10x10 run,when it rains it stinks

[LynneP]

Stable Boy is another product you can use- I combine it with food-grade diatomaceous earth and my coop and run are pristine. If you can swing it, roofing the run makes a world of difference. I feel so blessed to have a dry exercise space for my hens!

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=7693-LynnePs_Run

Our weather is very severe and variable. This single choice made a huge difference to us.

 

[NChickenwing]

Quote:
I work with dirt, grades, and such, your problem is:

1. Low Lying Land - you catch runoff water from everywhere
2. Soil Composition - Not sure what you have but almost bet that you have clay, dig down about 6-8 feet and see what kind of soil you have down there. How deep do you dig before you reach clay? Clay prevents water from draining down into the earth. Sandy clay, more sand than clay, is a Great replacement.
3. Water table - do you have a well on your property? if so how deep is it, this is a good indication of where the water naturally sits below the ground in your area.

So ideas...

dig drainage ditches to move the water away from your living area, dig up the bad clay and replace with sandy clay (major bucks), remove the clay from the land under your chickens and replace with sandy clay and then build high enough to get them above the water.

If it were me, I would be digging ditches to get the water away from the entire property. An excavator could easily do it in a day. Gonna cost ya but well worth it in the long run.

 

[2txmedics]

well chicken, cant dug the property up...belongs to mother in law...and they dont want to do anything to the property...money reasons...so Im a few feet away from my well, wanted it near by for watering my flock...

 

[patandchickens]

Check out my 'muddy run' page (link in .sig below) for a bunch of ways to reduce moisture and thus reduce stink.

I cannot see why anyone'd object to your digging just a little single-shovel-width-and-depth trench around the coop with a 'spur' to lead the water away a bit. And there are a number of other things you can do as well, see that page.

As far as liming, it would not be a bad idea but I would not rely on it to solve the whole problem if you're flooding that much that regularly. I'd suggest adding just a *bit*, mix it in, then give it a month and see how you like it and when/if you want to add more.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[gsim]

Sounds like there is little you can do with such poor drainage. Wood chips can be had for nothing if you catch a crew out doing line-clearing for the power or telephone co. They have a chipper and a covered dump truck and will want a place to dump the chips. they do help, but do rot down to become like compost. You would have to remove periodicallly but what great stuff for your garden! I am guessing you need a covered run and mayby an open place with some sunshine they can go to if they want. Sounds as if the run is too small in any case.

 

[2txmedics]

my run is in my pictures in my link below in my tag...10x10 with a coop thats a nice size...just thought I would ask as to what would be a good thing for it, it only stinks when it rains...which this past week its rained almost every day for 2wks from heavy storms to sprinkling.

Other than that it rains about once to three times every few month.