Please help a newbie!

[downbutnotout]

I've had my chickens for three weeks in a fixed run and it is a quagmire. I want to put down bark/wood chippings to help sort it till I come up with a better solution. Is it ok to use the big bags of wood or bark chips you get at DIY centres or do I need something else? Thanks!

Hi downbutnotout, wood chips are better to use than bark chips, as the bark can encourage mould spores. We've just used ones from a DIY store, hens can still get a good bit of scratching done, without recreating a WW1 battle field look.

Have you got a roof on the run? Our roof leaks a bit so we get a few muddy patches but overall it makes a big difference to how muddy the ground gets. We've got some sand mixed into our woodchips which helps it all dry out a bit more quickly and they like scratching around in it (I made them a nice sandpit in the corner as a newbie owner, not realising that they would spread it all around in about 30 seconds . Still it improved the surface so I don't really mind).

Thanks for the help! I'm putting down wood chips for now and I think I will move the girls in spring once I can fence off a slightly larger area. I'm thinking of using rubber chips then, do you have any experience with them?

Another newbie here, 4 girls moved in yesterday and they've already mullered the grass in their run! Sand and woodchips on my shopping list now.

I was reading on another website about the deep litter method but they seem to be talking about using woodshavings, which I thought created dust problems.....any advice/experience welcome.

Thank you

Are you sure they mean for outside? I mean I would do deep litter with shavings in my horse's stable but outside they would just be a soggy mess in no time. Perhaps they mean in the coop?

Just re-read and you probably meant that anyway .

If you buy the bales of woodshavings they should be vacuum packed and already have the dust removed. I had to get them for my pony who had a dust allergy and couldn't have straw.

I use wood chips for mine but also have covered the run with a clear plastic tarp secured with bungee cords - in winter this goes down the sides too, with gaps for air flow. Prt of the roof is also roofed with clear corrugated panels. This way they have dry ground, which reduces the risk of foot infections.

Brambles - if I was to cover the wire roof with clear tarp to keep them dry, would I need to take it off in summer to avoid them getting to hot?

I was also thinking of putting some sand down as our drainage is generally poor - will they be OK with that? and is there a specific kind of sand which is good/bad? (probably massively overthinking it now!)

As bless ya! I keep a roof tarp on the top of mine year round, it keeps them dry. I cover a couple of the sides during the wetter seasons to give them cover from the elements.

Twice a year I dig out the run and put the wood chippings and manure on the borders where the soil can take it. Manure without chippings goes on the compost heap.

Any kind of sand but builders sand would be fine - only cause I'm fussy and builders sand stains orange!

Thanks Brambles :)
B&Q very conveniently did a sheet of corrugated clear plastic exactly the right width but slightly short for the run so they now have a roof, apart from the end foot!
Trying to think of a way to put the sand and chippings down without freaking the girls out and am thinking about trying to do it once they go to bed - any other suggestions?!

Mine are in a bloody bog. Last year was easier as they had the whole garden to run in, now they're in an enclosed coop it's just horrendous. We've got a roof to put up this weekend but I'm so worried about their little feet