Muddy coop run

Hello! Our chickens are enclosed and have never free ranged them. It's a muddy mess and nothing left for them to eat except feed we give them. If I let them out in the yard will they go back to coop at night? We're going to put moveable fencing in the spring butworried about them being in coop all day. Chickens are 8 months old

They've certainly imprinted on the coop by now. They'll go back at dusk provided they don't fly over another fence and can't figure out how to get back in.

Can you move the coop to higher ground or add soil to elevate the ground in the pen?
They dig and compress soil so starting with flat ground will eventually make it the lowest spot. Always go high on a slope or at the top of a knoll.

Even if it wasn't mud and you started out with excellent forage for groundcover, chickens will quickly eradicate all plant life in a pen. Between scratching, soil compaction and excess phosphorus from feces, it's impossible to get anything to grow where there is any kind of chicken stocking density.

It is higher up and we can't move it's a shed coop set on cement blocks. There's only a fenced area around coop. I'm just wondering if they'll find their way back before dark

Hi.
Chances are they may not venture far at first.

They won't have any problem finding their way back to the coop. They know that is their safety! Even my chicks, once homed even for just a few days, find their way back when I wouldn't think they could. They usually stay in a group and if one gets separated they try desperately to get back with their group. Like Canoe said, as long as they don't accidentally get stuck behind a fence and can't get back in.

Are they laying eggs yet? Are you going to keep them in the fenced area around the coop or completely free? Either way there won't be a problem finding home before it gets dark, it's what they naturally do. Chickens are creatures of habit and as such will want to be where they are used to being.

You can use a treat in the same container that you shake and call "chicky, chickie" or whatever you are comfy with as a way of drawing them back into the coop sooner if you need them to return for whatever reason. Meal worms is a favorite!

Biggest concern is hidden nests and predators. Coming home, no problem. I free range and do have "hidden nests". Haven't lost any to predators yet, but my neighbors have. I have dogs that helps a little. You just have to decide what works for you.

They will be thankful!

Good luck!

Thank you so much! I think I'm going to try it on the next decent day. We also have two Newfies so that will keep them semi protected! Fingers crossed!

Is it the coop or the run that is a muddy mess....or both???

Here's a great description of contents and how to manage organic 'bedding' in a run or coop...and there's a great video of what it looks like.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/1037998/muddy-run-help-please#post_16017992

Thank you for the video link that's some pretty good info. It's just the run that's muddy, the inside actually has linoleum to protect wood floor then we put pine shavings down and a good thick level of straw and clean that often. Question about the wood chips...they dye those and have arsenic

Smiley Chicks said:

Thank you for the video link that's some pretty good info. It's just the run that's muddy, the inside actually has linoleum to protect wood floor then we put pine shavings down and a good thick level of straw and clean that often. Question about the wood chips...they dye those and have arsenic

Click to expand...

Most folks use wood chips from tree trimmers....no dyes.

Almost all of the 400 Ft2 of my run is actually built out of mulched, and nicely composted now, thanks to the chickens, oak leaves. Two years worth. And while it does get muddy when it rains, it's porous enough that it dries out rather quickly (it's all built on a hill). I'm sure they're going to go crazy it when I bring in a fresh batch from this year's fall too. I also sweep the old Coop Clean into the pen and let them spread it around.

I guess this is a sort of deep litter method, except that I'm doing it outside instead of inside the coop