Keeping the coop & run ground 'healthy'

[Anonymous]

I read in another post that mud and worms can be a problem when a coop & run are not moved. I have not yet built my set-up but it will most definitely be on a fixed site (a shrub border), permanently. I plan to use leaves and chipped bark/wood on the ground to surpress mud.

Q1: Could I let the leaves and bark naturally compost into the border or do I have to clean them out for the sake of worms? If the latter, how often to change - I've seen advice ranging from 1 month to 1 year?

Q2: Would it help if I occasionally sprayed the mulch with Jeyes fluid or similar? Would that be enough to surpress pests and extend the life of the mulch?

Q3: Any other advice pse?

Thanks again,N

 

[victorias poultry]

If it is to be a fixed run, I would, space permited try and have 2 runs, one to rest when muddy/dirty and so on. Wouldn't suggest jeyes fluid although never tried, I think it would not do the chooks a world of good and if strong could possibly damage their feet.

 

[hodgsonhorse]

Hi! I use Jeyes fluid to clean out all of my houses & sheds & haven't had aany foot problems when using it on the floors, although i do spread shavings about 2 inches thick on the floors once they've been cleaned...although i'd strongly advise against using it on earth/bark as the hens will be pecking & scratting through the ground most of the day & are sure to digest the Jeyes fluid along with other bits of dirt & vegitation they chose to munch on!

A little tip with Jeyes fluid is to water it down, i have a litre sized household spray that i pour Jeyes fluid in so that it's a couple of cm's up the side of the bottle & then top it up with tap water...so that it's more than 3/4 water in the mixture...i find it still keeps the houses clean & smelling fresh if cleaned out once a week-10days, but doesn't put the birds at risk of getting drunk on Jeyes fumes!!! :lol:

Personally (& people have many different views!) i like to keep my smaller houses off the floor, by either building a frame for it to sit on or popping some bricks/breeze blocks under them...this allows the underniether of the house to breathe, which long term stops it rotting or getting damp & in this weather reduces frost problems! & then i put a small ladder upto the house for the hens to waddle up...it is slightly harder to achieve if your house & run are attached but very possible! Oh & in winter houses with floors in are best as i find it easier to make the hens warmer

& i agree hugely with above, if you could have 2 seperate runs it would be best, although could maybe be possible with just 1, but you will simply have to try it & see how it goes, different land takes to it differently!

Hope this helps! Not solid advise, but just a few friendly tips that i've found work for us!
All the best & hope you have fun with chuckies!

Amy

 

[snifter]

I'd always suggest having 2 spaces so you can rest the ground in one run and move them over to the other for a few months. But if you don't have space/finances/time/inclination then one can be made to last.

I'd not use leaves. I'd stick with woodchip. If you use a deep enough bed of it and put some sheeting down under it you can then replace it every X months as needed. Just ensure you poke holes in the sheeting so the water can run into the soil underneath.

Also if you can ensure your birds can free range a bit. Grass is a food and also the exercise is good for them.

Never ever use Jeyes or anything else like that on the woodchip or the ground. Its nasty stuff and should not be used on that sort of thing. Only ever use it to clean out the hen house or solid floors and then ensure its well and truly rinsed and allowed to dry. I'd never clean my hen house out with Jeyes unless I could do so and run the Jeyes and water down a drain in the yard. Never clean it in the run or where the chooks are going to be on the ground. Its really not kind to the environment and will kill things it comes across in the ground.

 

[Tim]

The other thing with Jeyes on the ground is you'll find worms will come out of the surface of the soil when it comes into contact with them - and the chooks will mop them up covered in Jeyes - which of course is bad news.

 

[Anonymous]

I find in my small poultry runs i have covered them with corrugated clear sheets to help stop some of the rain from entering. Plus i dig over the soils every few weeks which help to keep it fresher & less muddy for the birds as the loose soil helps to drain away water easier !

John