Hi all I enjoyed the BackYardChickens Newsletter - 9/2010 particularly Pat's Big Ol' Mud Page: How to Fix A Muddy Run. I have a situation where there is a downhill side to my runs which conveniently is right beside the garden. (which is fenced off as a winter/spring run.) This rectangular downhill side is prone to muck in spring. So what I do is flop down a number of pallets from the dump. This keeps the hens of the muck but still out in the early sun. Then after a while I pen them out, lift up and scrape the pallets with a putty knife, lean them against the north fence as a wind break. AND then, plant an early crop of spinach that always grows like weeds. When the spinach is through the hens get the leftover greens and have a nice dry pen until next spring. (the spinach only needs 3-4 inches hoed soil, not a full shovel depth) My hens do double duty as garden cultivators/compost mixers, whenever it's safe to let them in there. yours douglas
