The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Poultry & Waterfowl => Topic started by: Cobra on October 03, 2010, 02:13:45 am
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Hi all, Before the chicken run gets to muddy i want to lay some bark down. After looking around there are several different types, bark chippings, bark chippings mulch etc etc.
Which should I look for whats the best to use. thanks :wave:
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not from a chicken keeping point of view so i may be wrong but
based on experience as a landscaper the large coarse bark takes longer to break down and provides better drainage so thats what i chose to try and keep there feet dry, although this persistent rain is already challenging that plan!!!
i think i may need to put another layer on top!!!
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I've started creating paths through the mud with pebbles collected from the veg plot :D of course that's just to prevent me falling on my bum ;D
I would look at the origin of the bark as well, some are environmentally a bit dodgy and can carry plant diseases from Asia.Maybe ask at your local sawmill or at least get European?
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Don't use wood bark as it holds the germs as it absorbs the wet.
I use course builders sand, not the fine red type. It drains easily and you can re-use it on the garden when it's mucky. I rake mine over and collect the droppings.
OK to disentfect with Jayes Fluid and still OK to use it on the garden after it's had Jayes Fluid on it.
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I used coarse builders sand too, and it did the job a treat. Solved the mud problem immediately and was easy to keep clean.
Lovely in the garden but I wouldn't use bark underfoot for chooks.
:chook:
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When you say coarse builders sand, do you mean sharp sand?.
Badger
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Originally did it a few years back so can't remember, but think it prob was. We were laying a new concrete floor in the garage at the time and had bags of the stuff left over. It worked well for us, easy to clean off muck, and easy to top up as and when.
:chook: :)
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I tried sand but it just gets absorbed in minutes (ducks ::), so I have to use pebbles, even they disappear into the mud after a week of rain :&>
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Thanks to everyone for your responce and help tips, great info. :chook:
I thought about the disease element's and wondered about pests, so glad that someone else has confirmed the concern; I am a little sceptical on the sand idea? I know I'm asking and putting down something before I try it :-[ I'm happy to try it and be proved wrong; from building and trudging around on sites, I don't recall sand being much of a benefit and I guess thats why I'm a little unsure.
I have a couple of ducks with the chooks as well; and of course! The damp conditions come with choice I made on that front :) they are extremely happy together and have been since they hatched so I have no immediate want to separate them, however i may concider running a temp fence through the pen so they are together but separate their habits shall we say ;D
Thanks peps really useful stuff :wave:
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I haven't used either so not speaking from personal experience but I have read that you should use wood chips not bark chips for the reasons outlined above. Perhaps that might be an option?
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Opinions can be very relevent and I certainly don't mind hearing them ;)
Someone said use the rubber type chips, as they are hygienic and can be washed through with water; but an opinion is that they are more often than not made from recycled car tyres, some have been know to contain small pieces of wire from the tyre reinforcement, I certainly have seen adverts that state wire free etc. So I'm listening to experience and opinion it's all relevant when your making a choice and thats why I love asking here. ;D ;D
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Opinions can be very relevent and I certainly don't mind hearing them ;)
Someone said use the rubber type chips, as they are hygienic and can be washed through with water; but an opinion is that they are more often than not made from recycled car tyres, some have been know to contain small pieces of wire from the tyre reinforcement, I certainly have seen adverts that state wire free etc. So I'm listening to experience and opinion it's all relevant when your making a choice and thats why I love asking here. ;D ;D
would the rubber not kill the birds if they ate it though. bark/wood chip will harbor parasites and all sorts of nasties pluss redmight love to hide in it. Thought of straw yes it harbours mites but you can compost it when its to wet and then use it on your garden.
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straw would need to be put on the compost by the hour in this weather! :o
My hens love to pick at the putty from old windows and they have not been harmed by eating it if I was not fast enough to confiscate, it seems to be a delicacy ::). Maybe rubber - if it is the real stuff would be not quite so bad either? ??? :&>
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Apparently this rubber is made for this purpose and is sized to stop swallowing and choking. :-\ Dint fancy it my self.
