Keeping outdoor runs healthy In wet climates..

[UKchooks]

As Melky stated, there's some concern with using cedar. Opinions and experiences vary, minimal amounts possibly wouldn't be as harmful in an outdoor well ventilated area. My large maple tree was already being removed, so I just wanted to keep the free firewood and utilize the leftover chips.


I've never had the litter get wet inside my coop. I stir it frequently and add fresh shavings to the top, the poo dries out quickly. I have a poop tray under the roosts filled with Sweet PDZ stall granules that gets scooped out like cat litter, maybe similar to your method. I love composting too! My gardens have grown better than ever these last few years.


Sounds like your run may not have the greatest drainage. Maybe the water is collecting from roof runoff and just seeping back under and into the run? That happened to me before. You could install a gutter, rain collection system, french drain or even a trench to redirect where the water flows.
Is it possible to move your coop to higher ground?

If you can't keep the water from entering, you could try to temporarily raise the floor somehow. I've heard of some people laying out pallets so the chickens' feet won't have direct contact with the ground, but you will still need to provide a dry dust bath area. It's really so much better to keep them in a dry environment but sometimes can be so difficult. Mud is a nasty beast to deal with, it was just so awful back when I had horses too. Seemed like no matter how much material I added and layered (wood chips, gravel, straw, anything!) it would just sink down and get covered again by more mud.

That's why I use that poultry net barrier method now, (along with my gutter system) it just keeps everything from sinking and drowning. And @Folly's place has a point with landscape fabric as a barrier... with chickens, they just scratch it up and make giant fluffy chunks of it all over the place, exposing the mud once again!

If I've learned anything over the last few decades caring for animals, it's that not every method will work the same for every person or circumstance. Your best solution usually comes with trial and error. Good luck with your efforts!

Thanks. There is a part of the garden that's higher ground, but unfortunately it's not very flat and also has tree stumps in the ground, so it's near impossible to put the run there securely without there being gaps under the fence panels on some sides. For the time being, I've taken the idea of collecting fallen leaves to provide a slightly less muddy surface (since they're free and readily available). I was out this morning with a big bag, collecting leaves along the street and attracting funny glances! The chooks seem to be enjoying scratching around in them. When I can get to a garden centre, I'll look into peat moss and maybe woodchips, though cost will be an issue if they need replacing regularly.

The dust bath is a whole other issue - it's currently more like a pond! It's no longer in the run as I moved the run (the dust bath is dug into the ground). I've bought a lid for it, but need to drain it out first and replace the sand. The girls are currently using the woodshavings and DE in their coop to dust bathe (or at least I assume that's why the roosting poles keep getting knocked out of place!)

 

[Folly's place]

Housing for chickens can be a work in progress, it certainly has been here!
Mary

 

[MrsAuberry00]

What makes this system work is that the ground (mud) and the surface material (wood chips) is kept separate by a sturdy barrier. I laid PVC poultry netting and attached to the ground using garden pins, then put my wood chips on top. My wood chips never get mixed with the muddy ground below! It's amazing!
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We had a large tree on our property cut down and I had the tree-cutter guys leave me all the contents from the wood chipper. It's all spread very thick and I do rake them level from time to time. Chickens seem happy and healthy and not muddy!
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I've written about it in another thread with a little more detail: Deep Litter with Chickens AND Ducks? and also some follow-up posts.

I may have to try this myself. I currently have sand in their run and it works fine enough. The run is situated on higher ground so having water collect there isn't a problem. However, when it rains or snows, if I don't have plastic up along the sides of the run to cut down on wind, (in the cold months,) both sides of the run end up with wet sand. I spend a lot of time scooping poop and turning sand to allow it to dry out. Your method seems so much easier once it is installed.

 

[Folly's place]

Plastic sheeting on the run walls, leaving a gap at the top for ventilation, is easier. It goes up in fall, and comes down in spring, and can be reused usually.
Mary