Building a better run from scratch

[aart]

That's interesting. I'm going to be hosting a chainsaw party in the next couple weeks to clear out 40 or 50 trees (2 to 10 inches diameter average) so I can plant fruit trees next year. I have access to a wood chipper as well. I remember in another thread you mentioning seasoned being better, but as long as there isn't oil or detritus, fresh could work in a pinch(maybe?). There has also been a contractor cleaning up the power lines in the neighborhood lately, if I can get a dryish day to dig, getting them to come dump here shouldn't be hard to do.

This would be the best bet. Get a big pile dumped that can be used throughout the year.

What kind of chipper do you have access too?
The typical homeowner sized chipper is going to be a ton of work and generally generates smaller more uniform sized chips than a big commercial rig. You want a variety of sizes.

Aged chips are better due to possible mold blooms which can be toxic to your birds.
Branches chipped in winter would be better too as no leaves so less wet and too cold to let mold grow as prolifically.

 

[RevRico]

I'd call it a "mid grade" chipper. Not a big tow behind job, but it will take up to 6" logs, and spits out about 3 sizes of chips depending on what goes through it. I've noticed stuff under 1.5" only seems to break instead of chip, but larger stuff chips up nicely, at least with pine.

I'm knocking off the bottom 8ft of branches from a hemlock that's trying to takeover my driveway, then mostly sassafrass and poplar, stuff that's too small for my friends wood burner. Keeping a tree or two for my smoker as well, my one true outdoor love.

My only issue with getting a big dump load is that I don't really have anywhere to store it dry. My carport is for working on cars, cooking, and possibly a winter chicken home, short of building another building, anything piled up would just get rained on and soaked into the yard.

 

[RevRico]

Depending on how wet, slope of site, etc, etc...you might want to prep by thinking above ground rather than digging down. For example, if your wire across the bottom of your run deteriorated due to soggy ground much of the year, then that protection is gone. But keeping it out of/off of the soggy ground prolongs the life of the metal. If you did something like a raised bed, which is above the ground rather than ground level. Then the lowest part could be gravel, then your wire, then the woodchips on top, you’d haves dry base, and degradable material for the chickens to walk on. The wire remains intact longer. You could additionaly divert some water as needed.

Good luck

I put some serious thought into this. I was actually planning on building a greenhouse this way. What I have found after 30 years at this house is no matter how much gravel of how many grades and how much I compact it, it will sink and disappear inside of a year. I know the run won't be seeing vehicle traffic pushing it down, but I've had paver stones sink beyond saving inside of 6 months, so I'm leery of spending gravel money just to have it sink.

I see lowes has corrguated asphalt roofing in stock, in 4x6 sizes. With 6 to 8 of those, I should be able to build a decent overhang off the back of the run, then use some 4" PVC as a gutter to at least stop vertical water from getting in. Wrapping some clear plastic around the top of the run might be a good help too. Where I'm planning to put the coop and run is protected from I'd say half the wind that usually comes through, so it will only stand the chance of getting rained IN a few times a year during the major storms.

The problem is the yard never really has a chance to dry out, so at least in this location being a highspot, I don't need to worry about standing water, just oversaturated ground. I still have every intention of letting the birds roam the property on the days it isn't raining too badly, but I suspect there will be a lot of days spent in the run.

 

[aart]

anything piled up would just get rained on and soaked into the yard.

It'll be fine out in the open.

 

[rosemarythyme]

It'll be fine out in the open.

Yup everyone in my area just leaves their mulch piles sitting out wherever. It's not an issue other than maybe the ants liking it a bit too much.

build a square run off the coop completely out of wood and chicken wire

Wanted to point out that most chicken wire isn't predator proof - predators can tear it apart, or reach in, or smaller ones can squeeze through the holes. Welded wire or hardware cloth would be better choices.

 

[RevRico]

Wanted to point out that most chicken wire isn't predator proof - predators can tear it apart, or reach in, or smaller ones can squeeze through the holes. Welded wire or hardware cloth would be better choices.

Misstyped. All of my "chicken wire" is 1/4" 23 gauge hardware cloth. Although I am thinking of going to half inch on the top half of the run and roof area since I mathed wrong and only ordered half as much as I need.

I haven't gotten much sleep this weekend and I think it's starting to show in my writing.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Misstyped. All of my "chicken wire" is 1/4" 23 gauge hardware cloth. Although I am thinking of going to half inch on the top half of the run and roof area since I mathed wrong and only ordered half as much as I need.

Glad it was a misstype, but I'd rather point it out than to find out later that some coon reached in and snatched a favorite bird.

1/2" should be fine on top half, actually I only use 1/2" since I find 1/4" too hard to work with and it's typically a thinner gauge as well. 1/4" is good if mice are a problem.

