chicken runs

[jane]

Hello everyone. I am totally new to this, but would like to know whether it is necessary/advisable to concrete or slab a chicken run? It is just grass at the moment, but obviously that will not remain the case when i get chickens, but is it possible to avoid just a muddy wet mess by using straw or something similar, or is concrete a 'must'.

 

[chrismahon]

Hi Jane and welcome to the forum. Unless they have 15 square metres each grass will get destroyed. They eat a lot of it (40 chickens = 1 sheep) and then dig holes all over the place. We have some runs on wood chippings 3" deep, some on slabs and one earth. All the others are on grass and the runs are moved once a month. On the slabs we put old aubiose bedding from the other coops but it quickly gets wet with rain blowing in from the sides and rots down turning into a sticky mess. The wood chippings rot down as well. The covered areas last ages but the wet areas need topping up every 6 months. Ultimately it will have to be dug out and replaced with all fresh. The earth run gets quite muddy but with sandy soil it does drain quickly.

 

[Marigold]

Hi Jane,and welcome to the Forum.
I've found it very effective to cover the ground in the run with woven landscaping fabric. You need to either hem the cut edges on a sewing machine, or provide generous tuck-ins at the ends, to prevent it fraying, but if this is done it's very longlasting - mine has been down for 3 years now and is still fine. You peg it down well all round, or else weigh it down with pieces of old broken paving slabs from the recycling centre, and then add a 10cm. layer of either woodchip or rubber chippings, (which is what I use.) The membrane prevents the hens from digging up the mud into the chippings and also the combination of mambrane + chippings provides a warm soft surface for their feet, and something to dig in and bask on as well (unlike concrete, especially in winter when it freezes.) If you then pick up the poo regularly it's easy to keep the run sweet-smelling and comfortable.
As Chris says, some materials do get wet and soggy, but the answer to this is to make at least a part of the run into a dry area, with a roof and also sides which are screened from wind and rain, maybe with a clear or white plastic tarpaulin. These are cheap to buy, easy to fix, last a long time (again, mine have been up round 3 sides of the end of my run in all weathers for 3 years now) and the girls really appreciate shelter from the wind and rain and also filtered shade in hot weather. Hens hate wind, driving rain, and hot sun when they can't get away from it, and do best in a sheltered dry part of their run if this can be provided for them.

 

[karminski]

a lot of it depends on how big your run is and how much your willing to spend on protecting it from the elements of the weather , if your going to put on a solid roof then that could work out costly although if done properly it will last a very long time .
i tried the membrane and woodchips but soon took it all up as the soil underneath was just disgusting it was very smelly etc etc but my run is way to big to put on a solid roof although i would love one .
now i dig my run over and make pot holes where the puddles form and it seems to work quite well for me and the girls just love the mucky yukky puddles and i have to admit its funny when they full in them but not so funny when i full in them in the dark 05 05 the main area where it does get very muddy just has large pavement slabs on raised sleeper boards so the air still gets to it and it doesnt smelll .

 

[Philcott]

I've put straw down in my static runs over the winter, and just add another layer on top of the mucky one, so though it is wet, it is at least clean! Then come Spring I dig it all out (and boy does it pong when I do) and leave the run with just the soil in it for the summer and autumn, before filling it again at the begining of winter. Sounds weird but it does work!

 

[VALBURNHAM]

I have two covered runs which are on bare ground covered in Aubiose. In the worst weather rain does get in and wet it but the majority of the time it lasts a couple of months. I also have an open run on bare ground on which I put wood chip. I live on clay ground but as long as i keep a decent depth of wood chip its fine does not get smelly at all. Twice a year I take the top layer off as the woodchip underneath has rotted into the ground. I then dig the run over and top up with new fresh woodchip. I get my woodchip from a tree surgeon I dont pay for the expensive bagged stuff. Oh and I sprinkle all runs with Stasfon F (prob spelt wrong) fortnightly

 

[karminski]

i did do the whole deep woodchip after my first year of keeping the girls as i could not stand the mud and although it was good and kept the smell down the clearing it out after was hell especailly when i found out about the mouldspores that can harbour under neath and do the girls harm , val do you suffer with that or do you rake yours over to stop it happening ??
at the mo my bantams are on membrane with woodchip as i dont like them being on the mud thier little feet and feathers get so clogged with the stuff but i am considering taking up the membrane and just adding plenty of wood chip .

 

[Stapfam]

I have a covered run and it only gets wet when wind blows the rain in at the sides. Even though I am on clay- the wet bits do dry out pretty quick. My runs are just bare earth and I Turn half of it over one month and the other half the following month. Never get any smell and The chooks love the earth for dust baths.

I tried chippings 6" deep and they just dug under it to the soil so all I had was muddy chippings.-Tried adding sand to the soil but it got expensive. Only problem I have is a Build up of soil-Those droppings have to go somewhere- so I remove sufficient about every 6 months to stop any excess.

 

[Marigold]

As you can see from all these different ways of delaing with the problem, we all have to find a way of coping with the mud and mess! I think it really matters how well drained your soil is. If the run is on low-lying ground, or on a heavy clay soil, especially if it's so wet that puddles form as Karminski says, the problems are going to be much worse than if the drainage is good. Covering the ground with slabs or concrete may sound a good way to go, but with my first chickens I tried this and it was a nightmare, because when I tried to hose away the muck there was nowhere for the water to drain and I ended up with mucky smelly slurry running down the garden. We are very lucky here, being at the top of the hill, on chalky, fast-draining soil, so drainage isn't a problem, and the membrane idea works well. My rubber chippings never get mouldy, but they do need maintenance, ie the dirty ones need to be picked up, and hosed down through a sieve once a week, after which they go back into the run, never need digging out and last for everThe hens walk around on top of 4 ins of rubber chippings and never get wet or muddy feet even if the ground below is wet.

 

[karminski]

your best bet is to just try a bit of everything then you will soon see what works best for you and your set up , i have tried pretty much everything now just have soil but grin and bare the mud as my run is open from all sides the wind soon drys it out and i have my slabs paths so i walk on the soil as less as poss .but i cant wait to swap the tarpaulin for windbreaking netting about a metre high around the sides the wind blows the tarpaulin of even though its secured on each post .

 

[Stapfam]

Had some flooding over the winter when 2" rain fell in 2 hours. Water table got higher than the garden and that puddle was the dust bath. By next day all the flood had gone and the next day the Run was dry. And we are on Clay.

 

[karminski]

wow and i thought i got puddles at the mo its lovely and dry but i have heard its meant to rain over the weekend will have to wait and see butno doubt it will as the area going the yard that goes into the field is finally drying out nice now and each time that drys it rains.

 

[chrismahon]

That's one seriously boggy run Stapfam. But if it dries out quickly there should be no long term problem with feet. Even ours get like that after heavy rain and we are on sand and gravel base soil.

 

[Sue]

As you're on clay Stapfam as long as it's only wet short term it's probably quite good for their legs and feet anyway! A bit like a face pack for the feet!!! 07 07

 

[Stapfam]

This was exceptional but This is just an Earth run. All I do is dig one half one month and the other half a month later. No smell--Probably got washed away- and the soil is like potting compost. My one concern with muddy days dirty feet and I do check the birds by catching them every week. Occasionally get a build up of Rock Hard soil on the claws of the feet but not often.

And if any of you do get the potting compost soil in the run--Compost it for 3 months at least. I mix it in with my compost heap as I build it and it makes for better compost.