help and advice needed - muddy, wet coop floor!! :-(

[lisachamjam]

Dear all,
Please can anyone tell me how to solve the problem of a muddy wet coop floor? My girls are slopping around in mud (and poo) and I'm really worried they will get infected feet. They have branches to roost on at night, so it's only their feet that are the problem. I can't let them free-range and so I need a good solution to keeping their feet dry during the winter. Anyone got any good ideas?? PLEASE??

 

[shadow88]

I use sand on my floor. It keeps their feet nice & clean & the poo is super easy to clean up. I use a kittly litter scoop. Even if it does get wet, it dries out quickly.

 

[ChickensAreSweet]

Nice thick layer of sand is what I use in front of the coop where it gets muddy. It does get mucky again though, as the season progresses. So it requires renewal with more sand and occasional scraping of the top layer off and pouring more sand, so the level of the ground doesn't get higher than the coop entrance.

The sand really helps to keep the feet cleaner though. My suggestion is to expect to have to scrape the top layer off eventually. And add more sand.

I use sand in my coops on the floor as well, and rake daily with a plastic rake. Then I scoop with a kitty litter scoop to get the solids out. So my coops are poop-free daily.

If the sand gets wet though it isn't conducive to scooping very easily. So you might consider going with a raised floor inside the coop. Can you build a floor for them?

Also you can put some pallets down but if they sink into the mud it will be an awful task to get them out when it dries. This will give them a dry perching spot for preening.

There is a "Got sand you should" thread that is nice.

 

[Eggcessive]

I would walk around the coop and try to figure out a way to have the moisture run away from the coop by making some changes in how water collects--is it rainwater coming off the coop, or runoff from a hill. You might want to put in a ditch or collect rainwater with a gutter to a rainbarrel. Moving the coop to different spot or raising it up might be an option. It's hard to give suggestions without seeing the setup.

 

[lisachamjam]

Thanks so much everyone. Someone in my work suggested straw (she uses it in her horse's paddock) - has anyone tried that?

 

[aart]

Straw can get moldy and stinky...not healthy.

First thing is figure out where the water is coming from and fix that.

Is this in the coop itself or in a run?

 

[lisachamjam]

The water is from the weather :-( They are in a covered run with an omlet egg house attached to the side. The problem is that the sides are just fox-proof wire so the rain can get in easily and soak the floor leading to a mud bath. Ideally I need something that will keep their feet as dry as possible but allow the rain and poo through....

 

[foreverlearning]

Find out where the water is coming from and fix it. After that I would research the deep litter method for something for them to do during winter with the limited space. Straw and hay attract mites and mold, this is something to think about before you decide. If you decide to use sand (I do) like others suggested, remember that any natural material (pine shavings, hay, straw) that gets mixed in can be bad and become concrete in winter.

 

[lisachamjam]

Wish I could fix the water - it's rain, so it's a bit tricky

However - good point about the mites and it becoming like concrete. I'll give the sand try.

 

[aart]

Well, sometimes you can fix where the rainwater flows

Maybe put some boards around the perimeter of your run and fill it with sand...lots of folks do this.