Hard clay pan/standing water

[kparlock]

Hi there! I live in Boise, ID. We have a shed for our chickens where they are safe, warm and dry (lock up at night). They have a run on the outside that is fenced and netted from predators. Our climate here is generally desert, but lately have gotten a lot of run off from the roof and rain. The ground has rotted under the layer of straw which I have scooped out by shovel full, put lime down and we are trying to dry it out before the next rain/snow fall.
Has anyone tried gravel in their run? Suggestions? I have a deodorizing "Zeolite" that the local feed store recommended to put down as well, but should I use some gravel? Thoughts?? We are also going to bore 3' holes to help the ground drain better! HELP!!

 

[azygous]

I've lived in the southern desert and am familiar with hard pan, also called caliche. It's hard as cement and can go quite deep. All water can do is run off. It's why not much can grow in the desert. I feel drilling holes would be wasted effort unless core samples have confirmed the depth of the hard pan and you have permeable clay under it.

Do you have any slope? Is there any way to trench around your run and channel the runoff away? Hoping it will drain straight downward is like hoping you'll suddenly become young and beautiful. Oh, wait. That's my fantasy.

I live on a slope. My coops and runs are designed to accommodate the slope. I've trenched around the runs to divert runoff away and down slope. I have gutters that further divert runoff from the roofs so the water doesn't run into the runs. Wide roof eaves also help keep precipitation from ricocheting into the runs as it hits the ground.

Insuring no runoff or bounced rain reaches inside the runs, I've installed medium coarse construction sand six inches deep in my run. Sand is well suited to an arid climate, but you do want to avoid water spills with your hardpan. I have highly permeable clay as a substrate, and any unexpected water spills drain right through the sand and down through the clay, and the runs remain dry.

What I would do if I had your hard pan would be to install 3/4 inch gravel over the hard pan and six inches of sand on top of that with edging to retain the sand within the run.

 

[kparlock]

I've lived in the southern desert and am familiar with hard pan, also called caliche. It's hard as cement and can go quite deep. All water can do is run off. It's why not much can grow in the desert. I feel drilling holes would be wasted effort unless core samples have confirmed the depth of the hard pan and you have permeable clay under it.

Do you have any slope? Is there any way to trench around your run and channel the runoff away? Hoping it will drain straight downward is like hoping you'll suddenly become young and beautiful. Oh, wait. That's my fantasy.

I live on a slope. My coops and runs are designed to accommodate the slope. I've trenched around the runs to divert runoff away and down slope. I have gutters that further divert runoff from the roofs so the water doesn't run into the runs. Wide roof eaves also help keep precipitation from ricocheting into the runs as it hits the ground.

Insuring no runoff or bounced rain reaches inside the runs, I've installed medium coarse construction sand six inches deep in my run. Sand is well suited to an arid climate, but you do want to avoid water spills with your hardpan. I have highly permeable clay as a substrate, and any unexpected water spills drain right through the sand and down through the clay, and the runs remain dry.

What I would do if I had your hard pan would be to install 3/4 inch gravel over the hard pan and six inches of sand on top of that with edging to retain the sand within the run.View attachment 2015534

thanks!

 

[aart]

Some pics would help here.
Yup, gutters and trenching.
Zeolite is not gonna help, save your money there.
Sand would be better as fill if you're in an arid climate.
I use wood chippings for run bedding here.

Oh, and....Welcome to BYC! @kparlock
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[Ridgerunner]

One way to determine how permeable your soil underneath is would be to do a perc test. In your case dig or drill a hole 3' deep, fill it with water, and observe how long it takes for the water to go away. A perc test is often used in the design of a septic system. I used one to determine how well the soil drained when deciding where to put my fruit orchard. A perc test should tell you how much good drilling holes will do. If it works that can be a great solution. But if it doesn't that can be a lot of work for nothing.