pea gravel for floor

[jps]

atm the floors in both of my chook runs is jsut mud and we need to change that.

pea gravel has been suggested as the stuff to use.

now, do we put down weed control stuff first to keep the gravel in one place ( sort of) or do we just dump it on the mud, the chooks will eat any weeds that dare to grow through anyway.

thanks guys

Pea Shingle | Pea Gravel Cheap Suppliers 6mm, 10mm, 20mm

that seems to be the cheapest place for pea gravel in bulk.

shame the closest we can get it delivered is the drive, means many buckets and trips through the house!

[roitelet]

Personally I wouldn't use pea or any other sort of gravel IT WILL COST A FORTUNE!!!! What with that and the weed membrane. I would just dig over the run from time to time and the chooks will have a fine time searching for worms and other beasties. When mud is a problem in the winter I put a layer of straw down which is then dug in when the weather dries up. Where we have to walk to feed and collect the eggs I use the sawdust from the chainsaw which the don't seem to scratch around as much as the straw. Soil in the run also gives them a place to dustbath so you don't have to provide a special one.

[chris]

I've used it on membrane, but wouldn't again.

a) the membrane STINKS after the poo is washed down to it/trodden in
b) the chickens start to fray the membrane anyway, buy scratching

I may just be being soft, but when I put it down my chickens did not at all look impressed.. Now mine have a run that they're in when we're away which has a concrete base, and a layer of wood chippings over it.

[jps]

the issue is that the run isnt covered so the mud stays wet all the time although it should try out this week at least.

maybe some slabs then to cover some of the mud and forget the gravel?

[chris]

Are they permanently in the run? Can you rotate the ground they use (split run down the middle length ways?) Slabs would work I guess, are easy to wash down too

A thick layer of wood chippings could be dug into your borders over winter when they are starting to break down too mind

[jps]

they are in 2 fixed runs, no option to move them.

i could fence part of each run off but that would jsut reduce the amount of space they have available then.

i will see if i can rustle up some slabs from somewhere and cover some of the mud that way then, maybe putting the slabs on bricks or something to try and keep them clean (ish)

[Newtothis]

I'm using shredded trees from the local tree surgeon - it's about 3 inches deep and they scratch in it like there's no tomorrow.
It was almost free - the tree guy has to pay to tip it....
I've had it down for 6 months now and will change it for freash soon, and use the old stuff as mulch on the borders.

[jps]

i thought there was some reason why we shouldnt use bark chippings tho, some sort of disease that can be carried?

[jps]

oh turns out its barck chippings we shouldnt use.

my thoughts with woodchip tho is it would jsut get wet and disappear into the mud

[veggiechicken]

I known it sounds obvious but can you cover part of the run to keep it dry? When I had chooks there was a part under cover, in fact it went over the hen house too, so they always had somewhere to shelter out of the rain and snow and I could hang the feeder from the roof to keep the food dry too.
I put the lawn mowings there for them to rootle around in and sawdust when I could get hold of it.
Turned into beautiful compost!
Prevention is better than cure.

[jps]

run 1 they do have the space under the shed to hide if it rains as the shed is about 18 inches or so off the floor.

i have considered covering it and even bought a camo tarpaulin to cover the run but never fitted it.

my only thinking now is it may make the run a little dark?

[kathyd]

My chickens actually like to scrat about in gravel, but I wouldn't use it in the run because it's so hard to clean. They also like mud, but again you don't want them in it all the time! How big are your runs? If you could cover just one half of it as suggested above, that would keep one end dry and you could lay down straw or wood shavings or whatever, and have a couple of slabs as stepping stones at the other end? I read somewhere about someone who put the odd pallet down too for them to get off the mud.

Could you use couple of sheets of clear corrugated PVC sheeting as a roof maybe? It lets the light in as well as keeping things dry. We finally moved our little wooden coop into a big outbuilding which we roofed with a mixture of opaque and clear PVC sheeting - so they're pampered chickens, with both indoor and outdoor space to play in - except that even when it rains they never go into the massive, newly-roofed-at-great-expense outbuilding except to lay eggs.. they prefer to sit in a miserable bundle inside an old wardrobe that's still waiting to go to the tip.. you really can't win can you?

[jps]

one run is about 14foot by 10 foot and the other is about 6-8 foot ( its not square) by about 12 foot.

i could get something like a clear tarp to cover half of the run but not sure how bad that would look.

clear rigid panels wouldnt work as the runs arent square and even, they are very strong but not perfect by any means, very home made!

i will have to look out for more slabs and pallets i think, just try and keep them off the mud.
they dont seem to mind it anyway and of course it should dry out this time of year anyway

[RichmondHens]

Wood chip is the best way forward for a fixed run. If you can dig the run out to a depth of at least six inches you may not need to put concrete or slabs in the bottom, it really depends on how well draining the soil is. But it's vital you keep the chickens off the mud especially if they are in the run 24/7, wet muddy ground can promote a variety of nasty diseases. Consider also how many birds you have and whether you might have too many in a small space which will churn the ground up pretty rapidly.

[jps]

according to all the guidelines i read before i got them they have enough space, its just that it isnt in direct sunlight all the time so it doesnt dry out as quickly.

i am going to look into covering some of the roof i think, seems the easiest option, especially on the 2nd run which is only 4 foot high anyway