Diarrhea, poor ladies...

[Patch's Chickens]

We have had a deluge of rain, flooded run, and the ladies (5 of them) now have a roof over most of the run and pallets in the run so they are no longer standing in the mud and muck and water. It is still raining, very wet and damp (by no means dry inside as the walls are chicken wire) and the poop has turned from mush to watery stools / diarrhea. They are eating and drinking but I am sure just in general not happy right now. Is there anything to do but wait this out? I just feel awful. We usually do not have never ending rain like this. As soon as we have a break in the weather I will remove the pallets to add gravel and sand, but it makes no sense now until the rain stops.

 

[FarmerDenise]

Can you apply some other material to the sides? Tarps, plastic, even sheets would help keep out some of the rain and wind.
If you take a roundish pebble, place it on a corner of the sheet, then gather some of the sheet around the pebble, wrap a bit of strong string tighlty around the gather you will have something to help fasten the sheet to a post or whatever. This works amazingly well and is quick, cheap and easy.
You might also put shavings on the ground to help absorb the water. Shavings won't decompose as smelly as hay would. Shavings are also not that expensive to buy and a bale goes a long way.

 

[Patch's Chickens]

Hi Denise in Sonoma - I'm in Berkeley so I guess we're having the same weather! I have tarps I could even nail into the sides, it has been so windy though I'd need to really do all to make a difference and was concerned about air flow with the swamp that has been created. I was trying to avoid any kind of wood chips b/c I'll just have to muck it out to add the gravel / sand, and my only disposal option is my green bin picked up weekly by the city. I may not have a choice though, I thought we were going to get a break in the rain for a few days but now it looks like we won't. I'm grateful not to be in an impending drought anymore, but some moderation would have been nice. My ladies need an ark, not a coop right now...