Help! Freeze/Thaw Cycles and Flooded Run

[linguini]

Hi everyone! Sorry for my late response! Thanks so much for your input thus far.

I've attached a few pictures that might help show the issue(s) I'm dealing with. The slope of the yard is subtle, but it's there. Thankfully, the weather has been very dry and temps pretty steady. We put a bit of straw in there just to keep them entertained while the ground is frozen. I know this will not suffice for drainage, which we'll need to tackle in the spring when the ground is workable. We also bought horse bedding pellets for now and will add as necessary. Agree with woodchips being a good option. So many have told me to avoid because of the risk of splinters/bumblefoot, but I think the benefits would outweigh any possible risk. As I took these pictures, I've realized part of our issue is that we didn't beef up the substrate in the run enough. The corners, as you can see, have been excavated by the girls, much more than we expected. I am thinking landscaping bricks or pavers around the perimeter of the run (on the inside) may help too. I am also considering adding a yard or 2 of topsoil and raising the level of the dirt up a few inches in there.

I am not sure how we'd landscape to include a ditch/swale/drainage area, so please feel free to weigh in with thoughts.

Thanks again, guys!

1. pavers around the perimeter or key locations is a good idea - we did that on the "upper" edge of our run, and it helped.

2. you may also consider using sand first - it's cheap and easy. It will elevate the ground in the run somewhat, and you can add wood chips or other organic matter later. Overtime the litter will become nice material that chickens can dig and make their dirt bath! And no smell. Almost no maintenance. At least that's our experience with our run.

We had similar situation in our first fall/winter. I added sand twice in 6 months. And grass from yard work whenever I could. Power washed twice in a year (really didn't have to since there was no smell, I just wanted the perching bars and the wood structure base cleaned - chickens didn't really care!)

 

[3KillerBs]

Thank you for your input on this! Re: sand -- if used in the run in combination with other organic matter, is it compostable? It's been my intention to use a substrate(s) that I can turn over and have it break down into something beneficial I could use in my gardens. My hesitation with using sand has been the worry that it won't break down the way dirt, leaves, and wood might. I can see its benefits for drainage though.

Sand is not compostable. It doesn't break down at all.

 

[linguini]

Thank you for your input on this! Re: sand -- if used in the run in combination with other organic matter, is it compostable? It's been my intention to use a substrate(s) that I can turn over and have it break down into something beneficial I could use in my gardens. My hesitation with using sand has been the worry that it won't break down the way dirt, leaves, and wood might. I can see its benefits for drainage though.

You can use the top layer of compost since it'll be organic matter and poop! I used it for my garden last spring!

 

[WhyKnott]

Photos, please?

The only way to fix a problem like this is to fix the drainage issue.

If the problem is water running across the ground into the chicken area -- either as a sheet or in a channel -- you will need to create diversion ditches and/or grass swales to move the water around the run instead of through it.

Coarse wood chips -- the kind you get from a tree-trimming service -- can help with the mud problem, but managing the waterflow is #1.

