How to get rid of mud in the out door run

[KahKaDoodleDo22]

Hi, who knows how I can get rid of the mud in my chicken run?!

We have a 30x20 outdoor area. It has some plastic sheeting over the top on part of it for a temporary fix till spring when we can build a proper roof but it still won’t be completely covered. It’s too big! Lol

But for now, with this Washington rain/snow, then raining, raining, raining some more I am having a hard time getting rid of the mud in the run. What can I put down to help?

Straw seems like that’s a breeding ground for nasty stuff and unhealthy.

Woodchips? All I can get is cedar...
Gravel?
Sand?

Other ideas??

 

[CindyinSD]

If your run isn’t in a well-drained spot, nothing will keep it from being muddy. You could try digging a trench across the highest side(s) and down each side to direct the water around and into the lower area below it. If it’s not on a slope... if it’s in a low-lying area or if the water is coming up from down below not down from up above, I’m not sure there’s much you can do without drastic measures like hauling in some kind of fill.

If you pile in organic carbon matter of any kind, the standing water will keep oxygen out of it. It will not compost; it will turn into stinky, vile slime. We had a lot of flooding last “spring” and “summer” and my birds’ run was soggy. So they dug up all the vegetation. After that, it was ankle deep in muck so I had to move them up on the hill.

All summer they lived the Gypsy life in a chicken tractor. This fall I built them a greenhouse on the hill. Come summer they’ll be back to the Gypsy “wagons” and hopefully tomatoes and peppers will take up residence in the greenhouse. ATM the old coop/run complex is bursting with turkeys. The ground is frozen and the floods have subsided (hopefully for a long time). Perhaps I’ll be able to use the lower field & the coop/run this spring and summer.

 

[KahKaDoodleDo22]

Hi!

My run is sloped since we live on a huge hill, but for the most part of its not raining or snow is t melting the run drains fairly quickly. It’s just that we’re always wet where we are. We’re in so kind of rain shadow in addition the the wonderful rainy weather we get for 9 months out of the year. So I don’t know what to do, I might just have to cover the whole thing!

 

[Ebony Rose]

Hi!

My run is sloped since we live on a huge hill, but for the most part of its not raining or snow is t melting the run drains fairly quickly. It’s just that we’re always wet where we are. We’re in so kind of rain shadow in addition the the wonderful rainy weather we get for 9 months out of the year. So I don’t know what to do, I might just have to cover the whole thing!

Zinc roofing can be very affordable and last for decades. It will provide protection from rain, snow and sun, and if you also cover a section of the run's walls on two adjoining sides, you can get a nice windbreak in that corner of the run too. Be certain to allow the roof to overhang the fence line of their run so that rain running off of the roofing doesn't dig a hole IN the run, and lay gravel down in the areas that are affected by the runoff outside of the run. Better to lay the gravel down outside the run than inside, as chickens will simply dig them up when they flip them over for bugs; hence the overhang
Sand can become a stinking mess over time, especially wet. Deep leaf litter, wood chips, rice husks and the like, may be your best friend. Your instinct seems spot-on about straw, a great place to grow mold (a danger to your flock's respiratory system).

 

[cavemanrich]

Straw seems like that’s a breeding ground for nasty stuff and unhealthy
What is your source for this info???
I have used straw in my run in previous times, and had no problems. I currently use my grass clippings that I bag with lawnmower. My run area is similar in size to your, but I do have most of it covered with tarps to keep dry.

Woodchips? All I can get is cedar... Avoid CEDAR, The natural things Cedar contains to keep insects away,,, is not a good thing for chickens to be around.
Gravel? Gravel will work if you get enough of it to create a raised surface, and allow water to drain. Choose pea gravel, over sharp Construction stones.
Sand? Sand will work,, but again you will need much of it to create a raised surface. Allowing drainage. Choose course sand. I do have some sand in a part of my run. There so the hens could dust bathe. They never did use it for that purpose. They choose scratched up dirt instead.

Other ideas?? If you could get your hands on a load of wood pallets, you would create a raised surface. That is of course not a forever solution, because the wood will eventually rot, and expose nails. It will work short term.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[KahKaDoodleDo22]

Straw seems like that’s a breeding ground for nasty stuff and unhealthy
What is your source for this info???
I have used straw in my run in previous times, and had no problems. I currently use my grass clippings that I bag with lawnmower. My run area is similar in size to your, but I do have most of it covered with tarps to keep dry.

Woodchips? All I can get is cedar... Avoid CEDAR, The natural things Cedar contains to keep insects away,,, is not a good thing for chickens to be around.
Gravel? Gravel will work if you get enough of it to create a raised surface, and allow water to drain. Choose pea gravel, over sharp Construction stones.
Sand? Sand will work,, but again you will need much of it to create a raised surface. Allowing drainage. Choose course sand. I do have some sand in a part of my run. There so the hens could dust bathe. They never did use it for that purpose. They choose scratched up dirt instead.

Other ideas?? If you could get your hands on a load of wood pallets, you would create a raised surface. That is of course not a forever solution, because the wood will eventually rot, and expose nails. It will work short term.
WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thanks for the advice. So you don’t think straw is bad? I haven’t ever tried it.

 

[ChocolateMouse]

Cedar isn't actually terrible because it's outdoors. If it's a run with no solid walls it shouldn't be too bad to have cedar out there. It's the aerosol of the wood and confined space of the coop that makes it really bad.

Can you call a local tree company and ask if they will deliver wood chips to you? A thick layer of wood chips will help a lot and can be MUCH cheaper than anything else. Oftentimes they come in fresh and can grow some nasty fungi so you can age them first but I never have space or time so I've never done it or had problems. If you can get 6-12 inches of chips in the pen it will do WONDERS.

I've used straw and it's not too bad but it CAN mat up and become mucky. But it's better than nothing and can be used in tandem with wood chips.

Other ideas focuses on drainage. French drains, irrigation ditches, rain gardens, etc can all help but do require shifting land and possibly permits.

 

[Willowspirit]

I live in Oregon so I feel your pain. We have horses so there is always waste hay. I throw it in piles in the run for the chickens to scratch through and spread around. So far, so good.

 

[BDutch]

I have an open run with a net on top. That became very muddy after the grass was eaten. I really had to do something about that in the fall with a lot of rain. The soil contains river clay and adobe and is poorly permeable.

To solve this problem I first wanted to spread wood chips in the run. But someone told me that this is a risk for bumble foot.

I then made a simple drainaige. :

• I drilled a 3 foot (1 meter) deep hole every 3 feet (1 meter) with a hole drill to make piles in the ground.
  
  
• I filled the holes with river pebbles

The problem was solved immediately. No more water remains. And it still works well after 4 years.

To make the soil healthy and rich in humus, I often throw garden waste (weeds) in the run. And leaves in autumn. Now something is growing again in the run. Probably wheat or barley from the grains that were not eaten.

 

[FortCluck]

I put wood shavings out in the muddy run here the other day. I made two big piles and had the chickens spread it for me. Not only did they have a blast, but they created a path of nice dry area from my gate door to the coop.

I'm buying mulch today though to put out there. I'll make piles and the chickens can spread it.