Sand, Mulch, DG or ?

[Welshies]

Thanks. How often do you sug

How often do I what?

 

[MIchickenlady]

I recommend sand and use all purpose sand and it's awesome. My friend has hay/pine shaving and she always complained about the smell. I never felt I had a problem with smell and cleaning was a lot easier. I use a cat litter scooper to scoop up their poop. I also mix my sand with sweet PDZ which I think helps with the smell. It's also great because when it rains outside they are able to still dust bath inside the run. I will also hide treats in the sand and they will spend the day digging out the treats.

I like the idea of hiding treats in the sand...Ima start doing that! Thanks for that idea!

 

[MIchickenlady]

I recommend sand and use all purpose sand and it's awesome. My friend has hay/pine shaving and she always complained about the smell. I never felt I had a problem with smell and cleaning was a lot easier. I use a cat litter scooper to scoop up their poop. I also mix my sand with sweet PDZ which I think helps with the smell. It's also great because when it rains outside they are able to still dust bath inside the run. I will also hide treats in the sand and they will spend the day digging out the treats.

I like the idea of hiding treats in the sand...Ima start doing that! Thanks for that idea!

 

[lissalischicks]

No problem. I did it by accident the first time. I spilled a bag and in trying to stop them from over eating I panicked and tried to cover it with the sand. They dug for days!!!

 

[jreardon1918]

We have shavings in our raised coop. PDZ in the poop boards. Low maintenance, no smell. The run started as scratchy grass and bare hard packed rocky ground. Seven months in it is now a mixture of pine shavings from the coop, cut grass, leaves. It is working out well.

 

[SwtGrc]

Is it "bad" to not have anything on the ground of the run?

 

[Welshies]

Is it "bad" to not have anything on the ground of the run?

Not at all. It is personal preference. My run is totally natural grass and anthills, although I do supplement it and help growth by watering it.

 

[JaeG]

If you choose sand you will need a good dust mask as you do not want to be inhaling the silica dust when you clean it. Sand gets very hot in the sun and cold in winter and does need to be changed out completely reasonably frequently. That's back breaking work. Deep litter is by far the easiest system producing no smell (if done correctly) and giving you beautiful compost.

 

[aart]

I have no idea what DG is.

Stumped me too...think it's decomposed granite....used for landscaping, could have additives.

@Cathy R. much may depend on your climate and your manure management preferences.
This is what I do:
I use poop boards under roosts with sand/PDZ mix, sifted daily into bucket going to compost. Scrape big or wet poops off roost and ramps as needed.

Pine shavings on coop floor, totally changed out each fall, old ones added to run.

Runs have semi-deep litter, never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials.

Nests are bedded with straw, add some occasionally, change out if needed(broken egg).

There is no odor, unless a fresh cecal has been dropped and when I open the bucket to add more poop.

 

[aart]

Is it "bad" to not have anything on the ground of the run?

Well...depends on your space and climate....but most chicken runs quickly become bare ground spattered with chicken poops and when wet will stink-badly. Adding a good mix of carbonaceous materials will reduce stink.