 

[trumpeting_angel]

The problem is the yard never really has a chance to dry out, so at least in this location being a highspot, I don't need to worry about standing water, just oversaturated ground. I still have every intention of letting the birds roam the property on the days it isn't raining too badly, but I suspect there will be a lot of days spent in the run.

It's probably time to revisit the swales/drainage idea. Better to invest in some digging than have another outbuilding fail, and the dampness creating diseases for the chickens?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Great question, read this. The best time to fix a muddy run is before you build it.

Pat’s Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs):

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-fix-a-muddy-run-chicken-coop.47807/

There are two potential issues with the run being wet. To me the less threatening is that if it is on clay a wet run turns to a muddy mess and you said you have clay. If the chickens can't get out of the wet at least part of the time they can develop foot problems. A wet run can potentially become unhealthy as certain critters like the bugs that cause coccidiosis thrive in wet conditions if poop is present. And those runs are a mess to walk in. They are just not nice to be around or to deal with and can pose a hazzard.

The other issue is that chickens poop. When chicken poop gets wet and stays wet the microbes that eat it become anaerobic (no oxygen). The water keeps the oxygen away when it is really wet. Anaerobic microbes digestive byproducts stink. It's like a compost pile. If the compost stays slightly damp the aerobic microbes do the job of breaking the compost down and it has a nice earthy smell. But if the compost pile gets wet and stays wet in a few days the anaerobic microbes take over and it smells horrible. So keeping the coop and run fairly dry or at least getting it to dry out fairly soon after it gets wet is pretty important in my book.

If you dig a hole in clay and fill it with sand, water will not go anywhere. It has no place to drain to. If you build the sand up high enough it may not get muddy, at least for a while until the sand disappears into the mud, but it still has the potential for stink.

I personally use aprons for dig protection instead of a layer of wire underneath but do it as you wish. If I were in your position I'd consider hauling in some more dirt to raise that run area above the surrounding land if you need to so the water has a place to drain to. I have no idea how much if any you need for that. Then I'd put sand on top. Sand drains really well as long as the water has a place to go.

Chickens scratch a lot. Rainwater can wash sand and clay, especially loose clay. You probably want to put some type of barrier around the inside bottom of your run to hold the sand and clay in. Use whatever you want for the barrier. It would be nice if it allows for drainage yet hold in the clay/sand. Different kinds of wood, maybe wire mesh, plastic edging, even a row of cinder blocks.

Sand does tend to disappear into clay over time. Rock will also but more slowly. It would probably be a good idea to put a layer of gravel on top of the clay and under the sand to slow that process. The chickens will probably scratch down to the gravel so I'd suggest some round rock like pea gravel or river stone that has been smoothed over time. Crushed gravel could have sharp edges that might cut their feet. Not that it happens each and every time but I consider it good practice to try to avoid things that can cut their feet when they scratch.

Instead of sand you can use some type of bedding directly on top of the clay or even on the gravel. We all have our favorites, not surprising as we all have different conditions. Some things might work better for some than others. Having a ready inexpensive supply might be important. The way we manage it can be a factor. People use wood chips, wood shavings, straw, hay, grass clippings, dried leaves or other things like peat or Spanish moss. Your main restriction is your imagination and what is available. I don't think Spanish moss will be that available in Pennsyltucky.

Chickens poop. The more chickens you have pooping in a small area the faster it builds up. If it builds up faster than it decomposes it can get too thick and stink when wet. Some people with sand manage this by using a scoop and regularly removing clumps of chicken poop. You may need to occasionally remove whatever bedding you use, sand or any of the others. We are all unique, we need to stay flexible.

I agree, get construction moving as fast as you reasonably can. Life has a way of messing up construction schedules. I'm not sure what your weather will be like when those chicks are five weeks old but they should be able to go out without any supplemental heat by five weeks. If your coop were ready and you could get electricity out there you could even brood them out there straight from the post office or much sooner than five weeks. That's worth a separate thread if you want to discuss it in detail. Many of us do that even when it is below freezing outside. Your coop will probably be bigger than your brooder, you are correct that they will enjoy that even without access to the run.

Good luck!

 

[RevRico]

So a picture might help since I just got the lumber for the coop today. Area I'm thinning about is roughly between the pitchfork and shovel. Maybe a little further left.

Hard to see in the picture, but the ground slopes both right to left and front to back towards the creek. I'm thinking of putting the coop itself on the right side, which is admittedly wetter, but let's me have more of the run on the higher dryer spots.

I'm going to tilt all the roofs towards the creek since it already slope that way, it should help keep the majority of falling water out of the direct area.