Gravel in chicken run?

[BudandBranch]

I am redesigning my chicken run so that it drains better (it is very wet where I live). The has been just the dirt ground with some pine shavings over it. My husband wants to put in filter fabric/landscape cloth over rocks (for drainage) with a layer of fine pea gravel on top. Has anyone else used this before? The chickens would not be able to dig in the dirt as it would be covered up. Water would drain right through the pebbles and cloth and I would not have any more puddles... though I am not sure what would happen to the droppings.? I was wondering if anyone has had experience using pea gravel?

 

[muddy75]

I am redesigning my chicken run so that it drains better (it is very wet where I live). The has been just the dirt ground with some pine shavings over it. My husband wants to put in filter fabric/landscape cloth over rocks (for drainage) with a layer of fine pea gravel on top. Has anyone else used this before? The chickens would not be able to dig in the dirt as it would be covered up. Water would drain right through the pebbles and cloth and I would not have any more puddles... though I am not sure what would happen to the droppings.? I was wondering if anyone has had experience using pea gravel?

i have pea gravel in my budgie/finch aviary and I rake it to turn the droppings. my “chicken” area has pine bark which can still be turned over regularly with a tiller and has enough dirt base to still allow dustbathing, my main aviary is pine or cypress mulch over dirt that can again be easily turned as needed with a tiller. I much prefer the mulch in the main aviary and would recommend still using the rock base with cloth to improve drainage, but consider a top layer dirt and mulch that can easily be turned as needed and still give a dustbath.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Strictly gravel? Stink city, as bits of poop gets washed between the stones and starts decomposing in there. I also wouldn't put landscaping fabric under the run in fear that the chickens would eventually dig down to it.

If drainage is an issue, then adding in drains would be the first consideration, and then I'd suggest considering deep litter to help stabilize the soil (so no mud).

 

[3KillerBs]

Gravel is unsanitary because the poop gets down into it and can't compost without "brown" organic material to react with.

Additionally, gravel is forever. If you, or a future owner of the property, ever wanted to do anything else with that part of the yard -- a garden, an orchard, a children's play area, whatever -- you'd have to have heavy equipment mine the gravel back out -- and you wouldn't get it all.

You need to address the source of the water problem.

If the problem is rainwater you need to roof the run -- with gutters to divert the water outside the area -- and add sufficient dry bedding to absorb the water. Aged wood chips are the best for this purpose because they drain freely, absorb a lot of poop, and provide the necessary carbon-rich organic material to compost with the nitrogen-rich poop over time.

If the problem is water running across the ground to enter the run use water diversion methods such as creating grass swales, installing French drains, or even digging open ditches. Some cases even justify using heavy equipment to re-grade the landscape.

If the problem is ground water -- that the water table is close to the surface so that the area is perpetually wet with springs, seeps, and/or standing water -- then this is simply not a suitable place to keep chickens.

If it's the only place physically possible to put them then you need to build up the land with fill dirt in order to raise it well above the water table as well as using water diversion measures to carry the springwater downhill out of the run area.

 

[speedy2020]

I would use wood chips instead. You can get it free.

 

[aart]

Water would drain right through the pebbles and cloth and I would not have any more puddles... though I am not sure what would happen to the droppings.?

Wouldn't the water just puddle underneath the cloth and gravel?
The water needs a way to flow out of the run.
The droppings would settle into the cloth and gravel and reek.