Transitioning from roofed to roofless run

[K0k0shka]

Run floor update: I didn’t stir things around after dumping the thick layer of wood chips in the run (on top of the thick layer of leaves). I wanted to see what would happen. A couple days later, it’s thoroughly mixed and stirred! Thank you, chickens

 

[aart]

They are excellent movers of bedding.
I toss scratch grains on any high spots.

 

[K0k0shka]

The winterization of my run is complete and the chickens are ready for the snow! I used up the rest of the roofing panels (I only have one left), and now all the walls are covered - everything except for the door. I'm leaving the door open for now, because I want to be able to see inside. We have a snowstorm coming on Thursday, and I'll see how that goes. If there's too much snow blowing in from the door, I'll cover it with the last panel before the next storm after that.

I also put up the third patio umbrella. It's much bigger than the other two (10 feet!) and covers the chickens' favorite corner nicely - the one with the climbing/perching structure I built for them that they love hanging out on. It worked out perfectly with the sizes of the umbrellas, completely by chance - the two smaller ones, when put side by side, cover the entire width of the run between the coop and the run door, and the big umbrella covers the space between the smaller umbrellas and the back wall perfectly. I used more office clips to clip the edge of the big umbrella to the edges of the small umbrellas. Most of the run is covered overhead now - everything except for the back corner where the coop used to be before I moved it. Aside from rain/snow protection, the umbrellas will also give the chickens more peace - with the roofing panels gone, they had a clear view overhead for the first time and the neighborhood hawks were really freaking them out. I don't need any unnecessary screaming, especially not in my case... But now they can't see and hopefully they'll chill out.

I also added a heated waterer (pet bowl).

I'm really happy with my setup, and hope nobody finds reasons to complain about it! I'll report on how it holds up to the storm later this week.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Really fantastic, and it's amazing how much coverage you got from those umbrellas... gosh those are some well loved chickens .

 

[K0k0shka]

Really fantastic, and it's amazing how much coverage you got from those umbrellas... gosh those are some well loved chickens .

Thanks! I’ve wanted these chickens for a very long time. They are a nostalgic throwback to my happy childhood, a feel-good hobby and a connection to my recently departed and beloved grandma, who taught me all about chickens. And they are part of the family now. I’ve sunk a lot of time, effort, money and sentiment into them, so I’m gonna make damn sure they’re comfortable!

 

[Folly's place]

I do hope that the snow doesn't collapse those nice umbrellas! It looks great now, and so decorated!
Mary

 

[K0k0shka]

I do hope that the snow doesn't collapse those nice umbrellas! It looks great now, and so decorated!
Mary

I guess we’ll wait and see! We’re only getting a foot, so I’m hoping they hold up...

 

[JCaseyHammond]

Good to know about the different kinds of mold, thanks! I went and looked at the wood chips again this morning. They are very pale and feel dry and lightweight, like playground chips. Or like hacked up firewood (the kind you buy from the store so it's dry). I don't have a pile of green chips to do a direct comparison, and I can't say just how dried out they are, but I'd say they're definitely drier than fresh, living wood. I'll rake the chips in the run periodically to get them exposed to the elements, and won't cover the leftover pile, and I'll keep an eye on things.

As for grass, my situation is different. I'm in the 'burbs, so my yard isn't all that big. Also, at the height of the season, I mow every week, or at least every other week, so the clippings are 1-2" long at most. My chickens don't free range and that's the only grass they see, so they LOVED every dumping. I'd dump it in the run and they'd entertain themselves for the rest of the day spreading it around and eating it. By the next morning, the top layer would turn to hay, so then they'd entertain themselves on the second day by flipping the hay over to reveal fresher grass to eat underneath. And so on until it would all dry out and turn to hay. My (good) neighbors across the street, who don't have chickens, developed a serious grass stink problem because they'd collect their clippings in barrels that would sit in the heat for 2 weeks waiting for yard waste pick up, and they'd stiiiiiiink - forget cabbage, that was a human feces kind of stink. So bad that, apparently, somebody called the health department on them! My chickens solved the problem by offering their recycling services, and for the rest of the summer, my neighbors would let me know as soon as they mowed, and I'd dump their clippings in my run as well. So the chickens got clippings quite often, but I never had any problems with mold, everything got spread around and turned to hay very quickly.

So right now underneath the thick layer of chips, there's a whole summer's worth of two backyards' worth of grass clippings, about 5-6 bags of fall leaves, and whatever else I threw in there since the spring. I'll make sure to stir it around periodically.

Yep, I expanded the chickens’ territory in my yard by explaining to my husband that they could use the side yard as a composting chicken run. Just throw the grass clippings on top of the wood chips

 

[countryladyNH]

Thanks! I’ve wanted these chickens for a very long time. They are a nostalgic throwback to my happy childhood, a feel-good hobby and a connection to my recently departed and beloved grandma, who taught me all about chickens. And they are part of the family now. I’ve sunk a lot of time, effort, money and sentiment into them, so I’m gonna make damn sure they’re comfortable!

I feel exactly the same way!
Back in 2015 I kept telling my hubby that I wanted chickens. He thought I was nuts at first but we went to a free seminar at a farm store back then before we ever got them. We got a coop and 4 Buff Orpington chicks back in April 2016. We've added to our menagerie since then. We both love them SO MUCH! They really do add a lot to your life!

 

[K0k0shka]

I feel exactly the same way!
Back in 2015 I kept telling my hubby that I wanted chickens. He thought I was nuts at first but we went to a free seminar at a farm store back then before we ever got them. We got a coop and 4 Buff Orpington chicks back in April 2016. We've added to our menagerie since then. We both love them SO MUCH! They really do add a lot to your life!

It's like getting a cat! The husband resists at first, but then falls in love with the critter soon enough My husband wasn't too excited about the chickens at first either, and tried to argue the total number from 5 down to 3 chickens, saying that 5 was too much. Now he realizes that there's absolutely no practical difference between 3 and 5 chickens, and is not only okay with the 5 we have, but wants to add more because he got attached to the cockerel who died, and wanted to hatch eggs from one of his hens... which failed... now we want to order more eggs from his breeder and hatch chicks of that type again, for sentimental reasons, and I was thinking maybe we keep one female, but my husband says we should keep 2 or 3 instead, "just in case". The change in attitude warms my heart.