“Dredging Water” in my run

[ColetasticChickens]

So my coop/run is at the bottom of a hill. Any ideas, suppose there loving like it. I really don’t like muck, it’s like soggy cereal.

 

[Chicka_deee]

You could put a roof on the top, or if you don’t want to do all that work, buy about 1 to 2 hay bales and spread the hay everywhere that’s what I use for my yard, it keeps the mud down and is extremely helpful Good luck, and the chickens LOVE to scratch around!

(And the cute little chicks in the background, how old are they?)

 

[aart]

You need to divert the water coming down the hill with trenches, swales, and berms to keep it out of the run and coop....or move the whole thing elsewhere.

Some wider shots showing the whole area all around might help.

 

[ColetasticChickens]

View attachment 1712319 So my coop/run is at the bottom of a hill. Any ideas, suppose there loving like it. I really don’t like muck, it’s like soggy cereal.

I do have a roof, I use wood chips and the pullets are 10 weeks old

 

[ColetasticChickens]

You need to divert the water coming down the hill with trenches, swales, and berms to keep it out of the run and coop....or move the whole thing elsewhere.

Some wider shots showing the whole area all around might help.

I’m sorry but I can’t do that

 

[Peppercorngal]

If you cannot divert the water, or move the coop to a dryer area, I'd be putting a couple bails of straw in the run as bedding at least 4 to 6 inches deep. Maybe also put a plywood covered pallet in so the chickens can get out of the water. I'd start with the straw. Good luck!

 

[ColetasticChickens]

If you cannot divert the water, or move the coop to a dryer area, I'd be putting a couple bails of straw in the run as bedding at least 4 to 6 inches deep. Maybe also put a plywood covered pallet in so the chickens can get out of the water. I'd start with the straw. Good luck!

Ok, not moving the coop but I’m dumping straw in it now!

 

[Peppercorngal]

Ok, not moving the coop but I’m dumping straw in it now!

Sounds good! I don't know where you are, but here in Northern California we get Rice Straw. It's very soft, and only $4 for a big bale!

 

[aart]

Straw might look good on top, but make a big moldy mess underneath.

Is it always that wet or did you just have a big rain?

Ok, not moving the coop

OK but you could still do this.......

You need to divert the water coming down the hill with trenches, swales, and berms to keep it out of the run and coop.
Some wider shots showing the whole area all around might help.

 

[PirateGirl]

I'm going through similar due to an unusually heavy snow year and nowhere for melt off to go. To say it is a mess is an understatement. So far the most effective thing has been to make a trench. I determined where the water needed to get to on the opposite side of the coop and connected from this spot to my main puddle spot with a trench. It really does not need to be anything major. I used a pick and the trench is only the width of the blade, like 2 inches, so for me it's 2 inches wide and the length of the run because I want the water to go from one side of the run to the other without going in/pooling in the run itself. Water follows the path of least resistance, so as long as you create a path (even just a 2 inch wide one) the water will start flowing where you want it to. Good luck!