[tomtoby]

Hi
Being new to chucks we didn't put a roof on our outdoor run - the 7 of them have the play house for rainy times - we fingured they'd just go in!!  But came home today after our first downpour (we've had them 5 weeks or  so) to find very bedraggled chucks particularly the 2 cream legbars - their feathers look dreadful - they will recover won't they???     Why do they look so much worst than the spekeldys, bovans and white star??  They may have decided to talk a dust bath in the mud - we've been thinking they are a little less bright than the others  :?

We're going to try and provide a bit of cover outside for them with some kind of low roof area within the run (it's 3.5x5m so we can't roof it all) and I guess we'll put some bark chippings down for their feet - hubby was thinking about straw but I reckoned it won't last 5 minutes - any thoughts from the pros?  Hemcore sounds nice but outside our budget i'm afraid.
Thanks for any thoughts
Tom

[Aunt Sally]

Bark is a good choice.  The bigger the lumps the better,  I use play bark.  The finer stuff goes "mushy" more quickly.

I use Hemcore in their little house and even in their nest box.  It's brilliant stuff.  Deoderizes their poos a treat.  

[richyrich7]

My lot get bare earth out side and I occasionally throw a bag of bark chippings in or they love half a bag of sand!. But my run is covered, as I soon discovered there to thick to go in if it rains  

Inside it's straw and shavings piled 6" deep and left till it's been broken right down by their constant scratching. But I do have a droppings board to catch the nightly poo, so the straw/shavings don't get to messy.