Help please,Run floor Wet after heavy rain

[ChelseysChicken]

So my coop floor is Natures finest,dirt. Its walk-in size,barely. What if anything would be better to use for flooring. Pine shavings changed weekly? Sand? Hay?? All opinions Very welcome,Thanks y'all!

 

[SobbaChickens]

You're going to have problems with any kind of flooring if it's exposed enough to get wet. My coop flooring will be plywood, with Blackjack 57 and then followed with sand

 

[wolfgirl9]

Well I use hay and it works very well because it doesn't get all over the place like sawdust. But if you have hay allergies I think its best to use sawdust.

 

[wolfgirl9]

Well I use hay and it works very well because it doesn't get all over the place like sawdust. But if you have hay allergies I think its best to use sawdust.

 

[TXchickmum]

The dirt will get muddy each time it rains (if the rain is substantial). For a quick fix, you might try adding coastal hay to the floor. This has helped out a great deal in our run when we have significant rainfall. -keeps the gals from having muddy feet. We shovel it out after a few days and let the dirt dry out.

 

[aart]

This might help Muddy Run Article

 

[little feather]

Hi, I would use pallets, cut strips to fill in the gaps or put plywood on top, then wood shavings, not sawdust, sawdust is too fine, absorbs water too easily. Pallets would raise them off the wet ground, keep them dry. The softwood (pine only) shavings dry out quickly, and are easy to change out. I keep roughly 6" to 8" on my coop floor, changing out every three months. Only pine shavings, cedar or hardwood shavings can be toxic. For clean out, rake out the shavings, lift the plywood, lean against the wall, lift the pallet, lean against wall, rake the dirt, let it air for the day, put down lime and or Diatomecous Earth, lime helps with urates, smell, DE helps with parasites like fowl mite, at the end of the day put down the pallet, plywood and new shavings, be sure to add DE to shavings for pest control! Dirt floors are ok. but not the greatest, especially in wet conditions. In a coop they can harbour mold and bacteria. The lime under the pallets will help keep down bacteria and mold. Few chickens can tolerate damp, The Marans are one breed that can, but there is a big difference in damp and soggy, dirt is great in the run where the sun can sterilize it, dry it out, make dustbaths and scratching. The shavings can go in the run, the chickens will churn it up, rain will wash it out, they will improve the run, Twice a year I clean out the run, using the shavings in compost, or side dressing vegetables that are heavy feeders like asparagus, rhubarb and squash.

Little Feather

 

[Umlaut]

I would try sand!