Using Baking Soda in the run

[cobrien]

I have a covered sand run, and use DE and stall dry to help dry it (gets wet in wind blown rain) and keep odors down. 12x48 is pretty big but maybe you can find some recycled corrugated roofing or something to reduce rainwater adding to the problem. If not, gravel then sand as a base would help a lot, then add occasional stall dry and DE.

 

[PhilErvin]

I'd leave the Baking Soda in the fridge and use DE for the run.

 

[JimWWhite]

Alright! Great responses. So BS is out and DE is in. My run has a base of small gravel and sand plus another 3 inches of creek sand on top of that. Drainage isn't a problem, but flies are for some reason. I guess they're attracted by the chicken poop. I till it in every couple of days with a hoe but I guess that's enough time to attract flies. I've hung up fly strips and they're catching a lot of flies but there's still plenty that are still there. I'll check at Tractor Supply to see if they have DE here in Statesville.

 

[NeeleysAVLChicks]

Quote:
I've had good luck finding it at Southern States, I'm pretty sure there's one in Statesville. They don't carry the big bags, but they do have smaller bags of food grade DE for a relatively low price.

 

[coldinnh]

maybe dumb question- but when people talk about a run - I am presuming the chicken yard?


I also did not realise that it was drying agent.. and worked on the poo- shouldn't the poo be the consistency of toothpaste?

 

[Ohaus82]

I also put a small amount of apple cider vinegar in their water. I do it for parasites, but I have heard that it keeps smells down too. I havent had too much trouble with odor, so maybe it is working (or maybe it is power of suggestion

)

 

[JimWWhite]

Quote:
Yes, it's normally a fenced enclosure that your chicken coop is in and they can run around in.

 

[coldinnh]

how is that different from "free ranging"? We have a barn/coop/brooder which has a fenced
area that I have considered their yard but it has not top enclosure. Trying to help my husband realise that we need to build a top and higher sides before we loose any chicks.

 

[JimWWhite]

My run is one of those metal carports that a friend gave me and I moved my coop into it, enclosed it with chicken wire, put up a gate, and filled it in with a good base of sand. It's plenty big enough for 30 layers and I can probably go up to 50 but then I'd have to add another coop. I don't think I'll be adding any more hens so right now this will do. Here's a pic of my coop and run:

Strictly speaking I doubt this would be called freeranging but at dusk when the weather is good, which is almost every evening now, they all get out to run around and eat grass and catch bugs for about an hour before they all head back in for bed. We have too many foxes and coyotes around to let them freerange all day. That's Khaos our boxer who recently passed away at the gate. The hens are all telling him how handsome he is and would he mind opening the gate for them.

 

[HudsonValleyGirl]

A good way to keep your run and coop clean is to do a simple daily cleaning. I get up an hour earlier than normal and spend 20 minutes cleaning up droppings. At the end of the week I rake out old bedding and apply DE. This keeps the bugs away, and it freshens the coop and run. You can also mix DE in with their food to kill intestinal larva, and other parisites. It is all natural. It basically takes all the mosture out of the bug and kills it.