3KillerBs has the right idea. You need to address the issue of water flow and drainage 1st and foremost. The most effective way to do that is watch the water run off during a hard rain. If the run off is in any way headed in the direction of your coop, then it makes sense that during the freeze/thaw cycles the "thaw" water will also drain toward your coop even if you can't see it doing that. Redirecting the water flow into a "holding area" such as a rain garden to contain the water until it has had enough time to be absorbed by the soil by installing either a "dry river bed" (aka...diversion ditch) or a "swale" will be the most effective way to provide a drier run for your fluffy butts. Do an internet search for all 3 of these things; dry river bed, swale and rain garden, it will help you decide what is going to work best for your situation. I strongly recommend you not install a French Drain. Regardless of what others tell you it is a foregone conclusion French Drains, and I'm sure other similar buried systems, will eventually become clogged with dirt and debris and become completely ineffective in about 7 to 10 ish years...and to fix it you'll have to dig it all out and start over again. It doesn't matter how diligent you are about making sure you have the proper depth of gravel surrounding the pipe top, bottom and sides or used the highest quality fabric cover to prevent dirt and debris from getting down into the pipe, the fabric will eventually wear out/get little pin holes, etc. and dirt/debris will make it's way to the drainage pipe and clog it up. Once you have figured out the best drainage route for your rainwater to follow, you'll want to install either a dry creek bed or a swale and ensure your home's rain gutters drain into that ditch. I strongly recommend renting a ditch witch from a local rental place for digging out your swale or creek bed. You might have to make a couple passes to make the ditch wide enough and you'll still need to do some shoveling to get the loosened soil out of the ditch, but it'll so much faster and far less work using a ditch witch. You can then use the soil from the ditch to fill in depressions and dips in your yard and to properly "grade" the area around your home and the chicken run so the rainwater is directed away from buildings and toward the diversion ditch. After addressing the water flow issue, I have the following recommendation. Depending on how long/wide your chicken run is, I would "divide" the run into 2 zones so to speak: zone 1 should = about 3/4 of the length of the run and zone 2 will be the remaining 1/4 length of the run located at the far end away from the chicken coop. The zone closest to the coop I would fill with at the very least 6 inches of sand (sand drains quickly = dry surface) which will not only absorb the wet mud and chicken poo from their feet but also clean off their feet as well which will make a huge difference in helping keep the eggs they lay clean. Zone 2 would be the deep mulch/compost zone where you would 1st put down a deep layer of wood chips (not dust or shavings but actual chips of wood)... don't worry about spreading the wood chips out, the chickens will do that for you and they'll have a blast scratching through the pile looking for bits of bugs or whatever else they can find, and then use it to put your kitchen scraps, lawn clippings and leaves, etc.. The chickens will "turn" the pile for you by digging around in it looking for goodies, which they will love doing, and at the same time they'll be creating fantastic compost you can use on your gardens... flower or vegetable...as well as your lawn for a natural, healthy fertilizer. And bonus, you can also dump your shavings from cleaning the coup in there too (chicken poo makes fantastic fertilizer once it's been composted). To keep your composted material separate from your fresh scraps, simply start your initial compost pile on one side of the 2nd zone and when that gets to the point it's fairly well broken down and becoming compost, then start a "fresh" pile next to the composted pile and just keep rotating the piles. Remember to periodically add more wood chips to the far 1/4 section of their run periodically as needed. One other thing you might want to consider... putting a "catch tray" filled with sand beneath their nightly roosts. Dry chicken poo doesn't stink and the sand dries out their droppings quickly, and they you can just scoop them out with a kitty litter scoop. Makes life cleaner and much easier for both you and your fluffy butts. Look up chicken coop poop tray or chicken coop droppings board. You could even use plastic boot trays 8f they're sitting on a solid surface and fill them with sand. Just a thought.

 

[Dreammaker]

WHERE are you located? This needs to be in your Avatar area so we can help you better.
Pics also help.
Tons of posts on this in the recent past so search- they have a Load of pics too.

Divert the water.....gravel under run about 1/2 foot deep then add a TON of Compost (woodchips, bark all that has been talked about in the past).

But really if you can't STOP the water from entering the area you will not win the battle.

Sorry; I'm in Massachusetts.

 

[Dreammaker]

2. you may also consider using sand first - it's cheap and easy. It will elevate the ground in the run somewhat, and you can add wood chips or other organic matter later. Overtime the litter will become nice material that chickens can dig and make their dirt bath! And no smell. Almost no maintenance. At least that's our experience with our run.

Thank you for your input on this! Re: sand -- if used in the run in combination with other organic matter, is it compostable? It's been my intention to use a substrate(s) that I can turn over and have it break down into something beneficial I could use in my gardens. My hesitation with using sand has been the worry that it won't break down the way dirt, leaves, and wood might. I can see its benefits for drainage though.