Chicken bald back

[PoachedPlease]

I only have a small run 1.5x3m which is on soil with sand on top. The run is pretty open to the elements. In summer the sand stays nice and the poop dries on it, shrinking. But in winter it gets trod into the soil along with the poop. This means it doesn't take long until the soil needs another layer of sand on it, and as I just put it intop I'm not sure if I need to disinfect the ground or just wait for the rain to wash the poop into the soil.

 

Anybody else use sand? How do you stop it from vanishing into the soil??

Thanks

[Chickabee]

I do put some sand in one of my runs, but it is covered. I also use bio dry, because I'm a bit sensitive to smells

[nin-chicken]

I've got sand in my run - co"Ooops, word censored!" sand. It's on top of a membrane so that it doesn't get muddy and the membrane has some green plastic mesh on top so that the chickens don't tear up the membrane with their feet. The sand is 3-4 inches thick, I poo pick a couple of times a day to keep it nice, and plan to clean with stalosan (sp?) every week and jeyes fluid every month. I haven't had my hens for long but all these things were recommended to me by very experienced poultry keepers. Hope that helps!

[nin-chicken]

I've got sand in my run - co"Ooops, word censored!" sand. It's on top of a membrane so that it doesn't get muddy and the membrane has some green plastic mesh on top so that the chickens don't tear up the membrane with their feet. The sand is 3-4 inches thick, I poo pick a couple of times a day to keep it nice, and plan to clean with stalosan (sp?) every week and jeyes fluid every month. I haven't had my hens for long but all these things were recommended to me by very experienced poultry keepers. Hope that helps!

[Chickabee]

I've got sand in my run - co"Ooops, word censored!" sand. It's on top of a membrane so that it doesn't get muddy and the membrane has some green plastic mesh on top so that the chickens don't tear up the membrane with their feet. The sand is 3-4 inches thick, I poo pick a couple of times a day to keep it nice, and plan to clean with stalosan (sp?) every week and jeyes fluid every month. I haven't had my hens for long but all these things were recommended to me by very experienced poultry keepers. Hope that helps!

Hi, hope you don't mind me asking. Where did you get your membrane and mesh

[nin-chicken]

Hello, sorry for the delay! The membrane came from wickes I think and the plastic mesh came from a local garden centre. you could probably get both from a garden Centre.

Good luck!

[Chickabee]

Thanks. Got too excited so went out today. Got the membrane and mesh from garden centre along with some wooden edging. Got the sand from Travis Perkins (very cheap). Thanks for the idea even though the run is covered it was beginning to get muddy already