in an effort to keep their feet warmer through the cold snap (-35 farenheit) and come spring time, it was a disaster zone!

Let me tell you the stench of wet straw mixed with chicken poo is not one to be enjoyed... Share not with your friends the obligatory *sniff*. They won't appreciate it, for sure, LOL !!!

 

[tdgill]

good advice as always!!!
thanks pat I needed the reminder to look at your muddy run page myself!

 

[tdgill]

Quote:
which is when you promptly cleaned it out of course!!! lol. I BET they enjoyed it through the cold tho!