Help with Drainage issues

[ekeyser73]

I need some suggestions on how to handle some drainage/standing water issues i am having in my chicken run. Does anyone else have or have had this problem? My run is built on treated 2x4's that are set on the ground. There are couple areas that are possible low spots or dip in the yard that will be dealt with, but I have water in areas that are inside the run and no where near the walls. I have a metal roof over the whole thing and there are no leaks, so the water has to be coming from the ground itself. I need some suggestions on how to handle this. I am limited on money at the moment, as well as being able to do a lot of physical exertion such as digging....but it can be done.....so please keep that in mind with the ideas and possible solutions. Right now here in Southern Ohio we are getting thunder storms and it is 57 degrees, so later this morning when I go out to feed the girls, I will walk into most likely a small indoor pond. Please help.

 

[Messipaw]

Oh I am so sorry. Can you fill it with more dirt. Maybe add wood chips and sand which will help the drainage.

 

[PimentoPlymouth]

If you were able to dig a trench around it that may help. But since that is an issue you could try using some kind of absorbing material like sand, pine shavings etc. That could get messy thought. If at all possible maybe build up the area around the run a little with dirt to keep the water from running down into it.

 

[Mtn Laurel]

Is the water run off from another location? My yard isn't level and we discovered that water was funneling into the run during rainy spells. DH went to hardware store and purchased small empty sandbags which we filled and placed around the edge of the run that was having the problem.

The sandbags diverted the rain water around the run. Problem solved!

 

[4 the Birds]

I need some suggestions on how to handle some drainage/standing water issues i am having in my chicken run. Does anyone else have or have had this problem? My run is built on treated 2x4's that are set on the ground.

I feel your pain! With all the melting snow and heavy rains, we have standing water everywhere! Drainage can be extremely difficult when the ground is still frozen and you live in a low flat area. What I do is add a bale of straw, hay, or pine chips to build up the height of the run. It for sure knocks down standing water and mud. It gradually will decompose over time but it helps keep the run height up higher than the surrounding area and somewhat dry.

 

[The Lazy L]

My run is covered but there is a mud hole where the chickens take their dirt bathes. As long as most of the run is "dry" I'll ignore the mud hole.



Winter? What is that?

 

[bucky52]

I'm in Va. and we are having a very wet winter.If its not raining its snowing.My run is also covered,and to keep my girls dry DH and I wrap heavy plastic around it.my run sits at the lowest point of the field.bad planning on our part.And water runs down hill.I have dug trenches around it .but the snow melt and rain is seeping in the lowest area of the run.I have two coops and my run is 30x30.so almost impossible to relocate it.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Read this for ideas.

Pat’s Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run

There are two general ideas for fixing a muddy run. Some it’s too late for you but I’ll mention them anyway.

First stop water from getting in. Locate your run on high ground or build berms and swales to prevent water from running in. Make sure any roofs divert water away from the run, either by slope or gutters and downspouts. A roof helps but a whole lot of rain comes in from the side, especially when the wind is blowing. Just because you have a roof and the run is wet does not mean it came from the ground.

Once it’s in, get it out. It needs to be high enough so it can drain. The water needs to move by gravity from a higher place to a lower place. It can’t leave unless it has someplace to go. Evaporation will help so you need ventilation, but the big advantage is if it soaks in the ground and goes away. A French drain may help. Filling the run with sand so it is built up higher than the surrounding ground is a great solution. Sand drains well and the water has a place to go.

Real general ideas. Pat’s article has better details.

If the weather sets in wet you may just have to deal with it for a while, but if you can do any of these things, it can help.

 

[Hokum Coco]

I need some suggestions on how to handle some drainage.

You can simply dig a pit and fill it with rock of assorted sizes and run a drain into it similar to what is shown.