Bare earth in run - whiffs!

[HoofyLoo]

Our run is lovely and roomy for the chooks. It's on bare earth with a few rocks and branches for the chooks to forage in and flap onto.

However the bare soil can get really smelly. I pick up droppings everyday and give it a rake over but it's still as though the top layer is compacted chicken poo/feed/soil etc and it's whiffs. Any ideas what I can do? I've been digging it over too but think I'm just mixing a stinky layer into another to be honest!

What do you do for your run?


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[Scarlet]

If its a fixed run, you will get a build up of worms/parasites so most keepers dig out 4-6inches of the earth and fill with woodchip. This can then be raked over and changed regularly.

[HoofyLoo]

How regularly will it need to be changed?


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[Scarlet]

Depends on how many chickens you have,the weather, how big the run is, (and time that is spent in there) if you also let them free range elsewhere. You will know yourself when it becomes too dirty, smelly and compacted.

#Some keepers use slabs for a fixed run and add chips on top for them to scratch.
How big is your run? have you got any pictures?

[HoofyLoo]

It's 12x6ft. No pics as I'm at work at the mo!


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[Snadger]

Magnesium or dolomite limestone may help but don't use hydrated lime unless you can keep the chooks in an alternative run for a month.

[RichmondHens]

How many chickens do you have in that space? Tbh 12 x 6 foot is not very big and I would not keep more than 3 bantams in that area. If your run used to be grass and is now bare earth then you either need to move the birds onto fresh grass or do as Scarlet suggests and dig out and refill with woodchip. If you don't do this then when the wet weather comes the run will turn into a muddy mess which is a health hazard for the birds as well as not being very pleasant for them.

[frias]

I use Stalosan in the run which absorbs wet and also Hemcore or similar horse bedding which absorbs any smells.

[HoofyLoo]

Is stalosan ok if it ends up on the compost heap?


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[frias]

Must be OK. All poop etc goes in our compost bins and we grow everything in the compost.