Sealed winter run + dust = health concerns

[WingsysRoost]

I have a mixture of soil and mulch in my covered run and it does get somewhat dusty after a little bit. I top up the run every so often with fresh mulch to keep the dust down. I don't know if that would be an option for you, but it might help. If it gets really bad, I take out the worst of the dusty material first before adding fresh.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I have a mixture of soil and mulch in my covered run and it does get somewhat dusty after a little bit. I top up the run every so often with fresh mulch to keep the dust down. I don't know if that would be an option for you, but it might help. If it gets really bad, I take out the worst of the dusty material first before adding fresh.

I rarely see others using mulch! It's a bummer because I really like how it performs otherwise, and it's very soft underfoot. I see wood chips mentioned a lot, but they feel like walking on legos!

We did skim the top and refresh about a month ago. It just doesn't seem to last.

 

[K0k0shka]

Add something coarse to the substrate, like wood chips and/or dry leaves. Wood chips don't have to feel like legos, if they aren't the only material. I have wood chips in a mix with dry leaves, mowed grass from the summer, weeds from the garden and other miscellaneous yard waste. I bag and save my fall leaves (take some of my neighbors', too) and use them throughout the year to add to the run. Most of my run is covered, and I put plastic on the sides in the winter (clear polycarbonate panels), but I still have enough open area to let some moisture in, so the ground doesn't get bone dry.

 

[aart]

they feel like walking on legos

Another good reason to wear shoes in the chicken run.

I find coarse wood chippings to work the best in the run, I add other dry organics on occasion, but the poops will all decompose rather readily....no cleaning up poops, just add more chips as needed. BUT my run is not covered.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Add something coarse to the substrate, like wood chips and/or dry leaves. Wood chips don't have to feel like legos, if they aren't the only material. I have wood chips in a mix with dry leaves, mowed grass from the summer, weeds from the garden and other miscellaneous yard waste. I bag and save my fall leaves (take some of my neighbors', too) and use them throughout the year to add to the run. Most of my run is covered, and I put plastic on the sides in the winter (clear polycarbonate panels), but I still have enough open area to let some moisture in, so the ground doesn't get bone dry.

I think a lot of it is our sourcing (they also sell a playground wood chip that I splintered myself on... real nice ), but you have a good point of mixing it with other mediums. It's insane how fast leaves break down when the chickens work them!

 

[thecatumbrella]

Another good reason to wear shoes in the chicken run.

I find coarse wood chippings to work the best in the run, I add other dry organics on occasion, but the poops will all decompose rather readily....no cleaning up poops, just add more chips as needed. BUT my run is not covered.

LOL! There's not enough money in the world to make me walk barefoot in the chicken run.

 

[K0k0shka]

I think a lot of it is our sourcing (they also sell a playground wood chip that I splintered myself on... real nice ), but you have a good point of mixing it with other mediums. It's insane how fast leaves break down when the chickens work them!

Wow, how did you get a splinter? I wear boots in the chicken run and don't touch the substrate with my hands (I use shovels, rakes etc. when dumping/spreading, with gardening gloves on), I've never even thought about splinters as potential problems.

Dry leaves disappear fast, yeah, that's why I keep a large stash so I can add periodically throughout the year. Once they are shredded, they provide a nice texture so it's not just the coarse wood chips. And even the chips themselves wear down eventually and soften up, so they're not like legos at all. Like playgrounds, they only feel coarse when the chips are really fresh - after a relatively short period of use, they start to feel soft and nice.

 

[thecatumbrella]

Wow, how did you get a splinter? I wear boots in the chicken run and don't touch the substrate with my hands (I use shovels, rakes etc. when dumping/spreading, with gardening gloves on), I've never even thought about splinters as potential problems.

Dry leaves disappear fast, yeah, that's why I keep a large stash so I can add periodically throughout the year. Once they are shredded, they provide a nice texture so it's not just the coarse wood chips. And even the chips themselves wear down eventually and soften up, so they're not like legos at all. Like playgrounds, they only feel coarse when the chips are really fresh - after a relatively short period of use, they start to feel soft and nice.

When we were setting up the chicken run, I visited the local landscaping business to test out substrates. Picked up a handful of "Kid Kushion" and had it impale my hand . That's how we ended up with mulch instead of chips. We're totally new at this and had concerns about bumblefoot with the sharp pieces.

I'll give them another look. Maybe I can age the chips in the driveway and get them to soften up before adding to the run.