Do chickens have to have a run | What to keep chickens on | What ground to keep chickens on

[@EnglishCountryLife]

Nice video! We keep our chooks on mostly grass (50m electric fence per coop) but we do use chip on areas that get worn. The chooks do love fossicking through it. I just dumped half a tonne of compost in one run full of slug eggs, centipedes and worms. They thought it was Disneyland! Did I see a Light Sussex make a brief appearance among the Speckeldy and Bluebells (?)

[@TheBungalowBlogger]

+English Country Life Indeed....we have x1 light sussex bantam, a welsummer bantam (she looks a bit ropey), a pekin bantam, A Rhode Island Red and a Cuckoo Maran (both are still young not at POL yet - we hatched them under the pekin) - although the Maran might be a cockeral....also got A Gold Ranger and a Warwickshire Bluebell(hybrids) - looking to get a couple more hybrids in the Spring :-)

[@EnglishCountryLife]

+Plain Emma Jayne Ahh the Maran was what I took for a Spekledy (Specks are Maran X RIR). Hybrids do well as egg layers I must say. We have all sorts but find Light Sussex or Bluebell good tempered and reliable layers.

[@TheBungalowBlogger]

I think our Light Sussex (Bantam) is not overly well....she rarely lays :-( Yeah our two hybrids have been great, the pekin was just constantly broody hence putting some fertile eggs under her! Keen to get some more layers in the flock next year :-)

[@stephenthomson2706]

Can you let chickens out of the run if your there in the garden?

[@CCLee-jv9hf]

Hello. Have I got this right? Wood chip is left on the run floor for up to six months? Do you poo pick everyday or thereabouts? It's the most low maintenance of all the surfactants? What do you think of straw or hay? Thank you for your help.

[@TheBungalowBlogger]

C. C. Lee thanks for your comments. We actually haven’t got any hens at the moment for various reasons....but yes I’d say woodchip (as in bark) worked for us for about 6 months (perhaps less in the winter) we didn’t poo pick every day no....it can get mucky. Straw or similar is ok but would need mucking our much more regularly....every few days I’d say and if the run isn’t covered in the winter straw would get very wet!