What to put in the run?

[Davaroo]

Personally Id prefer about 4" of sand or gravel and a layer of fine leaves, clippings, straw, etc. But that's just me.

 

[first time farmer]

i will go to the landscape supply store wednesday after school (i get out @ 1 because of finals!) and see what i can find lol

 

[Imp]

Other posts here have said if you put sand or gravel in a muddy run to make sure the run is dry when you add it. It will disappear into the mud otherwise.

Imp

 

[Mahonri]

Quote:
Get some sand.

I'm going to... I have to.

 

[Equus5O]

You don't need anything in it, if you don't want. Sand is good if you will have a muddy run. My chickens free range all day so they spend very little time in the run. I usually put a couple inches of lawn clippings or leaves in it. Congrats on the new run.

Imp- My run is cleaner than the deck.

I hope to cut the grass tomorrow, if we don't get more rain. We've been kinda wet here lately.

I can just toss some grass clippings into the run? Won't it get slimy and rotten?

 

[echlfan]

Well this is the first & only time that I have been happy we have VERY sandy soil.

 

[Imp]

Quote:
Small run, covered, two walls. Really doesn't get very wet in there. Never had the clippings get slimy, just turn brown. Eventually I rake it out and dump into the compost bin. And add more, or in the fall/winter use leaves. The chicken crunch up the dry leaves too. I'm in the Seattle area so we don't get a lot of soaking rainstorms except Dec/Jan. mostly drizzle.

Imp

I've seen a couple posts about chickens getting long pieces of grass stuck in their crops. I mow at least once a week so I never get long strands.

 

[G Wiz Ranch]

Quote:

Me too! I kid you not, I dump out the ducks kiddie pool water and within minutes it is all gone. Within an hour the top layer is dry and sandy.

Today, I was trying to remove a huge tree stump so I dug a big hole all the way around it and then used water to expose the roots so that I could cut them, I had 2 garden hoses going for 3 hours, by the time I finished lunch (20mins), there was NO water in the hole.

My chickens free range, but I put some large tree stumps and branches in the run, for those days I don't let them free range. They use them for shade, wind blocks and to hang out on.

 

[echlfan]

Quote:
I understand!

BTW, my parents live in Lompoc!!!

 

[TrixiePA]

I put a childs plastic 3 by 3 plastic cube (used to have a slide attached) all primary colors with circles and squares cut out for fun, in my run.

The birds love it. And it's easy to spray clean....