Help...endless mud in the run!! What to do??

[mmtillman]

OUR weather here in SW MO has been extremely wet this month! Usually when the weather is very wet, I keep adding straw to my 16x16 run ....so my poor chickens wont have to walk around with wet feet all the time...but after 3 bales of hay in less then a week, I realized that I cant keep up !!
The mud is so bad that a bale of hay is a soupy mess by the end of the day?!!!! Any suggestions ?? I cant spend $ for a bale or 2 a day in the run......

 

[lorrir]

Can't do anything but what it out. I have the same issue in my turkey pen.

 

[goosemama]

Would it help to add a layer of small pea gravel all over the run? It may take a few wheelbarrow fulls to cover it completely as deep as you can manage (the deeper the better) - this way when it rained, it could drain through the gravel, giving some dry footing on top for your hens.

 

[chickn]

when mine gets bad i throw those free wood pallets in there and then remove them once its dry

 

[Omran]

I had the same problem here lately so I went and spread a load of gravel in the run, I know most ppl don't like this Idea but it is working for me.

 

[chickenshagg]

Hey mmtillman, I'm up here just west of St. Louis. I have been having all the same rain and it sucks! The weatherman said this has been the wettest October on record. I am ready for the sun to shine again. About the mud in the run I put down a layer of pea gravel in their run back in the spring. Because I put a thin layer in there the chickens are able to scratch through the gravel and into the dirt for their dust baths. I have been happy with my decision especially with how wet it is now. When I walk out back to their coop all I hear is "squish squish squish" with each step. I have been thinking about making a stone path back to the coop but I don't have enough stones also it is too wet to do anything.

 

[popcornpuppy]

Quote:
I think you may be wrong about most people not liking the idea.

I had to do it a few weeks ago (put down gravel) and it was a great choice since it has worked very well.

It was the same recommendation that I was going to give, everyone else has just beat me to it.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

I keep adding straw

Adding organic material to mud just makes more mud
You need to get the straw out and build it up with garvel and sand so water can drain through​

 

[Brick243]

I agree, putting straw or hay in the run will only make it worse.

 

[Mahonri]

Move to AZ