What do you put in your chicken pen?

[Kuntry Klucker]

Hi All

I know that this question has been asked in many different forms but I cannot find exactly what I am
looking for. So if you don't mind please humor me.

For those who have chicken runs/pens what do you put in them (pine shavings, hay, sand, etc.)?
Then how often do you clean them out and put new media in?

Right now I have pine shavings in my chicken pen. I have at least 4 inches so the chickens have plenty
of depth to turn and hunt for things in.

Am I on the right track doing this?

Thanks

 

[savingpurple]

Inside or out? Inside I use pine shavings. Outside, I have dirt as the grass is all gone due to the ladies

LOL Won't fill with much more than that. Plan on making the outdoor run bigger, and willstill have dirt. Bought a raised bed thingy today from work, and paln when we make the run bigger making the ladies a garden, top with a removeable top covered in hardware cloth. I can plant what I want ,and change out when I want Got it for 16.99. Was 50.00 bucks. Hope to do this next year in the early summer.

 

[TheSpiceGirls]

I have sand inside my hen house. And outside is just dirt.

I've tilled a number of sections of dirt and mixed in sand and DE and this is where they take their dust baths.

Feeder and waterer are raised on blocks. Works great.

And then on the ground, I'll put down a big pile of what ever is handy. Leaves in the fall. Pine needles I can get mostly year round. Just put down a big handful of straw for them to kick around.

I'll rake up the material and put it into the compost bin once it's done. But it usually lasts about a month.

 

[TK Poultry]

I have shavings inside and sand outside. I have to till up the sand every once in a while.

 

[BoltonChicken]

Shavings inside of coop about three inches deep. Shavings over dirt/sand in run, which I and the chickens turn over and rake weekly. I clean out the floor of the coop on a monthly basis and sweep it out, then
refill with shavings. I also add about one inch or so of shavings to the run when I clean out the coop. So far no smells or complaints.

 

[kiweed]

Pine shavings in. Dirt abd sand in the run

 

[darkmatter]

In the Chicken Run? I plant stuff to feed the chickens, Illinois Everbearing Mulberry trees, apples, persimmons, and tomatoes in cages to grow up and over a trellis to drop fruit till frost. (See my BYC page for Pics of my Setup). In the Coop? I use a sub-ground level dirt floor with deep litter composting method using grass clippings, pine needle/cones raked up, etc.

 

[Patricia Jane]

I use pine shavings in coop and in their run on top of dirt. They really love scratching in it during the day. Sometimes I hide chickets or meal worms in the shavings to give them entertainment. I rack their run once every two weeks and lay new shavings down. I buy a 12 cubic ft. bag. It doesnt over power the run but makes it look clean and smells fresh.

 

[dbounds10]

I have sand in the run and inside the coop, much easier to clean and does not smell when it rains. I till up the run about once a month to turn under the poo, but really it just kinda disappears in the sand.

 

[monsterkx500]

I use wood shaving from a local wood shop in coop. My run is just dirt and sand.