9" of Rain and a Muddy, Stinky, Mess of a Run...Any Advice?

[rosemarythyme]

Yes wood chips makes a huge difference versus shavings... shavings just get soggy, chips let the water through and provide drier patches for the chickens to stand on. Of course this only works if the drainage in the run is good - I have to assume the rain you got isn't the usual amount of rain you get if this is the first time with an issue.

 

[Ms Biddy]

Horse folks use Stall Dry which is made of pumice and Sweet PDZ which is zeolite when they need to absorb moisture and odors in stalls. Both are porous and absorbant.

 

[citykitty]

I'm planning on using wood chips, I'm currently building the run. I have the initial layer of wood chips down and it poured yesterday. The yard was a swamp but the run wasn't. I do need to add more though. I need to get a pitch fork to turn it. I plan on adding leaves from the yard too. Good tips here, thanks everyone!

 

[JurassicChicken]

I'm going to have to do some minor trenching to help with drainage. We get a lot of rain over the course of a year, but its unusual to have so many days of hard rain. This rain is compliments of storm Alberto.

 

[Rob Tof]

If your using the deep litter method your chickens turn it. All I do is keep raking it even. No smell and cover the top to keep it from getting soaked.

 

[blackdog043]

I need to get a pitch fork to turn it.

I use one of these style forks, if I need to turn the DL. I throw all my mulch for my flower beds with this also, it works great.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/True-Temper-30-in-L-Wood-Handle-Steel-Ensilage-Fork/1000253485

 

[blackdog043]

My DL gets all kinds of stuff thrown in it. This was after I just added yard waste and the chickens didn't get to it yet. It's a covered run.

This is after it's been in there and worked over by the ladies.

 

[aart]

I use one of these style forks,

Only tool worth using when moving wood chips!!
Mine is long handled, don't have to bend over as much.
I never turn or rake my semi-deep litter in run...unless a deluge has washed it into a pile.

 

[citykitty]

Horse folks use Stall Dry which is made of pumice and Sweet PDZ which is zeolite when they need to absorb moisture and odors in stalls. Both are porous and absorbant.

Will this work in a garden? Ours is a swamp. I need something to dry out the area in between the mounds where the plants are.

 

[kdk1101]

We had the same thing happen yesterday. I had the coop ready for my older chicks and now it is a disaster.