Looking for the best site??

[pumpkin cuddler]

hello,

Please could I ask what surface is best to house chickens on

We have chickens at home and the area we have the run on is concrete, but we need to move them.

The area they will be moved to is grass, which we are aware will very quickly turn to just dirt after a few weeks.

The ladies are in a run which has the concrete base and then we put a really good covering of wood chippings/shruff. When we move them is it worth getting paving slabs and then laying the shruff/chippings as we had before or to have them on the grass, soon to be dirt. Then laying the chippings down once they have destroyed the grass top.

Our concern here is the smell, if they are on just dirt. I say this because on the allotment there are some people who have their chickens on just dirt and quite often it really does smell. Is this due to lack of hygene on the owners part. If this is the case is it as simple as digging over the ground liming it and then all is well. Or does the smell of the poo just make the land smell regardless of what the owner does??

Or if we just have the dirt laying the chippings on top and cleaning it out and getting fresh every so often as we now do will this keep the smell away??

Also, at present we have the ladies on concrete and it is very difficult for rats/ Mr fox to get in.
If they are on dirt we are guessing it is much easier for them to dig through. Does anyone have any suggestions to stop this problem too. Would like to keep the ladies in one piece if possible.

[roadkill]

i have coverd my run to stop the ground getting wet when it rains as this made it smell loads more but since then i have added chippings and the smell has gone , mine was down to the layers mash going sour that had been left on the floor .

So i would say the grass will be fine if you change the chipping every so often

roadkill