[animal mad]

hi, i have a run for my chickens who are 6 weeks old now, they love it, the only problem i have is the rain. it has a covered roof with a 2 inch overflap around the top, one side is protected by the fence panel, i have two open sides (with wire of course) the floor was lovely grass, on side is still really good the other side is turning into a muddy mess, any ideas what i should put on there.

[Debz]

I use chipped bark which smells nice for a while and then I take some out, use it as top dressing in the garden and replace it with a fresh bag.  When the weather is dryer it doesn't have to be replaced as often.

[animal mad]

is that the bark chip you get from the garden centre

[hillfooter]

Hi Animal mad,
Bark is a potential solution but a really good no or little maintainance solution are duck boards made by fixind 25 to 30mm square batons togethe to form a mat with a gap of around 30mm between each baton.  Treat with animal safe preservative.  You can use these on the entrance to the run to stop wear too.  If it's slightly raised off the grass by the fixing cross batens on the bottom the droppings will fall through and every so often like every 3 months or so you can lift them out power spray or hose them and remove any droppings.  A really cheap solution is old lattice trellis (of square baton) which you can get free if you can find someone replacing their old trellis or go down the tip.   Nail a few more batons on if you want to and make sure theres no nails sticking through.  I use this method on top of bark or actually "Forest Mulch" which is cheaper (this is shredded branches and can be obtained for almost free (just delivery) from tree surgeons hedge and woodland maintainance firms, or woodland estates etc.  If you use this make sure there's no YEW in it.  The trellis or duck borads stop the bark from being scratted out and the chx walk on the batons and not on the bark.  Don't use bark as litter in your house that's a definite no no.

Regards

[Foxy]

Is that a sort of grid effect with the wood? thats a clever idea!

[hillfooter]

yep.  Go to your local timber yard get enough batons long enough to to do your run and enough of them to go across the run and say 3 to use as cross members to hold em together.  Use tantilised wood.  make them in two separate halves (ie each about half the width of the run) as they are lighter and easier to insert in the run from an open end.  This makes a mat of just long batons with no cross members on the top surface if you follow.  The old trellis idea is also good if you can find some.  Trellis baton is 38mm x20mm and comes tanilised but if you are making your own 25mm square is better for chx to walk on and to use on the ground as it lasts longer

 I'd post a photo of mine but I've not figured this out yet though sounds loike I would need some software called photobucket and i really don't want to keep downloading software.  Don't know why I can't just paste a jpg but I tried and it doesn't seem to work

[Aunt Sally]

hillfooter,

If your chooks have a duck board or trellis over the bark where do they dig and scratch about ?

[Foxy]

You dont have to download software HF, photobucket is a web-hosted site
www.photobucket.com

re: just pasting jpg. images you should be able to from your pc. but maybe your piccies are too large?? I usually use PB as I have trouble resizing on my pc.

[Flowerpower136]

I've used softwood chips from B&Q thrown on the muddy bits, and where I need to walk, have used decking tiles.  Also available from B&Q, about £2 something each. 

Best of both worlds.

[hillfooter]

Hi Auntie,

Well I have Forsham Lenhams and on the front I have a covered run made from mesh and baton panels with the cover being provided by a light tarpaulin  held down with bungees,  Costs a few £s from Screwfix.  Use 8ft by 4ft standard size tarp. Cheap light and easy to clean and change.  Also makes a good table to examine birds on.  The end of the runs hinges open upwards like a flap (make it half the height so it folds up without protruding).  The house and run is within a 50m net electrified on a grassed meadow.   Every 3 months I move the net to fresh ground on a rota designed to break the worm cycle.  The covered run is to provide shade and shelter keep the feed dry and the entrance to the house dry so no mud gets trailed in.  The duck boards or should I say chicken boards, keep the floor from being paddled.

Re the photo of B&Q decking boards is similar to what I'm suggesting though the boards are a little wider than i'd like and not as long as the ones I use.  25mm batons are better for chickens claws to grip and the dropping don't accumulate on the narrower batons but fall through.  Otherwise the B&Q ready made solution looks reasonably good.

I'll try a photopost again


Regards

[animal mad]

thanks for all your help, this site is amazing for ideas! i will try some ideas when my husband gets home and let you know.

[Aunt Sally]

Gotcha hillfooter

It's not what I might call a run - which is where the chooks live most of the time, it's more of a front porch with somewhere to wipe your feet 

[hillfooter]

No Auntie a front porch is where you have your milk delivered, you hang your bonnet  and where the postie leaves your letters.  I've looked through all my chicken reference books and not one mentions that chickens have front porches so it stands to reason it's a run!

Lots of love as I'm feeling generous today

[Aunt Sally]

   I was wondering why the papers I left never got read and the milk was just knocked over 

[hillfooter]

Thx Foxy re photos I can resizae jpg ok as I regularly use a DTP system to design brochures.  Any idea how small I tried about 150K ish.