Pine pole peelings as coop flooring in muddy PacNW

lynnehd said:

They would make good mulch for plant beds in any case.

I think I'd start with using them in the run, rather than the coop, where I assume it is already dry. (I use Stall Dry in my raised coop, which I really like in our weather).

Here are some pics of my wood mulch:

In the 'back up' pile, not used yet (leaves fell on the pile over Fall):


My Turken is modeling the mulch in the open run (dirtier and wetter, but the mulch stays above the mud):

Click to expand...

What is this Stall Dry product you speak of? It sounds interesting, I'll have to do some research.

I like your run a lot, the floor looks a LOT nicer than the current state of ours. I'll see if I can snap some pics of it today. The mud is.. well, insane. In the "run" (free range area) the mud is 6+ inches thick in some places.

In the coop, one end is particularly muddy, while the other end is dry for dust baths. Further away on the property a literal pond has formed. It seems like this property is low and water is draining here, even though there is a french drain (big trench) halfway through it. Now that we know how bad the water gathers here, we have to do more trenching, but we need to wait for the dry season to do that.

Farmer Viola said:

What is this Stall Dry product you speak of? It sounds interesting, I'll have to do some research.

I like your run a lot, the floor looks a LOT nicer than the current state of ours. I'll see if I can snap some pics of it today. The mud is.. well, insane. In the "run" (free range area) the mud is 6+ inches thick in some places.

In the coop, one end is particularly muddy, while the other end is dry for dust baths. Further away on the property a literal pond has formed. It seems like this property is low and water is draining here, even though there is a french drain (big trench) halfway through it. Now that we know how bad the water gathers here, we have to do more trenching, but we need to wait for the dry season to do that.

Click to expand...

Here is a pic of the product I use. My coop is small, only for egg laying and sleeping, and is raised with a vinyl floor, and I use it in there. Takes about 3 minutes to scoop clean with a kitty litter scoop. Goes in the compost.
I do also have the Stall Dry in the area directly under the coop, which they love dust bathing in. I have plexiglass over the 3 sides of that area to keep it dry, which I remove in the warmer months.
Stall Dry is about $12 at our local feed store.
It functions similar to Sweet PDZ. I also like it because it sort of cleans their feet whenever they are in it.

There are some threads on Stall Dry on BYC

Anyway, do you mean the coop has a pool of water, or the run attached to the coop (I'm assuming the latter).
Yes! Definitely create more trenches and drains in dry weather. That is also the time to add a few inches of gravel, I used 3/4 minus.
If you add it during dry weather, it rides on top of the soil better when it does get wet.
Then you can add leaves, mulch, etc., on top of that.

For now, while we are in the thick of it, I'd add several inches (6+?) of the pine mulch that you are getting. More is probably going to be better. (Except in the 'pond' area, that's gotta wait).

This is the muddiest area inside the coop (the coop is a huge barn enclosed with hardware cloth)


This is the deepest, worst area - mud right outside the door from the barn into the chicken yard


outside the barn, near the door


inside mud - not quite as bad, but not dry here


the worst of the mud area (near the barn door)
the pond is literally a pond, where you see the tall brown grass. that area is fenced off from the chickens.


part of the flock - they do have some grass!


they can't wait to spread it around!
chickens for scale (load 1 of 2)

Farmer Viola said:

This is the muddiest area inside the coop (the coop is a huge barn enclosed with hardware cloth)


This is the deepest, worst area - mud right outside the door from the barn into the chicken yard


outside the barn, near the door


inside mud - not quite as bad, but not dry here


the worst of the mud area (near the barn door)
the pond is literally a pond, where you see the tall brown grass. that area is fenced off from the chickens.


part of the flock - they do have some grass!


they can't wait to spread it around!
chickens for scale (load 1 of 2)

Click to expand...

Yeah, that's some mud alright, lol

That stuff looks just like mine! I think I'd start with the inside coop area floor. Make it thick, as mentioned. Then perhaps in the drier parts of the outside area. It will get you by.

If you need more, have you hear about the web site in our general area for connecting Arborists/Landscapers with people who want free wood chips? It started in Portland, but I think has spread.
www.chipdrop.in

lynnehd said:

Here is a pic of the product I use. My coop is small, only for egg laying and sleeping, and is raised with a vinyl floor, and I use it in there. Takes about 3 minutes to scoop clean with a kitty litter scoop. Goes in the compost.
I do also have the Stall Dry in the area directly under the coop, which they love dust bathing in. I have plexiglass over the 3 sides of that area to keep it dry, which I remove in the warmer months.
Stall Dry is about $12 at our local feed store.
It functions similar to Sweet PDZ. I also like it because it sort of cleans their feet whenever they are in it.

There are some threads on Stall Dry on BYC

Anyway, do you mean the coop has a pool of water, or the run attached to the coop (I'm assuming the latter).
Yes! Definitely create more trenches and drains in dry weather. That is also the time to add a few inches of gravel, I used 3/4 minus.
If you add it during dry weather, it rides on top of the soil better when it does get wet.
Then you can add leaves, mulch, etc., on top of that.

For now, while we are in the thick of it, I'd add several inches (6+?) of the pine mulch that you are getting. More is probably going to be better. (Except in the 'pond' area, that's gotta wait).

Click to expand...

This stuff looks awesome! I'm going to have to check that out, thanks