Wood chips for the run to keep the feathered feet out of the mud?

[emartin]

Our temporary small run is muddy and started to smell a little bit yesterday thanks to a combination of the sun being out and the run being wet from a downpour earlier in the morning.

Currently I am going to put a LOT of stall dry down on it (combination product of DE and clay) to try and get the smell out, and maybe some Lime as well.

But would Wood Chips (the kind used on playgrounds, etc) be a good product to use on the bare ground spots on the run to keep particularly the feathered food chickens I have out of the mud?

Thanks,
~Ed

 

[hippichick]

As long as the chips are not colored using a dye, it is a great idea. I made the mistake of putting my white Cochins and Silkies on mulch that was colored, and they dye came off onto their foot feathers. They were red. Now I use only naturally colored mulch, and they are fine. The wood chips really keep the smell down too. I use them in all of my runs over a layer of sand.

Paula

 

[emartin]

Wood chips (not wood mulch) is proving very difficult for me to find locally!

Home Depot, Lowes, and three local landscaping places and a feed store/garden center did NOT carry it!!!

I called a large number of tree service companys in my area, one doesn't sell wood chips directly but sells them through the owners Son and he's sold out...and the other only sells by the truck load!

Anyone know where I can find any (where to look rather)???

~Ed