Wood chips in run

[Arthur]

I am thinking of putting wood chips (from a tree surgeons chipper) in my run. Has anyone done this ? Looking for benefits(besides obvious price,,free) and potential problems. Thanks !!

 

[elmo]

I tried bagged wood chips in my run the first thing and I didn't like it. The chips held moisture and there was no way to separate the droppings out from the chips. If I'd left it that way, I suspect the run would have begun to stink after a while (I switched to sand, and that's what I'm sticking with).

In your situation, there is also a slim possibility that you might end up with chips from trees that are potentially toxic to chickens (e.g., cedar).