Maintaining chicken run

[MyISAbrownhens]

Ok so I can’t free range my chickens but they have a fairly large run, lately though I’ve been having some time maintaining it. The sand has been kind of eroding in weird dips and when I add new sand it’s gone in a week and it makes it taller and harder to open the door. The run ground is basically not sand anymore just hard dirt packed ground. And my run has started smelling now! Any ideas on how I can make my run pretty again and keep the smell down?

 

[Crazy for Chickens!]

Well, to unpack it, you could get a garden tiller in there and just till it all up. It'd get some good worms out for your Chickie's too!
It would also bury the poop and make it all fresh again.

 

[aart]

Any ideas on how I can make my run pretty again and keep the smell down?

I don't know about 'pretty' but....Get rid of the sand and use wood chippings instead.

 

[ChickNanny13]

DLM works great too ... I do a modified version of it - pine shavings on the clay ground about 4" deep, keep adding as needed, remove the loosen dirt/shavings out 1 - 2x year. Poop board w/PDZ below their roost which I clean out daily, ferment their feed so less poop which is firmer and not stinky, pick clumps of poop in the shavings now & then.

 

[blackdog043]

This is the typical problem with using sand. I think there are a handful of people on here that really like their sand runs, maybe they will chime in. I personally would get rid of the sand.

I use deep litter, it works great and no upkeep to speak of, except for adding more stuff periodically. No smell or flies, the poop mixes and breaks down in the litter and you get some great soil if you want to use it.

Chickens like to dust bath in it also

 

[msmolly]

I finally turned to pea stone(roundish pea-sized stones). Put a board crosswise at the door's threshold to keep it in and it works to stabilize bottom of door,(or you may have to raise door). Periodically, rake back the gravel, sand or whatever substrate you use, and sprinkle ground with lime then cover again-this will keep the smell neutralized, bugs and bacteria at bay(especially around feed areas). Also, if the coop is tall enough- put a patio umbrella over the food and water area- keeps snow and rain off- so food doesn't rot.

 

[crazy4ChickensNducks]

I personally have a hard packed dirt run, but in the spring/summer I want to put a thick layer of wood chips down. I just came across this website, They will give you free arborist woodchips
https://getchipdrop.com/

 

[flyin-lowe]

I throw in straw, or leaves, or grass clippings (whatever I have handy) and just leave it until it breaks down to the dirt. Once I start to see signs it is getting muddy I add more. It usually breaks down enough that I never have to shovel it out. I have a 8'x24' run for 16 hens.

 

[JDN]

I throw in straw, or leaves, or grass clippings (whatever I have handy) and just leave it until it breaks down to the dirt. Once I start to see signs it is getting muddy I add more. It usually breaks down enough that I never have to shovel it out. I have a 8'x24' run for 16 hens.

That's what I do. Mostly a bunch of leaf mulch this fall. I built up their "Floor" quite a bit and didn't have to add much all winter. When my wife has a party with a bunch of her friends and everything needs to look nice, I dump Pine Shavings from Tractor Supply.

 

[Meg-in-MT]

I used to use sand in my run, but got tired of dealing with it all of the time. It just didn't work for me. After talking to Aart (I believe?) I started throwing spent bedding and dried leaves, straw, hay etc. into my run and it's been much better. Smells like dirt