Drying Out Run?

[BillM2]

We had a couple of inches of rain on top of a couple of inches of snow on frozen solid ground. Run off has made a wet, muddy mess of our run. The coop floor is dry after I removed the bottom layer of moist pine shavings. I'd like to dry out the muddy run but wondering what to use? More sand on top? Gravel? I'd like not to have birds get wet feet and they seem only now to want to be in their messy run. Also, any harm in them getting wet feet?

 

[flo12345]

My friend puts sand down in her run. I don't put anything down for my birds. They actually enjoy the mud! They'll be fine if there feet are wet. Mine wade through puddles and run around in the mud all the time and are fine.

 

[redsussex]

I have a small area that is well covered and water can go underneath but .it in it where I put sawdust or straw

 

[BarredBuff]

My run gets very muddy, and I try and keep a good layer of straw on top of it. This keeps it fairly not messy, plus makes a lot of mulch for the garden.

 

[Chickens R Us]

I use a thick layer of sand in my runs for good drainage.

 

[luvmypets]

Our run is a big mud puddle right now. The ducks love it and the chickens dont mind

 

[yawningreyhound]

Straw absorbed the mud puddle we (my 5 chickens are in my neighbor's coop while we construct) got for a few days when the temps broke freezing. Of course then there's the wet straw buy I like it better than mud and I think the birds do, too.

 

[BillM2]

I put down a thin layer of "traction sand" which helped dry out the run a bit. I then added a thin layer of straw. The birds loved this. They normally squak at me when I pass by their run pleading to be let out. Today, not a peep. They'll get out tomorrow to run around after things drain a bit more. They like the straw that tonight they wanted to stay in their run than come inside, even though it was dark outside!