What should I put in the Run?

[Bethel_Alaska]

Hey y’all I would greatly appreciate any advice on what I should put down in our Run it’s been poring rain for the last 4 days winds bout 30mhp so the run is a sloppy mess it’s the earth type run. Should I get wood chips? Sand?? We are in a rural part of Alaska so I will have to order stuff from a place in Anchorage to be shipped out here. Btw we have had chickens before in San Diego but not here in Alaska so this is much different due to the weather being so unpredictable..

Thank you so much in advance for any and all help and advice

 

[goldysgirl]

I use the really big pine mulch chips in my muddy run. I lay it thick and it works all year. The chickens work it down the slope gradually and i periodically rake it back out. They like to dig through it for bugs and worms. I also have a corner of sand for them to scratch around in, but i put the sand in a drier spot

 

[goldysgirl]

I should specify...the mulch i buy is pine bark

 

[ShannonR]

My favorites are wood chips and pine needles. The green pine needles are astringent and help a little with the smell and bacteria factor.

 

[Bethel_Alaska]

My favorites are wood chips and pine needles. The green pine needles are astringent and help a little with the smell and bacteria factor.

Perfect thank you so much for the helpful quick response

 

[Bethel_Alaska]

I use the really big pine mulch chips in my muddy run. I lay it thick and it works all year. The chickens work it down the slope gradually and i periodically rake it back out. They like to dig through it for bugs and worms. I also have a corner of sand for them to scratch around in, but i put the sand in a drier spot

Thank you thank you thank you I am going to call and order pine mulch chips and maybe some sand I greatly appreciate the quick response

 

[Bethel_Alaska]

My favorites are wood chips and pine needles. The green pine needles are astringent and help a little with the smell and bacteria factor.

Is there a specific kind of wood chips? I may order wood chips and some pine mulch as suggested by goldysgirl

 

[PirateGirl]

When it gets too muddy, sometimes I even add more dirt! It soaks up some of the moisture and raises the floor level of the run so that *ideally* it’s a bit higher than the surrounding ground and when water tries to make its way to the lowest point, the lowest point is no longer in the run:

 

[Bethel_Alaska]

When it gets too muddy, sometimes I even add more dirt! It soaks up some of the moisture and raises the floor level of the run so that *ideally* it’s a bit higher than the surrounding ground and when water tries to make its way to the lowest point, the lowest point is no longer in the run:

Perfect thank you sooo much I will get on that.

 

[Bethel_Alaska]

I just tried to make an order on the phone they say they don’t carry pine mulch can I get any kind of mulch?