Muddy run! Help please!

the girls club said:

I have 5 chickens. My grass in my run is long gone. The chickensd I now have. Have dug holes in my run and lay in them during when it's hot out. The run looks like a war zone hit it chicken style. With all the holes. We are going to revise the coop in the spring. I want to work on the run also. This may sound silly but do they sell pine needles? I recycle newspapers. I've read the threads that say put newspapers in the run. So do I just lay the papers flat on the ground? How deep do I put them?Won't the chickes feet slip on the wet paper?. How often if I do use the newspapers. Do I apply them?When thney break down. Won't that just be as muddy for the birds?Wouldn't you need to put meal worms or food down over the papers. So to start the chickens scratching the ground?As you can read by this post. I have never did this before. I'm willing to try this as the run looks bad. Thank you for your replies

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We buy pine needles at Lowes during the summer....a lot of people use it as mulch around plants in the southern state. I personally use them for bedding for our purple martins each year.

Hey friends, new to the site and to chicken ownership. Similar to a few other posters here I am up here in the PNW and enjoy the rainy climate but at concerned about mud in Our planned run. 7 ladies now with likely 5 more next year or so. 5 acres about half is tree’d with evergreens. Plenty or organic everywhere. Coop and run and nearly complete so any guidance would be great. Plan is for the run to have a complete roof with open sides with 1/2” HC up 3-4’ from bottom and chicken wire the rest of the way up (6.5’ total height). Coop (6x7) is entirely enclosed side from run access. Pine shavings currently in coop and nesting boxes. Let ladies out into a temporary run as we are a bit behind the ball but should be completed this week. Current run location is mostly dirt (muddy) with a little scattered grass. Will be loving the run and coop about 40’ once I get some more land prep done. Planning a diversion trench surrounding run for runoff. I figure the run will dry out a bit with the cover now on and planned a deep litter run. Couple questions...
1 - should we do HC entire height or is 3-4’ sufficient? Some predators in area but haven’t seen any dropping or tracks since our house was built.

2 - we have a load of 5/8” fracture rock/gravel. Thoughts on laying down an 3-4” layer on dirt and then begin the deep litter on that? Figure may help with some drainage as well. Thinking maybe 5-6” litter initially then add as needed. Obviously plenty of pine needles, leaves, sticks, and wood chunks. Planned to get some wood chips as well.

3 - what is a reasonable plan for dust baths? Incorporate into run, in coop, etc?

4 - anyone run into issues with lumbar exposure to deep litter causing rot to base of run? Plan to seal and paint but not sure about consistence contact over long periods.

5 - lastly, dumb question. With HC and CW application, are screws/washers necessary or will pneumatic staples be sufficient to prevent intrusion?

1. you could wait and see if anything chews thru the CW, or put HC all the way now.
2. If you get standing water now, best dig some trenches to alleviate that, both outside run and inside(if necessary).
I don't think the gravel is a good addition, wood chippings and other dry plant material will do the trick.
3. They can find a place where litter is not so deep, or you can make one, to bathe in.
4. Use pressure treated lumber in those areas.
5. Pneumatic staples should be good, 3/4"...make sure edges are well pinned down, at least 2 squares from edge, and HC is flat and taut across expanses.

lancasterflock said:

Here in southern Oregon it has been rainy for the last few weeks on and off. My run is sooooo muddy. I actually slipped once! Anyhow, what is the most practical cost efficient way to fix this problem during these rainy months?

In the spring hubby and I plan on building a fully covered run. At this moment in time the expenses are not feasible. Suggestions!?

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Sawdust!! it’s super cheap and you can usually find it anywhere from a local sawmill, when ever my run gets muddy I just shovel some sawdust in there and it clears it right up and the chickens love kicking it around.

Free woodchips from your local tree services. Bonus, yummy bugs. The wood absorbs the water. Problem solved.

Chicken girl 15 said:

Ding ding ding... Duh ( not at you at me) . In the run toss in a bag of wood shavings and all the leafs and yard waste , and shredded paper and crumpled up paper. It help to build the ground up as well as gives bugs a place to hide for the chickens to find them. All vegetable scraps from the kitchen, toilet paper rolls , paper towel rolls. It all makes good run absorber.

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Doesn't the leftovers from kitchen & paper tend to mold and hold bugs after a while?

wordscapes said:

Doesn't the leftovers from kitchen & paper tend to mold and hold bugs after a while?

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Ehhhh...it could defintely be a problem, depends on many things...I wouldn't do that in a smaller run..