should I use Bark?

[Anonymous]

We've got our chickens in a 6ft high dog run so it obviously stays in one place. The floor is just earth, which the girls love but I've been reading that you should clean out the run floor and replace litter every so often to stop disease and the smell. Since I'm not using anything on the floor, should I start? Is it ok to use bark for the garden? will the girls like it as much? Thanks to anyone that can help.

 

[Davidd]

Hello, during the summer months i would either turf it- ( it wont last long but they will love it) or leave it as plain earth and dig it over every week or two- they will love scratching in the newly turned earth As the weather gets wetter you can use bark chippings then if you find it gets too wet. If your run is big enough you could divide it in two and seed or turf one part then you can always rest one side while the other grows- chickens do really well on grass- makes the yolks a deep yellow and they enjoy picking, scratching and making dust baths in the grass.
regards, David

 

[podstable]

last winter for the first time I got so fed up with mud I put down coarse wood chips for them (and me ! ) in the areas getting muddy. They loved it ,scratched around -most ending up in food and water containers. It still got mucky but once things dried up I was able to dig it out and put it on the manure heap to rot down. If you use wood chips free of bark you should be safe from the poisonous fungi that are found in wet bark.Ros

 

[Anonymous]

Thanks for that guys. They are learning to free range and will have the garden for part of the day, so I'll leave them with the dirt for the summer and get wood chips later on. Don't know if I need to turn the soil, they dig such massive holes! :lol:

 

[Anonymous]

Being a newby to having chooks, we had part grass part soil in their run but is all just dirt now! But the girls are enjoying the dirt with the weather being warmer by digging holes deep into it and lying in them to cool down with their legs stretched out to the side :lol: Will need to get a pic on of them doing it.

The girls have been free ranging the last two days and having a ball, today they have been running around the garden and it is hysterical to watch :lol:

Will see how it goes after the summer for putting the wood chips down aswell, thanks to welshchick for starting the topic

Kim

 

[Anonymous]

Hi,
My enclosure is quite muddy in the winter and I pit down wood chips (make sure you get the ones without the bark). They love it - Dr Foster could get lost in the huge holes they dig in it!.
My understanding is that I need to dig this out and replace it after 12 months.
So far it's going OK.
Here's a pic.

 

[Anonymous]

Hi Kim,
Know exactly what you mean about laying on their sides with their feet outstretched, Hubby came in yesterday a bit shaken saying one of the chickens had died! He didn't realise they layed like that and thought she had keeled over :lol: In his defence, he hadn't spent the last week watching every move they made like I had. Obviously I didn't tease him about it at all
Judith

 

[Anonymous]

:lol: I like it!!

Glad that i'm not the only one that just sits there watching their every move. My o/h works offshore and only saw them for their first half hour at home and then he had to go back to work. Their all i talk about when he phones every night. Thats sad that you had to rehome your last bunch. But congrats for your new clan when they arrive at their new home.

So do the ducks get on pretty well with the chickens and do you house them together at night? We got our chickens last week and spoke to my brother today and he has decided to get three ducks soon, just down to him and my dad building them a home. O/h works with someone who was looking to rehome a few ducks a month ago but we weren't ready for them as we were still awaiting the coop.

Sorry gibbering on a bit here and this is turning into a novel. :shock:

Kim