does a dirty manure filled chicken yard make my chicken sick?

[Fairchild Farm]

Cleaning our chicken coop is relatively easy. Once, your remove all the chunks you give the coop a genus dose of vinegar. But, the chickens are messing in the chicken yard. The manure can not be picked up like horse manure especially after a Florida monsoon season. when I go into the yard I sink up to my knees. I had to buy high boots. This muck must be getting my chickens sick but, how to clean it. This definitely shows the advantage of open range method. Unfortunately, we have predators and no real range to speak of. so, how do I clean the yard?

 

[BlueEggsDaily]

Chicken poop is one of the best fertilizers. Shovel most if it in your garden and around your flower beds. Perfect for the dirt, healthy for your plants. Shovel/rake the rest by mixing it with the dirt underneath it in the chicken yard... Shovel up-flip over... Giving you nice dirt on top.
It's what we usually do. And sprinkle some on your grass before you turn your sprinklers on.

 

[foreverlearning]

Research the deep litter method. Many use it in their runs and have it mixed around by their chickens. I don't personally do it, but from what I have read from Beekissed it looks like something that would be good for any chicken in a run.

 

[cafarmgirl]

Deep litter method for a run will not work where it is soaking wet. I would suggest cleaning it all out, putting down a load of sand to help with drainage and maybe a roof for the run to help keep it from getting so wet. The sand also makes it easier to keep the poop raked up and removed.

 

[Cluky]

I had deainage issue not as much as you but still. what I did was create French drains around the run. those are 5 foot
pipes filled with sand put Ito ground with gravel inside. then I took out soil out of run, put gravel, about a foot, then covered all with landscaping cloth and another foot of sand. works like a charm and chickens love it