Flooding in chicken run

[Varrington]

We have had a lot of rain in our area. Inside my coop I use Deep Litter method and in the run I've used sand. My girls love the sand. My problem is the amount of rain we have had the past few weeks. The sand is no longer draining well and is a muddy mess. We have been adding more and more sand but it only lasts through one storm. The girls don't seem to mind but I'm concerned about their long term health. I unfortunately didn't make the run tall enough for a person to get in. I have a long handle rake that I have used to clean and loosen the sand. Should I start adding shavings to the run also? Will adding DE help dry it out?
This is my first time with chickens and I am learning everything I've done wrong and slowly changing as I can.

 

[andreanar]

Ugh, the dreaded flooded run! We made every mistake with our first flock, but at least we learned what not to do! LOL. First, do Not add any straw or shavings, that will turn it into a stinky mucky mess. We did that ugh. After raking and shoveling all that gunky mess, we put down pea gravel for drainage, then put the sand (a coarse sand) on top of that. It built up their run a bit so the water didn't settle there anymore and the pea gravel is great for drainage. It was a lot of work because of the mess we made with adding other stuff, but in the end it worked like a charm!!

 

[Varrington]

So sorry for what you are going thru. I can relate. I have the same problem. My poultry is on high ground but my swine is on low ground. That is what we planned for. EXCEPT the relentless rain fall here in North Central Florida this season. Major flooding. The ground is saturated and slow to drain. The sun does not stay out long enough to evaporate the ground moisture.
Hang in there! I know it is rough! Trust me. I know how you feel.
If possible, get a load of fill dirt. Shavings will make a mess I would think. I think higher ground and run off is best.
If possible snap a couple pics and show them.
Perhaps a wide view of the area? Not a close up of the water. Photos help with a more precise recommendation.

 

[coach723]

We are in WV

A couple of thoughts to throw out there..... Is all of your moisture problem from the rain itself or are you also getting runoff from the roof of your house? If that is the case then relocating away from the house may be best. Or redirecting that runoff away from your coop. Roof runoff can equate to a lot of water. I think enlarging your run would be a really good idea. If you can make it large enough so that the grass is not completely scratched up then the ground cover will help with the moisture also. And if you can cover/roof part of your run then that would redirect some of that moisture away also. I have two runs one is covered and one is not. The covered run stays dry enough to use the deep litter method, it only gets wet when the rain blows sideways. My open run is pretty large and with the exception of their dust bathing areas and right around the door in and out, stays covered in grass so it works well and stays pretty dry overall. Good luck! I've learned that having chickens means constantly modifying something!

 

[User395221]

The thing I find helps most when things get wet are bark chips. They don't absorb the water like sand so they tend to help with drainage.

 

[Lazy Farmer]

Oh you have no idea of the mess we had!! I can laugh now looking back, but at the time it was so bad I almost cried

I have a rough idea. I have not seen my feeder pigs feetmin two months! LOL!

 

[Lazy Farmer]

I love your flock!
It looks as though they have outgrown the size of the run. This might be a chore but might be a golden opportunity to make both, a slightly larger run as well as fill in higher with a previously suggested fill from the other members recommendations.
I see a lot of trees=shade= less sun= long term wetness. Is the chicken house/run on the west side of your people house? In other words, does it get afternoon sun or only morning sun since it is backed against your home?

 

[andreanar]

Before the rains came pic...
View attachment 1114134

Wow, you got it pretty bad!!

 

[User395221]

WHAT KIND OF BARK DID YOU USE?.. I would like to try some of it. If is softer than what we used last time!

I just got this
https://www.bunnings.com.au/richgro-70l-pine-bark-mulch_p2980101
It is spread over a large area, the girls don't hang about on it all the time, they do dig it in, and the rest of the run is sandy (except when it rains which we don't get an awful lot of). You can also get a finer mulch which they call "playground mulch" and that's soft/softer (it's for little kids to fall on)https://www.bunnings.com.au/pinegro-50l-playground-mulch_p2962063
But what we can get here might not be the same as where you are so it may not be that helpful.

We do plan on cutting down some of the trees in the spring.

ooh, you could keep the mulch and use it in the run.

 

[Varrington]

Cool beans! The afternoon sun is hotter=helps w/evaporation.
What State are you in?

We are in WV