Straw or wood shavings for run?

[Egg_cited]

Hey so currently I have a very muddy run. I don't have anything in there currently. I was thinking would straw or wood shavings be better? The only problem is my girls eat absolutely everything and I don't want them to get impacted crops. I was also thinking to put dry leaves but not sure if that will actually help the coop not be so muddy.

 

[NatJ]

Wood chips often work well (bigger pieces than shavings.)

Whatever you have that is free or cheap is a good starting point. So if you have dry leaves, I would start with them.

Straw tends to pack down into a muddy mat, then when it dries you have something hard like a brick. Wood shavings (thin little pieces) tend to disappear into the mud. Dry leaves tend to pack flat, similar to straw, but they don't interlock quite the same way. Bigger pieces of wood (wood chips, wood chip mulch, etc) tend to work better because they keep their own shape. Even if some sink into the mud, if you just keep adding more, you eventually end up with a dry surface on top. And the underneath layers seem not to stick together as badly as some other materials.

It is normal for chickens to scratch through everything and eat small pieces. Yes, some chickens overdo it, especially when something is new. But most chickens are fine, most of the time. Making sure they have a source of grit can help them process anything that makes it to their gizzards (won't prevent impacted crop, but will prevent impactions further down.)

 

[3KillerBs]

Coarse wood chips, the kind you get from a tree trimming service, are often considered the gold standard for the control of mud and odor.

Where, in general, are you? Some materials are locally abundant and their readily availability and low cost make up for any other potential disadvantages.

 

[Frostette]

Hey so currently I have a very muddy run. I don't have anything in there currently. I was thinking would straw or wood shavings be better? The only problem is my girls eat absolutely everything and I don't want them to get impacted crops. I was also thinking to put dry leaves but not sure if that will actually help the coop not be so muddy.

Sand! A few inches of sand! The run becomes like a litter box. Dries the poop quickly. Easy to scoop out. No mud. No stench.

 

[Frostette]

Sand is the only way to go, whether a run is covered or not. Works like a litter box. Dries the poop, doesn't get muddy or stink. Easy to clean.

 

[NatJ]

Sand is the only way to go, whether a run is covered or not. Works like a litter box. Dries the poop, doesn't get muddy or stink. Easy to clean.

Definitely not the only way to go. Yes, sand is good in some conditions.

But sometimes sand will sink into the mud, and the run still is wet and stinky. Dry sand may be easy to scoop like a litter box, but wet muddy sand is not. And when it dries out, a mix of sand and mud can sometimes turn hard like concrete (not scoopable like a litter box).

 

[neo71665]

Trying sand was one huge mistake for me I wish I never made. I done hay for a bit (I have a hay field). As stated it just packs, clumps, and needs turning a lot.

You want wood chips. I went so far as buying my own chipper so I can make my own.

 

[3KillerBs]

Sand is the only way to go, whether a run is covered or not. Works like a litter box. Dries the poop, doesn't get muddy or stink. Easy to clean.

Most people who are happy with sand over the long term live in a dry climate or are otherwise able to keep their run perfectly dry.

Since, unlike wood chips or other organic material, sand does not engage in a composting reaction, the dust remaining after the large poops have been scooped will rot and reek if the run gets wet.

One of the great things about chickens is that they are tough, adapatble livestock and there are many systems of management that work according to different climates, circumstances, and personal preferences.

 

[AllThoseFloofs]

Depending on where you're located and what the weather is like, I would advise against using sand. It gets super wet and doesn't help the mud situation. Instead, I would go with wood chips.

 

[addctd2plnts]

Almost everyone who has tried a variety of things in runs says that washed river sand is the way to go. I think it's important to prepare the base correctly from the beginning. I'd take out several inches of dirt, put a thick premium landscape fabric down, pack crushed rock down first. Then add boards around and fill about 4 more inches of washed river sand. It still must be maintained and people remove it every 6 months. I've seen several people say they leave it in a pile to be washed by rain and put it back in 6 mos later, when they remove what's in the run.