Muddy Chicken Runs.

[MysteryChicken]

Sand is not great for our climate, and the chickens will just tear up the grass.

My runs have semi-deep litter(cold composting), never clean anything out, just add smaller dry materials on occasion, add larger wood chippings as needed.

You're in Michigan too?
I would rather have to remove excess dirty run litter, because the buildup of new litter can get high, & deep.

 

[rosemarythyme]

I would rather have to remove excess dirty run litter, because the buildup of new litter can get high, & deep.

It'd take years to build up deep litter high enough to be noticeable, so I wouldn't worry about that too much. The litter building up a bit would also help raise the run floor out of the water level (though alone it wouldn't compensate for poor drainage at the location).

 

[MysteryChicken]

It'd take years to build up deep litter high enough to be noticeable, so I wouldn't worry about that too much. The litter building up a bit would also help raise the run floor out of the water level (though alone it wouldn't compensate for poor drainage at the location).

We'll think about it.

 

[aart]

After a hard rain, it can take up to a few weeks, or a month for the coops to dry out.
We have gutters, but my grandpa wanted over hang on the new metal roof, so now the gutters are useless.

So was that roof guttered before the new metal roof was installed?
Did you have standing water problems before gutters were rendered ineffective?

You really should have a gate to access this run, have you ever had to crawl thru the chicken door to 'rescue' a bird or eggs?

On the smaller coop/run, is there a roof on that run or does the water come in along the ground?
The ground looks a bit sloped towards coop, but hard to tell from pics.

 

[MysteryChicken]

So was that roof guttered before the new metal roof was installed?
Did you have standing water problems before gutters were rendered ineffective?

You really should have a gate to access this run, have you ever had to crawl thru the chicken door to 'rescue' a bird or eggs?

On the smaller coop/run, is there a roof on that run or does the water come in along the ground?
The ground looks a bit sloped towards coop, but hard to tell from pics.

There's always been a muddy coop even with the functioning gutters, just not as extreme.

I really want a gate for the run. Yes, I've had to crawl through the chicken door quite a bit this year to get eggs from new layers, once to wrangle birds up so a problem tree in their run could be cut down, & repair the fence.
Last year I had to crawl into the yard even more then this year.


The run is covered with plain chicken wire. My dad doesn't believe there's a possible way to put a roof on the run. He believes there's no way to put a roof on the larger coop run either.

The slop you're seeing is the chicken ramp buried in mud. I think, I'll have to look back.

 

[MysteryChicken]

There's a slight slope in the yard due to the birds dust bathing pits being filled in by mud repeatedly.
It's even been muddy years before they dug pits.

 

[aart]

The run is covered with plain chicken wire. My dad doesn't believe there's a possible way to put a roof on the run. He believes there's no way to put a roof on the larger coop run either.

OK, I'm going to assume you are a minor and under your parents edicts.
There are ways to make roofs and gates, but I am not going to undermine their authority.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I am in agreement with each of the posters who recommend sloping the run away from the hen house. You don't need much slope. A standard plumbing drain line runs at 1/4" drop in 12. That's only 3" of elevation change across a 12' long run, hardly noticeable.

If you have a tiller/cultivator, you can spend an afternoon chewing up the outer 1/3 of the run, furthest from the house, then use some flat shovels, a heavy rake, or a spade if you must to pull the now loosened soil towards the house. Suddenly, you have the desired slope...

Continue the process outside the run to give that water some place to go. If impractical, build a large swale - a shallow depression to hold water in the same fashion - till or dig the center, dragging the loosened dirt to the edges to create a low berm. Connect a ditch or whatever to the swale to direct water coming out of the run to the swale.

Let your dad fill it all in with grass, that should content him. When the birds absolutely destroy that new grass in the run, then you can talk him into getting a load of (likely free) wood chips, mulch from a tree service, yard clippings, leaf litter, whatever into your run. It will help further in keeping their feet dry, and they will be entertained by it. Win/Win.

 

[MysteryChicken]

OK, I'm going to assume you are a minor and under your parents edicts.
There are ways to make roofs and gates, but I am not going to undermine their authority.

No I'm 22, & my dad has more building experience then I do.
I live with them since I have disabilities, & can't work.
I was born in 97.

 

[3KillerBs]

The only way to keep mud out of the coop and run is to fix the drainage problem.

Nothing else will be more than a temporary patch.