Hi everyone! I recently moved and we inherited chickens! We always wanted them so we are so very excited and loving them! I’ve been researching and I cannot find anywhere this method done for a run, any thoughts or advice? The run has large rocks and I can’t find any reason online to do this. Or any suggestion to ch age it up for it to be better for our ladies? Thanks in advance! I’ve considered filling in with construction sand or even gravel? Not sure what would be best for them.
Rocked Run
- Thread starter Kmo418
- Start date
Wow I've never seen that before. I've heard of pavers, concrete, but large rocks?
Where are you located/what's your climate like? What do you plan on doing as far as poop management (i.e. fine with scooping daily, would rather not clean regularly, etc.)
Where are you located/what's your climate like? What do you plan on doing as far as poop management (i.e. fine with scooping daily, would rather not clean regularly, etc.)
- Thread starter
- #3
- Thread starter
- #4
I don't know how feasible it would be to remove some of those rocks, but that's the first thing I'd look at.
Then I would do either deep litter or sand in the run, depending on what's easier for you to source, whether you want a composting system (DL) or plan on scooping daily/regularly (sand), and if your run location tends towards wet (DL) or dry (sand). The last one might be hard to answer until you've lived there a while, to see how the winds and rains blow around the run and if there's any puddling or pooling near the run location.
Then I would do either deep litter or sand in the run, depending on what's easier for you to source, whether you want a composting system (DL) or plan on scooping daily/regularly (sand), and if your run location tends towards wet (DL) or dry (sand). The last one might be hard to answer until you've lived there a while, to see how the winds and rains blow around the run and if there's any puddling or pooling near the run location.
I would use a pick axe and a long pry rod and start removing those rocks. The area is not that large and the rocks are big, but not huge. They will not do you or your new flock any favors. At all.
They will be hard on their feet, leave no place for them to dust bathe, the poop will gather down into inaccessible crevices and cleaning it out or getting it to compost with dry organic material will be nearly impossible.
Covering them with anything isn't going to work as you would not be able to get it thick enough so the birds could dig out dust baths without hitting the rocks and the level would have land well above the bottom retention boards of the run.
Once the rocks are out, I would get a load of whatever dry organic material is easiest for you to acquire (leaves, pine needles, wood chips) and put about a 4-6" layer in there. Then get to work installing 1/2" hardware cloth on the exterior for predator proofing the run. You may also want to put a roof over it and expand it depending on how many birds you have. And while you're doing the upgrade, add some enrichment to the run like branches, stumps, an old wood chair or a small pallet leaning against a wall.
The only thing I can figure is it was their idea of predator proofing. As others have said I'd remove them. You could use them on the outside edge over the hardware cloth apron @DobieLover mentioned to prevent digging from the outside.
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