Chicken coop is very muddy! help please UPDATE

[SundownWaterfowl]

Well, I have my chickens in a large dog run 21'by 24'. They are in with about 20 call ducks. It is muddy by the water, but I have a seperate water for the chickens, so they dont have to drink the duck water.

The run is connected to the chicken coop.

Now since it has been rainy, the ground is so muddy. Its like a big mud bowl. I have a little shelter inside the dog run, so that they can go under there. It is covered by a big piece of wood covered by a tarp, so that 5'by5' area stays very dry. There is lots of hay and straw in there. It is also dry underneath the chicken coop.

Now what do I do about all of this mud. I feel very bad for the chickens, but it keep raining and it keeps getting muddy again.

When it is dry, I put down lots of hay and straw, but then it rains and keeps getting covered with mud again.

What would be good to put down. Right now it is just a dirt ground. Should I get a load of small rocks and put that down over the dirt?

This weekend I am going to by a tarp or two and cover the back end of the run so that it doesnt get as muddy.

Please help me conquer this mud problem!

 

[miss_jayne]

what about a mix of small rocks and sand so it can drain???

 

[bluie]

Sand! See if you can get enough sand to cover the run. Three inches deep would be optimum, but probably any would help.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Will sand really work that good, and keep it dry?


The ground is very clayish, so it doesnt drain.

 

[LynneP]

You also need to get your chickens UP, perhaps on platforms. These wet conditions are the perfect breeding grounds for coccidiosis.

Any chance of adding better shelter?

This is a rough year in wet areas. I've also heard that ducks and chickens don't mix well- perhaps others can elaborate.

 

[miss_jayne]

okay, no drainage is a problemo! then you need to do as mentioned above and get some platforms.

what about some pallets that are safe to use (not the ones with pesticide as we have seen so much about)?

i have a lot of clay in my soil, but adding sand will create a better soil if you can till it in.

try planting some rye, that helps bust up nasty soil too and will be yummy for your chickie-poohs!

 

[cluckychick]

I use small rock (pebbles) that I buy from Wal-mart. I just pick up a bag whenever I have extra money, it's like $2.37 for a 50# bag. It's small enough that they can scatter it when the scratch around but has done wonders for the mud problem Iwas having when it rained.

 

[cajunlizz]

#1 . you need to separate your RUN AREA . Separate the CHICKENS FROM THE DUCKS .........

Ducks NEED this water , LIKE chicken don't .

Find a way to get this run /coop area to DRAIN . then ADD sand and pebbles . MIXTURE of SAND and pebbles/rock ....


Completely cover the overhead of your RUN with the vinyl tarps for shade and for run to dry .


How many chickens do you have ?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

There is 12 chickens in there. When we dont get any rain, the ground is nice and dry, and doesnt have any mud at all. It has been raining like almost every day here.

 

[wegotchickens]

We added a bunch of play sand to our run and it has been wonderful. Absorbs moisture from poop and the area smells much cleaner between rakings than it did pre-sand. Plus, no more mud. We have clay soil too, but it seems to drain just fine.