Running Repairs

After refurbishing his hen housing last month, Alan Holtham switches his expert, practical attention to his chicken runs, and what’s needed to bring those back up to scratch.

Sadly, this winter has been a little different from the past few, given the Defra-imposed restrictions we’re all having to live with for the time being. Confining the birds inside has undoubtedly put extra pressure on housing, but it’s also highlighted the benefits of having a covered run, however makeshift it may be.

Having experienced the advantages of cover first hand, as a result of recent events, I’ve heard from a lot of keepers who are now thinking about making their temporary covered structures more permanent – when time and finances allow – particularly if AI scares are going to become a regular issue.

Covered advantage

I have a mixture of both covered and open runs and, before the lockdown came into force, the open ones had already started to degenerate into the usual sea of mud that’s so unhealthy for both the birds and their keeper. Squelching through it on dark, winter’s night is no joke.

However, one positive of having the birds shut away – if there can be one – is that it gives you the chance to really get to grips with sorting the outside runs, while they’re empty. So let’s stay positive and get cracking on these open runs, in the hope that they’ll be usable again soon. Ideally, open runs should be movable, so you can rest the ground within them to avoid worm build-up, and allow the grass to re-grow.

It’s amazing what powers of recovery grass has. My empty field run has started to green-over in just a few weeks, despite the fact that winter’s still with us. Resting the ground is a basic husbandry technique recommended in all my old poultry books, even those dating back to the 1800s.