Advice needed for muddy run

[cluckcluckgirl]

With all the rain that we have gotten so far, the chicken run is an absolute mess. About 80% of it is mud that I can't go in, and the smell is definitely not roses. What are some ways that I can help to dry out the mud in the run?

 

[vehve]

Dig a ditch around the perimeter, and lead the water away from the coop. Might help a bit. I've read of some people using hay and similar materials to soak up some moisture and the taking it out to dry.

Prepare for the future by raising the level of the run, put in some gravel under the dirt and maybe even install french drains.

I've got the opposite problem, my run is so dry that I don't think any worms and other treats will ever have a chance of coming into it.

 

[cluckcluckgirl]

Is there anything I can put in the run to dry up some of the moisture?

 

[Blammmo]

I put down straw in any muddy areas in my pen when we get ridiculous amounts of rainfall, you can either rake it up when it dries out again and compost it, or let the chickens grind it into dust over time, they absolutely love scratching through it.

 

[ronmauldin]

I installed French drains under my coop and run area before I built the coop. I use about a 4 inch layer of pine shavings inside the run (deep litter method). Never had any problems.

 

[ronmauldin]

Should add I have a border about 3 feet wide of pine bark around the coop/run area.

 

[B-Goock]

If you throw straw in you really don't have to take it out. The chickens will have a ball scratching in it which will get air mixed in and it will dry up quicker. They will also break the straw down turning it into compost. My run basically acts as a compost. I dug dirt out of it for the garden this spring. Dark and rich.
Some will put sand or a drainage system of some sort as mentioned.
Another option is a partial roof of some kind.
It probably depends on your situation and your area. Mine for instance I use straw, grass, leaves, garden, some sand, and yard debris. Why? All are readily available since I live in a rural area. Heck I can just grab the wheel barrow and go get what I need. This reminds me I need to go to the river to get some sand(have to drive to it though). Now if I was in the city throwing leaves, yard clippings, and things considered waste might upset a neighbor since it may look "trashy" or messy. So maybe straw or shavings so it is more manicured looking may be the ticket. Just add as it is needed. If it gets really nasty or smelly then scoop it out to compost further or till it in in the run. I till mine at least twice a year and scoop it out in the spring for the garden.

 

[RonP]

I started my run with a minimum of 10 inches of free wood chips supplied by a local tree service.
Five years later, my run is 8 to 20 inches high of compost - the top 5 or 6 inches being fresh wood chips and leaf litter.
No odors, no mud, no bugs. Water drains well from the "hill".
The level seems to remain constant, fine compost also disappears out of the coop's 1/2 inch screen as the chickens kick it out.