First timer

Hi, I am after some help for you experienced poultry keepers.  I have just put my first set of hens in my home made coop this weekend.  It is too large to move around and when we are at work, the girls are left in the safety of the run and then let out when I get in from work to have the run of the garden.  The surface of the run is turf / mud but can anyone suggest how I can keep this fresh as I dont want to upset the neighbours by it getting a bit smelly!!
I am trying to get as much of the poo up each night with a shovel but do you have any suggestions as to anything else I could do?  Also, do I need to treat the ground incase there is a build up of nasty bugs/parasites in it as it is a static run?  Got some lovely branches in the run for the girls to jump about on and turn the soil over daily to give them something to scratch around in for bugs.  Put a few large stones in there for them to jump about on and I am hoping the bugs will collect underneath them and I can move them around aswell.

Thanks

Thanks for the advise.  The outside run itself is abount 1 1/4 metres wide and abount 2 metres long and they seem happy enough.  I am just worried as I cant move it around, it will start to go a bit whiffy!! 

Hi,
I use wood chip/tree bark in the run, with a good sprinkling of "Stalosan F". Stalosan is an antibacterial powder used in the keeping of livestock and will help reduce the smell. The birds use this in their dust baths and love it.

Lee

Thanks all for your reply.  I have 3 hybrids by the way, one bluebell, an amber star and a copper black.  They are 18 weeks old now.  I will look out for antibacterial powder and just carry on shoveling it up!! I do have a clear perspecs roof on the run so it doesnt get too wet / muddy.

I'm in the same position as you Ollie, my run is really a bit small for the number of (in my case) ducks I have however mine free range during the day. I accept the small risk that I will have a nasty visit from a fox during the day but the risk is too high at night even in a urban environment so they are always locked up at night. If I am going to be away overnight then they are locked up all day. Dosn't happen often and I always feel really guilty but better that losing another couple to a fox (you live and learn) however I accept the risk during the day as they are so much happier out.

I keep wondering what to put down but think im going for chip bark eventually.The run here is 2 meters wide by 4 1/2 meters long.Is that big enough for 3 buff orpingtons?They will come out alot too.
Half of it is slabbed and under a roof the other half is grass and earth at the mo but wth no roof.

You have 9 m squared and that should be more than plenty.  I always suggest a minumum of 2 meter squared per bird.

we use bark on the floor in our run, washed down every other night to stop it getting too smelly, mixed corn on the floor takes them ages to get scratching about in it

martyn