Chicken coop is very muddy! help please UPDATE

[SundownWaterfowl]

I have a bunch of scrap wood, so I think I will expand the area under the chicken coop, and close it off so that the chickens cant get into the ducks area.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
BUT you still need to add sand for them to scratch and DUST IN .

3 inches thick would be bare min.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

when it is dry, they can dust in it.

This weekend I am going to be adding a larger run that comes out from under the chicken coop, that way, they dont have to be in with the ducks.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
well , you also have to remember won't be long before you start getting into FALL/WINTER season . Its already concerning me and WE DO NOT get any where close to the temps and weather ya'll get in NY .

So I would make sure this run for the chickens drains well . YOU do not need standing water OR muddy area for your chickens . " DUCKS , YES ", " CHICKENS NO " .

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Well, about 8 feet to the left of the coop is totally different dirt, that drains GREAT!
So that is where the new run will be.

What do you mean the weather and the temps we get in NY?

Guess what, its raining again right now! Im so sick of it!

 

[ravenfeathers]

i'm sick of the bloody rain, too!

yes, sand or gravel will definitely help eliminate mud, because those two substrates don't turn into mud, even with the constant stinking rain we've been having in the northeast. if money is no object, i'd recommend a three to five inch layer of very coarse gravel or crushed stone with two to three inches of sand on top of that. you can tweak that recipe a bit to fit your budget. your goal here is to put as much well-draining substrate as you can over your non-draining clay soil. resist the urge to put down any kind of organic material, such as straw or shavings. that's going to decompose and make a layer of extremely water retentive compost, which will exacerbate your mud problem. also, hay and straw will mold fast in standing water and you don't want your birds running around in moldy muck.

good luck. here's hoping for a nice long drought. *sigh*

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
ARE YOU NOT IN NY ? I am assuming the weather in NY is alot worse than weather in South Louisiana in the winter time .

Don't you get ALOT of cold /freezing /snow /ICE in NEW YORK ?

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
ARE YOU NOT IN NY ? I am assuming the weather in NY is alot worse than weather in South Louisiana in the winter time .

Don't you get ALOT of cold /freezing /snow /ICE in NEW YORK ?

Last year the winter wasnt that bad until after january. We had a long fall last year.

It gets around 20 degrees or lower.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
Be very careful what is added in that run for chickens , crushed or very course gravel is really not a good idea . THEY will think its GRIT .
ITS already they eat the sand . LMAO BUT I do highly recommend 3 - 5 inches of sand . INFACT , we added about 3 inches 1 month of so ago , and WE ARE going to ADD more soon. I DO NOT WANT A MUDDY AREA FOR MY FLOCK , OR ME TO HAVE TO WALK THRU TO FEED /WATER/ AND PICK EGGS . MY COOP AND RUN ARE ATTACHED .

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
ARE YOU NOT IN NY ? I am assuming the weather in NY is alot worse than weather in South Louisiana in the winter time .

Don't you get ALOT of cold /freezing /snow /ICE in NEW YORK ?

Last year the winter wasnt that bad until after january. We had a long fall last year.

It gets around 20 degrees or lower.

See we hardly EVER get below 28º .