Suggestions for a VERY muddy run?

[AmyFlynn]

I live in Northern Maine and have been away on vacation for 9 days, when I left the ground was frozen solid, but spring appears to have sprung while I was gone, resulting in my run being EXTREMELY muddy. The thaw has also thawed the feces, and now it's a mucky mess! Any suggestions on what I can put down to prevent my 6 hens from walking through the mix of mud and poo and becoming sick?

P.S. Their run is 5'x15'.

I buy a bale of straw when we get breaks in the rain. I spread about half the bale and then leave the other half for them to work on themselves. They love it!

 

[Barredrockmama1]

PA here! Also dealing with the muddy run problem, we've been using straw for a few weeks now and while it seems to help a bit, I still would prefer better drainage, hubby and I are talking about putting in a pvc pipe to drain most of the water from the run, hopefully that will help a bit.. for now, I just have been piling on some straw, it keeps my girls clean for the time being, until we can figure out something better.

 

[Granny23]

I live in Northern Maine and have been away on vacation for 9 days, when I left the ground was frozen solid, but spring appears to have sprung while I was gone, resulting in my run being EXTREMELY muddy. The thaw has also thawed the feces, and now it's a mucky mess! Any suggestions on what I can put down to prevent my 6 hens from walking through the mix of mud and poo and becoming sick?

P.S. Their run is 5'x15'.

I had the same problem in Southern California after our long rainy winter. It actually snowed in my city which is unheard of. My coop enclosure is 16x9 and it puddled real bad. I had to put stepping stones so I could get thru it to collect eggs.
Its been warmer this week, 80 deg today so it has finally dried up. I did nothing about it except complain.
Suggested to me were pallets and straw to cover the muddied areas. In this picture we still had grass in their enclosure. 6 hens and it's all dirt now. The mud and water didn't seem to bother the girls at all. Their food and water stations are in dryer areas but they still walked thru the water to get where they were going even tho they didn't have to.

 

[Orpigton]

For the run we use wood chips because they work great, and we put a ton down because we get them for free from a local tree service. we normally have a bunch sitting around at any given time. If not wood chips then straw or leaves but wood chips are no doubt the best.

 

[CrazyChickenLadySue]

I've been dealing with it, too. I'm just so bleeping sick of the MUD and MUCK and STINK. Even said to the hubby just yesterday that I don't mind the cold as long as it's DRY! I've thrown down hay everywhere (free supply), and straw from a couple of broken bales, over a thick base of old wood chips already - and still the muck squishes up through the hay. Wish I could find a good free supply of wood chips; that would be better. Well, that and good drainage!

We'll be moving this summer. We are swapping houses with our son. (His family is growing and needs a bigger house, and we need a smaller house with no stairs. Win-win.) We plan to locate the coops on the highest point of the property, where he had his above-ground swimming pool over a generous base of sand. (Pool = electrical outlet and water hydrant installed already. ) So.... that and wood chips should be perfect. Hopefully, this has been my last year keeping chickens in a muddy run! Woohoo!

Be careful with wet hay though, it grows mould very easily if wet and can then make your feathered friends very ill or worse, however straw is much better.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Hey when ya’ll say shavings do you mean like the pine flakes I get from tractor supply ? Don’t they just rot in the mud and get stinky too??

 

[Orpigton]

Hey when ya’ll say shavings do you mean like the pine flakes I get from tractor supply ? Don’t they just rot in the mud and get stinky too??

YES! That is another reason for runs but not hen houses I prefer wood chips.

 

[3KillerBs]

Hey when ya’ll say shavings do you mean like the pine flakes I get from tractor supply ? Don’t they just rot in the mud and get stinky too??

Yes, those are the shavings.

Coarse hold up better to mud than fine, but neither is as good as wood chips.

The reason that the wood chips hold up better is that they don't pack and mat so readily -- allowing airflow that evaporates water and facilitates aerobic composting organisms rather than the stinky, anaerobic bacteria.

 

[Jenbirdee]

Yes, those are the shavings.

Coarse hold up better to mud than fine, but neither is as good as wood chips.

The reason that the wood chips hold up better is that they don't pack and mat so readily -- allowing airflow that evaporates water and facilitates aerobic composting organisms rather than the stinky, anaerobic bacteria.

Ok thanks so I just messaged a local tree cutting service to offer my yard as a place to drop off wood chips

 

[Orpigton]

YES! That is another reason for runs but not hen houses I prefer wood chips.

Error on my last reply I like pine shavings or straw in the hen house!