Ill get a bit of sand see what occurs, maybe put some wood chip tother end and do a comparason ;) Let you know what happens.
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The rubber chips are prob the same type used for horse schooling areas (menages). It is meant to be made from rubber without wire, but of course, always worth double checking. The chunks are fairly large, I've never heard of a bird going anywhere near them - and a new school doesn't half whiff of rubber for quite a while.
Straw is a no-no (it will get wet, stay that way and be a muddy pain in the whatsit to clean up) I wouldn't use woodchip either, you will find it's soggy in the first rain and stays that way. It costs a lot more than a bag of sand too. Use plenty of sand and I think you will be fine. My chicken run was on a muddy slope, pooped on, and pretty yukky to walk over. I tipped quite a few bags of sand on the ground (as it was what I had to hand), raked it out, and it really did work a treat.
Let us know how you get on.
:chook: :wave:
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Is fine rounded gravel worth considering for the hen run- it will withstand a real good hosing down to remove the yucky stuff>
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My hen run is a permanent bog at the moment and I can see it is only going to get worse over the winter. I am at my wits end as to what to do about it. It started off as grass, the hens and ducks mashed THAT up! So I separated them and the ducks are now in a grassy run so it is definitely the hens that make the mess. I have tried type 1 hardcore, sand, straw, boards, more boards, more straw and STILL it is soggy and squelchy. I absolutely loathe going in for their eggs. I am seriously thinking of slabbing the whole area and making drainage holes through the one foot high wall - then at least I can hose it down and hopefully it will drain into the adjacent burn. All Ic an hope is that the RSPCA inspector doesn't come by before I get it sorted! ::)
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We use wood chips as we have found it to be very cheap, for those of you in Fife Ladybank sawmill do it for £1 a bag if you fill your own bags!!! So how much also depends on the size of bags you have and we have kept some pretty big bags over the years so 13 of them fill a C5 estate with the seats down. We have never had a problem with red mite or anything so must just be lucky. You can buy it already bagged from the sawmill but obviously this is a more expensive way to do it. :wave:
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i got some cheap half slabs from a well known DIY store and put them down as stepping stones from gate to coop
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Hi,
Has anyone had any luck with what to put down? I was going to post the question & then found this thread. The soles of my boots are twice the size when I come out of the run - drives me bats! :chook:
I'm thinking that the sharp sand sounds good... :wave:
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pebbles from the veg patch it is for me, creating a path throught the mud :&>
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Well if I'm honest as yet I haven't tackled it :-[ I am going to get some sand and see how that works out for now.
Any ideas i had of stone or pebble or hard material; I wont try until its actually dry as mud will swallow such material in a very short time, like in gate ways etc.
Still thinking on the bark idea if I'm honest ??? Sand first then will see how it goes, sorry peep's been so busy sorting for the new pigs of late.
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No problem, Cobra, :chook:
I still haven't attempted anything either - I only have 4 chickens but work full time & have 2 sons at home so....
Anyway, going to get some sharp sand tomorrow & try that. :wave:
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i put the half slabs down and they messed on them then it rained and when i went in and out i fell over and got covered in ... well, i was thinking something anti slip in there now
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when you find a solution let me know ;) all my pebbles have sunk into the mud ::) :&>
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i have used ornamental bark in the past for some of my pens. Never had any problems with it. It just needs topping up from time to time.
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We put down unmulched wood chips and change it every 3/4 months - we put the old stuff in the compost heap or on the allotment so it all gets recycled ;D
There's a couple of sawmills nearby so the chips are cheap as, er, chips. :)
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:chook: Well - 5 bags of sharp sand later and.... nah! It's marginally better I suppose but no real solution so back to the drawing board ???
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very thick layer of wood shavings. i'm using a bale of it now and seems to keep mess and smell down. not sure how long it will last for but pretty good after two days so far
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builder's rubble on here to recreate the path - the pebbles just sank into the deep, deep mud - 10 buckets full! ::) :&>