chicken run

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samuria

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chicken run
« on: October 19, 2019, 11:23 »
 i have 13 hens and there run is kept clean by me digging it over once a week.
its quite large. my question is  how can i refresh the soil for them?
i have no other area to keep them in so moving is a no  no .... :unsure:

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New shoot

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Re: chicken run
« Reply #1 on: October 20, 2019, 11:23 »
I use bark chip and hose it down over the summer to keep it clean (my run is roofed).  Over the winter I just turn it over now and then.  After a few months, I dig it out, replace and use the old stuff on the plot as mulch.
 
This time of year I also chuck leaves in.  They get broken down and incorporated pretty quickly  :)

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samuria

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Re: chicken run
« Reply #2 on: October 20, 2019, 12:56 »
my run is not covered. they have a large shelter also. tried the leaves in the run collected from the woods, but when it rained it was so slippery.... i just wanted to know if anything could be added to the soil while i dug it over  :unsure:

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snow white

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Re: chicken run
« Reply #3 on: October 21, 2019, 07:30 »
I never had your problem because i split my run into two and alternated them but i did read about someone who put woodchips, compost material (leaves, stems, old plants ete) and straw, and used it as a large compost heap.  The stuff eventually rotted down and became compost which was removed and the process started again.  Makes a negative into a positive.  It was a deep pile of stuff which meant it wasn't very muddy.   It was on the internet. might be worth a search.

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samuria

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Re: chicken run
« Reply #4 on: October 23, 2019, 21:56 »
I never had your problem because i split my run into two and alternated them but i did read about someone who put woodchips, compost material (leaves, stems, old plants ete) and straw, and used it as a large compost heap.  The stuff eventually rotted down and became compost which was removed and the process started again.  Makes a negative into a positive.  It was a deep pile of stuff which meant it wasn't very muddy.   It was on the internet. might be worth a search.
[/quote thanks for the reply, but that seems like a lot of work come time to dig it all out,
then  i would need some where to put all the stuff  ???

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snow white

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Re: chicken run
« Reply #5 on: October 25, 2019, 14:46 »
 :lol: :lol: :lol:  I know.  Too much for me too.  ::)

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RubyRed

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Re: chicken run
« Reply #6 on: October 27, 2019, 09:10 »
   I think you can buy a soil sanitizer for hen runs that comes in a tub that you just shake n vac haha. And I've used garden lime dug in to cleanse the soil.

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grinling

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Re: chicken run
« Reply #7 on: October 27, 2019, 17:14 »
Roofing the run prevents wet soil, but would still need to be dug over. Roofing also reduces any smell. I use a tunnel and a wired greenhouse for a separate run area. My floor is concrete because mine is in the garden, something you cannot do at an alotment



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