Keeping outdoor runs healthy In wet climates..

[feathermaid]

Peat is most recommended as best product to eliminate ammonia from manure to prevent ammonia toxicity. Its also easy to scoop. I also placed landscaping fine pine mulch in my run. Fall leaves while I have them cuz free. I use what I have at the time but will keep peat all the time. Can see article on ammonia toxicity in chickens. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/ammonia-toxicity-in-chickens.74475/

This sounds like a great idea for indoor type areas, especially the coop! Similar to deep litter?

 

[7acres]

Chickens are very susceptible to mud-born pathogens and a wet environment is a breeding ground for coccidiosis. It's important to have some dry areas for your chickens to hang out, even some roosts at different levels in the run would be much appreciated by your hens.

I think I have a pretty good system for keeping the mud at bay. We get a lot of rain here in Oregon. In addition to my coop, I have enclosed covered runs and also a weather-exposed yard where they are contained most of the time. I "borrowed" my mud management idea from Newland Poultry in the UK
https://www.newlandpoultry.com/muddy-chicken-runs

What makes this system work is that the ground (mud) and the surface material (wood chips) is kept separate by a sturdy barrier. I laid PVC poultry netting and attached to the ground using garden pins, then put my wood chips on top. My wood chips never get mixed with the muddy ground below! It's amazing!
View attachment 1606441
View attachment 1606442
We had a large tree on our property cut down and I had the tree-cutter guys leave me all the contents from the wood chipper. It's all spread very thick and I do rake them level from time to time. Chickens seem happy and healthy and not muddy!
View attachment 1606452 View attachment 1606451 View attachment 1606449

I've written about it in another thread with a little more detail: Deep Litter with Chickens AND Ducks? and also some follow-up posts.

That looks like a good idea. But would you specifically have to know what the wood chips were. The Power line trimmers are always willing to dump but they have all kinds of bushes and vines mixed in.

 

[Melky]

This sounds like a great idea for indoor type areas, especially the coop! Similar to deep litter?

You can use in coop or run but intended for run mainly. I use regular pine mulch bedding from TSC inside the coop just easier and less dirty. I do not use deep litter as the more you leave wet litter in coop it raises ammonia levels and humidity which is not good for the birds. I just sift with kitty scoop manure from mulch/peat and replace mulch/peat in run as I send it over to my compost bins later to be placed in my gardens.

 

[UKchooks]

Mind if I jump in on this thread? My girls free range so are able to keep out of the muddiest areas (and they seem to like perching on the kids' climbing frame!) but with the recent spate of wet weather, the actual run and the area around it are one big patch of mud, despite the run itself being covered with a tarp. Their food and water are inside the run and they have 24/7 access to it (I lock the run door at night but leave the pop-hole open for ventilation) so they do spend a bit of time in there. Is there anything I could/should be doing as a short-term measure while the weather is so wet?

 

[Melky]

That looks like a good idea. But would you specifically have to know what the wood chips were. The Power line trimmers are always willing to dump but they have all kinds of bushes and vines mixed in.

As long as you don’t use cedar probably ok. Cedar is not good for chickens.

 

[Melky]

Mind if I jump in on this thread? My girls free range so are able to keep out of the muddiest areas (and they seem to like perching on the kids' climbing frame!) but with the recent spate of wet weather, the actual run and the area around it are one big patch of mud, despite the run itself being covered with a tarp. Their food and water are inside the run and they have 24/7 access to it (I lock the run door at night but leave the pop-hole open for ventilation) so they do spend a bit of time in there. Is there anything I could/should be doing as a short-term measure while the weather is so wet?

I put in peat/mulch. Peat to reduce ammonia levels as best product for that. You can use straw as well which also provides warmth. These coverings tend to keep it from being muddy when wet.

 

[UKchooks]

I put in peat/mulch. Peat to reduce ammonia levels as best product for that. You can use straw as well which also provides warmth. These coverings tend to keep it from being muddy when wet.

Thanks. Straw I have, so can do straight away. Peat might be harder to get hold of. With straw, how often would it need to be replaced? Would there be a risk of it going mouldy if it's on the damp ground?

 

[Folly's place]

Wet straw is miserable to handle, I think shavings and wood chips, with a little straw or hay, and leaves, would be best.
Having the run covered is ideal!
Managing drainage issues makes everything else much easier; ditches, gravel, raising the run area above the surrounding ground will all help.
Long term, that landscape fabric will be a mess too. It was here in my garden!
Mud is worse than ice sometimes!
Mary

 

[Melky]

Thanks. Straw I have, so can do straight away. Peat might be harder to get hold of. With straw, how often would it need to be replaced? Would there be a risk of it going mouldy if it's on the damp ground?

I clean my run out every 1-2 weeks and remove what looks full of manure and composted and replace with fresh. Never leave in anything till it molds. I haven’t had trouble with mold. My back gets a lot of rain.

 

[feathermaid]

That looks like a good idea. But would you specifically have to know what the wood chips were. The Power line trimmers are always willing to dump but they have all kinds of bushes and vines mixed in.

As Melky stated, there's some concern with using cedar. Opinions and experiences vary, minimal amounts possibly wouldn't be as harmful in an outdoor well ventilated area. My large maple tree was already being removed, so I just wanted to keep the free firewood and utilize the leftover chips.

I do not use deep litter as the more you leave wet litter in coop it raises ammonia levels and humidity which is not good for the birds. I just sift with kitty scoop manure from mulch/peat and replace mulch/peat in run as I send it over to my compost bins later to be placed in my gardens.

I've never had the litter get wet inside my coop. I stir it frequently and add fresh shavings to the top, the poo dries out quickly. I have a poop tray under the roosts filled with Sweet PDZ stall granules that gets scooped out like cat litter, maybe similar to your method. I love composting too! My gardens have grown better than ever these last few years.

Mind if I jump in on this thread? My girls free range so are able to keep out of the muddiest areas (and they seem to like perching on the kids' climbing frame!) but with the recent spate of wet weather, the actual run and the area around it are one big patch of mud, despite the run itself being covered with a tarp. Their food and water are inside the run and they have 24/7 access to it (I lock the run door at night but leave the pop-hole open for ventilation) so they do spend a bit of time in there. Is there anything I could/should be doing as a short-term measure while the weather is so wet?

Sounds like your run may not have the greatest drainage. Maybe the water is collecting from roof runoff and just seeping back under and into the run? That happened to me before. You could install a gutter, rain collection system, french drain or even a trench to redirect where the water flows.
Is it possible to move your coop to higher ground?

If you can't keep the water from entering, you could try to temporarily raise the floor somehow. I've heard of some people laying out pallets so the chickens' feet won't have direct contact with the ground, but you will still need to provide a dry dust bath area. It's really so much better to keep them in a dry environment but sometimes can be so difficult. Mud is a nasty beast to deal with, it was just so awful back when I had horses too. Seemed like no matter how much material I added and layered (wood chips, gravel, straw, anything!) it would just sink down and get covered again by more mud.

That's why I use that poultry net barrier method now, (along with my gutter system) it just keeps everything from sinking and drowning. And @Folly's place has a point with landscape fabric as a barrier... with chickens, they just scratch it up and make giant fluffy chunks of it all over the place, exposing the mud once again!

If I've learned anything over the last few decades caring for animals, it's that not every method will work the same for every person or circumstance. Your best solution usually comes with trial and error. Good luck with your efforts!