[JMF]

What is best to use on the ground in the chicken run - has anyone used the rubber chippings as not sure about them - also have heard that you can use lime to freshen up the soil - is it safe for chickens to use the ground after this has been done or how long should you leave it before reintroducing the chooks thanks

[Mossley]

To be honest, I don't know... but if you applied lime I suspect you'd need to leave  it a significant amount of time before introducing the chickens. Otherwise it could react with the urea in their droppings and release ammonia. As well as the smell, if you had a mobile run and were using the droppings to fertilise the soil, this would also mean that you'd lose a lot of nitrogen.

[GrannieAnnie]

Munty told me years ago that in my permanent runs, in between flocks I should spray with dilute Jeyes fluid, leave to dry for a bit, then sprinkle garden lime over.  Once I've done that, my Brian rotovates the ground for me, and to-date I've no ever had any worm problems there.

I don't just lime it and leave it for the chickens to poo on though.  The only time my runs smell of ammonia is after its rained!