I have a normal closed run attached to my chicken coop, and in winter it gets very muddy, well it already has so I was wondering if anyone has any ideas to stop it getting worse, I have heard about putting straw down but I don't know whether this would work or just make a muddy-straw mix that will be just as bad??? Please help me as my hens backs are getting very muddy by my amorous rooster, also it is very nasty when I pick them up and they rub their feet on me. Please answer ASAP Here is the current state of my run Thanks Nick
Oh mud! Inevitable to a certain degree with chickens. I used to use straw, but I feel that it holds more moisture than I like and gets stinky and/or slushy, hard and frozen depending on the season. I now use pine shavings with great success. They "absorb" mud much more readily and break down fairly quickly as they are a lot smaller in size. I just add another thin layer when it starts to get wet all the way through again. I scoop them all out down to the dirt and compost the shavings probably once or twice a year. Everyone has their own methods, and I'm sure will weigh in on them. You'll just need to find what works for you. Good luck!
Looks like you have a 2x4 on edge around the bottom of the run. I'd fill the floor up with 3" of sand. Sand lets the water drain away. No more mud.
Nice run wish I had some mud here as in Death Valley all we have is sand and rock and if you raise your run a little more and add some sand like The Lazy L wrote it should alleviate your problem but you could also put the rooster in a separate cage for now .... gander007
Ok thankyou for your input, I will definitely look into the sand idea, shavings I don't think would work as the area where my run is can get rather windy
Lots of people like sand, and there are a lot of threads on here on the topic.... From your pictures though, your going to want to build up the sides of your run a bit if you go that route. A single 2x4 or 2x6 around the parameter would do the trick.
