Wood chip mulch for run?

[Ekipp]

Wood chips in the run is a great idea and wood chips smell good. I used to use hay but it's harder to keep clean and I found myself putting tons of hay matted around poop into the decomposer. Poop easier to pick up in wood chips and I spray a little essential oil in my run and toss lavender I grow just for the girls into the coop. When they scratch it releases heaven. Everyone comments on how nice our coop smells b/c they inherently think it's going to smell like poop!

and I just want to add that I am not using wood chips like in some of these photos, I buy big bags of aspen chips, they are clean and a sort of light yellowish color and smell great. They are soft and the chickens love them. No splinters ever.

 

[rosemarythyme]

and I just want to add that I am not using wood chips like in some of these photos, I buy big bags of aspen chips, they are clean and a sort of light yellowish color and smell great. They are soft and the chickens love them. No splinters ever.

OP had specifically mentioned a mud issue. Coarse wood chips allow for drainage and aeration which is a must to control mud and odor, whereas shavings like the ones pictured will compact down and don't allow for the same sort of efficient drainage and aeration.

I like aspen shavings just fine, but they go in my nest boxes.