SAND or MULCH (or something else???) in the RUN???? What do you use??

[keeko]

Hello all!!

The hubby and I are closing in on the last few stages of completing our run...which means my girls who are in their tractor can now go into their stationary coop and run for good!! But I have a few questions about the run...

What do YOU use in your run...sand, mulch or something else??? I can see that sand would be like a litter, but is it easy to clean up, and will they peck at it, and eat it? What about mulch; is this better for them to walk on and peck at, and if so what kind of wooded mulch do you use? Does it matter?

What works best for your method and what do you like/hate about it??

Thanks guys!!

 

[TurkeyMountainChickens]

I filled my run with mulch from a tulip poplar we had to cut down. We chipped up the smaller branches, and they had sat for a few months. I also toss in leaves in the fall after we've mowed them up. They like scratching through them. Of course, they don't spend much time in the run - they'd rather be out running around!

If you're run is exposed, though, I wouldn't use leaves - wet leaves are very slippery.

 

[alexfrommaine]

What's the ground in your run without adding any cover? I'd suggest finding a spot with grass or sod, if possible. One of the real advantages of the run is the opportunities for the hens to scratch around for bugs; adding a layer of mulch or sand or anything that gets in between the bird and the bug seems counterproductive to me. Of course, with enough birds in a permanent run, any grass will turn to dirt soon anyway!

 

[MandyH]

We have 6 to 8 inches of sand in all of our coops and runs, wouldn't do it any other way if I had to do it over again. ANy organic matter (leaves, mulch, etc) will break down and compost over time so it will stink if it gets wet. The sand allows water to drain to the bottom and is also excellent at pulling the moisture out of poop so it just disinigrates.

 

[keeko]

Ah, good to know about the mulch composting over time! It hadn't occurred to me. I had heard that sand was a good surface to rake the droppings from too. What kind of sand do you use? Will play sand from Lowe's work, or do I need something more gritty/thicker?

I have regular clay dirt, with patchy grass in our backyard. At the rate my girls are destroying the grass in their chicken tractor, they'll demolish what little grass there is in the run in a matter of days!

 

[Frza]

We have sand in the run and I haven't been that happy with it. Sounds like we need to make it deeper, ours is less than an inch deep in some areas. I use a kitty litter scoop to pick up the poop every other week. It's a real pain and I would much rather just let it disintegrate the way the other poster does. Maybe I'll add more sand to about 5" deep. I am looking for more suggestions too.
I curious about those little pellet things and how they work.

 

[MandyH]

You want a courser sand like mason's sand, and make it deep. If you throw fine sand out it will just pack down and get hard. If you use only an inch of it, it will become one with the clay and will be hard as well. We pay $40 bucks for a dump truck load of it.

 

[Tropical Chickies]

I also wondered what everyone had in their run. Mine is just dirt, with occasion yard clippings added to it for the girls to scratch around in. I usually just rake and level the ground out once a week and poop just disappears....they are out most of the day free ranging too, so they don't spend much time in their run anymore. The one reason I don't like dirt is because it makes the white chickies look so filthy. I had considered sand and I think that would be a good choice as it is easy to clean. But on the flip side, adding the grass clippings to the dirt in their run is a win/win situation.

 

[patandchickens]

See my 'fix a muddy run' page (link in .sig below), as it has a buncha relevant information despite the title

Basically, if you are on very very free-draining soil and don't expect a moisture/mud/smell/fly problem, organic matter is good; if you have ANY reason to think you might have issues with moisture/mud/smell/flies, though, either you will have to remove and replace the organic matter on a regular basis, or just use something inorganic e.g. sand.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[keeko]

Thanks Pat!

I think heavy duty sand is the way to go. We are definitely at a risk for very muddy conditions..and I'd rather rake poo than clean up hundreds of pounds of soggy mulch!