Wood chip from local tree surgeon

[tlck9]

Hi there, we have had two huge piles of wood chip delivered at our allotment but I believe looking at them they have poss llandi branches, fir tree cuttings is this a problem with chucks as I need to do something to stop the mud bath

[roitelet]

I don't think that the llandi will do any harm but the wood chip would make better paths on the lottie and use straw for the chooks. I dig over the run or at least part of it to let the ground drain. It's quite amazing hot the chooks compact the surface and underneath the ground is relatively dry, then I put old straw down where humans have to walk. At the end of winter all the straw which is well activated goes on the compost heap. I find this works well.

[VirginVegGrower]

Does straw nOt harbour red mite? Thought I had read this somewhere.

[chris]

It can, if you have an infestation, yep.. apparantly they can get in the hollow straw bits. I use straw for my nestboxes.. just hauled a bale back from Derby as you can't buy it anywhere near me at the moment (too wet, everyone says).

[Suechooks]

I've been using wood chipping from the tree surgeon for several years. The only one you need to avoid is YEW. (Spotted some in a recent delivery - berries and all )
I let it start to rot down then dig out and put either on the compost or as now straight on the vegetable beds. In winter I do use straw in the covered areas of the runs just for them to cwch into if its cold and damp.
VVG Red mite will hide anywhere but unlikely to be a problem in the run as they like the dark.

[VirginVegGrower]

It can, if you have an infestation, yep.. apparantly they can get in the hollow straw bits. I use straw for my nestboxes.. just hauled a bale back from Derby as you can't buy it anywhere near me at the moment (too wet, everyone says).

I hope you didn't buy it as I have access to free straw - next time you're up?!

[VirginVegGrower]

I've been using wood chipping from the tree surgeon for several years. The only one you need to avoid is YEW. (Spotted some in a recent delivery - berries and all )
I let it start to rot down then dig out and put either on the compost or as now straight on the vegetable beds. In winter I do use straw in the covered areas of the runs just for them to cwch into if its cold and damp.
VVG Red mite will hide anywhere but unlikely to be a problem in the run as they like the dark.

Never knew that - am still on this learning curve. I buy Aubiose for the nest box area and it goes with poop on my compost heap - steaming nicely. When I used wood chips I would pick out conifer and ivy - just try to get it plain. All our spent chips/poop went in top of the garden as a fertiliser/mulch. I have popped that big branch in which they seem to like strutting up and down.

[chris]

I hope you didn't buy it as I have access to free straw - next time you're up?!

Yeah I did buy it.. grr. Righty, i'm up at xmas. I'll leave room in me boot

[VirginVegGrower]

OK I will ask for some. I get it loose in feed sacks. How many do you want?

[tlck9]

I couldn't remember if I had read somewhere about fir trees/llandi which is similar, I suppose I could have read about christmas tree pines or something.

Just these last couple of piles seem to have those shredding of what looks like llandi, I had some rotting where it had just left the wood, but the guy piled a new lot on for me

Its too wet to put straw/hay into the run, I can do so in the covered areas but it gets really boggy so was hoping to put a thick layer down and then put something over the top to try and keep their feet from being muddy

[Jeanied]

I noticed a tree surgeon reducing the prunings of a huge ash tree in our street in a big shredder on the back of his van. Well, I couldn't miss it really as it made such a racket. When I asked him what he did with the chippings (hoping for a freebie) he told me they sold them to a power station!

Sorry, off topic I know!

[VirginVegGrower]

We have intercepted two lorries on their travels in the area, given them a tenner beer money for their trouble and ended up with six tonne loads this way. We have the trees but no heavy duty chipper

[tlck9]

our guy was dumping it in a field next to his house, so now he dumps it outside the allotment, quite funny actually as some old guy came up and started to have a go saying he was dumping it on council land and he should be ashamed, only to be told that it was for the allotment. wish I'd see the guy face as he was shoving it into the hedge!

[Suechooks]

Our allotments are council run and the tree surgeon does work for the council so it saves him charging the council to pay the council to dump their own waste in their own tip-site if you get my drift!

[Hilary B]

The only way to reduce mud is better drainage. Chips may help short term, and if you renew them annually (putting the old ones to compost) that might be very helpful.
If possible, making a new base with large gravel under the top layer (of sand, wood chips, etc) and where any dampness that gets in can get AWAY (ie not in a hollow!) is a very good idea.
I'm coming to this from the POV of damp-control, rather than as a chook keeper. I never had chooks where mud was a problem, but I do know about water where it isn't wanted. Reducing how much gets there is good, letting what DOES get there escape is vital! Water wants to go downwards, so raising the bit you want dry is always a good move.
Straw can act as a sponge, if there is not good drainage, it will hold the water (and if there is good drainage, you don't need it in the run, apart from somewhere the chooks can play at 'where's the tidbits').