Sycamore Hill Chicks
Songster
I use pine shavings or dry leaves. Sand can breed E. coli
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I dont belive we have any drainage probelm. We have a roof over our run and fixed all the leaks before first snow so we should be good on that. This weekend I'm taking out all the hay and replacing it with whatever I can find rn. I'm think chopped straw or flakes until it becomes warmer and I can take it all out.Any dry organic material can be used in your run. The trick is to achieve a mix of materials and textures so that it doesn't pack, mat, and develop anaerobic pockets.
Drainage is also critical. If your run has a drainage problem or it's a particularly wet season, coarse wood chips are probably the best base to build around.![]()
Oh yes I do that with scratch every morning and by the end of the day I can see where they were digging in the hay.You can use leaves, compost, woodchips, or even pine straw! You can put worms, treats, or scratch grains in the bedding and your feathered friends will be walking all over the run searching and scratching for the yummy goodies! My Buff Orpington Daisy ( also called Goldie because of golden feathers ) Loves to search for treats!
Oh yes I do that with scratch every morning and by the end of the day I can see where they were digging in the hay.
Oh mine lovee to sunbathers but since we had to get ready for snow the sun is blocked and I just want it to be spring so they can enjoy their sun agian. Were hopefully making a sunbathe/playground/shelter from predators in the sky so they can hang in the garden supervised of course. We have hawks and volchers and I've seen TWO bald eagles fly by my house. Mom and dad so then theres got to be babies.Me to! It is amazing how chickens can dig so well. Once my chickens get finished finding treats in one spot they dig a hole and lay in it to sunbathe.
I haven't seen any eagles, but there is a chicken hawk around. About a week ago I decided to let my chickens out to get some grass, I put up a 3 sided dog pen with no top on it so they could get more sun and they had more room but were not free range. I went in to get a snack, I heard a squabbling noise outside there was a chicken hawk inside the extra add on run! I grabbed a long stick and threw it at the chicken hawk. When it saw me, it flew away. Even today he still lingers by in a nearby tree in my backyard. That is why my chickens run is in closed.Oh mine lovee to sunbathers but since we had to get ready for snow the sun is blocked and I just want it to be spring so they can enjoy their sun agian. Were hopefully making a sunbathe/playground/shelter from predators in the sky so they can hang in the garden supervised of course. We have hawks and volchers and I've seen TWO bald eagles fly by my house. Mom and dad so then theres got to be babies.
I've seen a hawk fly by before while my chickens were out in the garden. They only come out if I let them out but then they go back itno there run. Well a volchure flew by 3 times and the 3rd time I could literly touch it and I raced them all back into the run. I was this close to grabbing a rake and snacking that thing out of the sky. Ain't no one touching my babies lolI haven't seen any eagles, but there is a chicken hawk around. About a week ago I decided to let my chickens out to get some grass, I put up a 3 sided dog pen with no top on it so they could get more sun and they had more room but were not free range. I went in to get a snack, I heard a squabbling noise outside there was a chicken hawk inside the extra add on run! I grabbed a long stick and threw it at the chicken hawk. When it saw me, it flew away. Even today he still lingers by in a nearby tree in my backyard. That is why my chickens run is in closed.