Ground cover for Mud

[MandaRae]

Which Ground covers could I plant around the outside area of my chicken coops to hold back the mud. Also less mowing the better.

This is the area outside the door. This is a "good" day, usually I'm sinking up to my ankles in mud

 

[chickengr]

maybe you can use wood ash instead of cover crop?

otherwise clover might help. it is dense and does not grow tall. I am not familiar with your climate. there might be other plants as well.

 

[MandaRae]

I'm in Zone 5b North East PA.
I can definitely try the Wood ash!

 

[raingarden]

Google "bog groundcover"

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

The chickens will eat and scratch out any planned ground cover. I use thick wood mulch and bark/chip (about 4 inches) all over my run. No mud and no smell. It also breaks down to compost over time. I'm over a year with my current set up and I expect it to last another year before needing topping up.

 

[MandaRae]

The chickens will eat and scratch out any planned ground cover. I use thick wood mulch and bark/chip (about 4 inches) all over my run. No mud and no smell. It also breaks down to compost over time. I'm over a year with my current set up and I expect it to last another year before needing topping up.

Ooo we have a HUGE woodchip pile for the front garden.
It won't hurt their feet?

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Ooo we have a HUGE woodchip pile for the front garden.
It won't hurt their feet?

What I'm using doesn't hurt their feet but it's sort of mostly rounded off chunks of bark plus chipped sticks etc. I've used what comes out of a wood chipper (prunings and branches etc) straight into the run with no problems. I also throw in whatever organic matter I have around like weeds, leaves.

 

[TheFatBlueCat]

Ooo we have a HUGE woodchip pile for the front garden.
It won't hurt their feet?

Here is what my wood chip cover looks like.

 

[Acre4Me]

Wood chips are great! You could use pavers too. Some people will put cement right around the entry door to the run, if everything else is secure, to prevent predators from digging into the run, but the cement can help with the mud. Easiest is still the wood chips.

 

[MandaRae]

Wood chips are great! You could use pavers too. Some people will put cement right around the entry door to the run, if everything else is secure, to prevent predators from digging into the run, but the cement can help with the mud. Easiest is still the wood chips.

Well I may move the coops eventually so I'm not sure I'll cement it. But maybe a combo of pavers and Wood chips