Muddy coop

[Aunt Angus]

That last storm system was NASTY! I had rain coming in and under places that aren't EVER supposed to be gettin' wet - and not just in the chickens' run ... in MINE, as well! We're nearlu dried out and recaulked ... just in time for the next line of storms, this weekend. Can I just have my Mommy now and be done with it? Zheesh!

Yeah, it was bad for us. I know other places get lots of rain, and I'd rather deal with that than a Nor'Easter (like y'all have been dealing with), but I just wasn't prepared for that. Neither my run nor my shop has ever flooded before. And everything is still soggy.

 

[zapperbunny]

My run is VERY muddy today. And we're expecting 11 inches of rain on Sunday. I did my best to set up my run to divert the water, but there's not much I can do when faced with nearly a foot of water- haha!

For this current situation, I'm using wood pellets. They are doing a great job absorbing the water! I'm also laying on lots of pine shavings just to try to keep the biddies above the water.

We'll see how well that works on Sunday....

I’ve heard using bark like you use in gardens, the bigger the better. I got some for my back garden when I got a huge greyhound pony…er, puppy who would bring regular sized bark in the house between his toes. These chunks were almost as large as my palm

 

[swimmy44]

I just read the news letter that came through from backyard chickens but I had a more in depth question. If my coop gets muddy, can I put powdered limestone down? I know we have used it in barns to keep everything dry but I didn’t know if it would hurt the chickens or if anyone has any input!

I lived in western Massachusetts many years with chickens - in severe mud seasons. The ground was poorly draining clay and after rain and much moisture weeks on end, it would smell awful. We were advised to spread on garden grade lime which was a powder. Worked well, completely deodorized the chicken yard which could be smelled downwind for maybe 100 yards prior to treatment and never caused any issues to the chickens. They just scratched it into the dirt and straw and that was that.

 

[Minister Marc C]

I don't know about limestone, but my farmer-friends tell me I can use food-grade lime (maybe the same stuff?) in my run. I haven't tried it, yet, mainly because they follow the recommendation with a warning to cover the lime with other bedding. Apparently direct contact of lime on chicken feet can cause irritation. Seems counter-productive to me!
I conquered the mud issue by adding pine needles and leaves to the floor of the run and building a small berm along the back end to block drainage. I also added some 3-6 inch high tree stump pieces so my birds could climb up if it gets wet again. So far, so good!

It's been raining cats & dogs here. So the pen gets pretty muddy.
When I mow, I have a pull behind lawn-sweeper that I pull until it's full, then when it rains
like it has been, I take pitchfork fulls of the lawn sweepings, and cover the ground in the pen.
The hens like scratching around in it, and in a few days its back to normal conditions.
I've done this 3 or 4 times now -- all out of the same sweeper full.
Throughout the winter, once the lawn-clippings are depleted, I'll throw down hay or leaves
or just leaves. Lord knows we have plenty of leaves to utilize !

 

[Aunt Angus]

I’ve heard using bark like you use in gardens, the bigger the better. I got some for my back garden when I got a huge greyhound pony…er, puppy who would bring regular sized bark in the house between his toes. These chunks were almost as large as my palm

Totally would, but I have ducks, too, and that would be too hard on their feet, but sounds great for the OP!!!

 

[CrazyChickenMamma]

I don't know about limestone, but my farmer-friends tell me I can use food-grade lime (maybe the same stuff?) in my run. I haven't tried it, yet, mainly because they follow the recommendation with a warning to cover the lime with other bedding. Apparently direct contact of lime on chicken feet can cause irritation. Seems counter-productive to me!
I conquered the mud issue by adding pine needles and leaves to the floor of the run and building a small berm along the back end to block drainage. I also added some 3-6 inch high tree stump pieces so my birds could climb up if it gets wet again. So far, so good!

I have thought about using the plentiful pine needles I have on property as bedding but read that wet pine needles are not healthy for them?

 

[gtaus]

If my coop gets muddy, can I put powdered limestone down? I know we have used it in barns to keep everything dry but I didn’t know if it would hurt the chickens or if anyone has any input!

I would try any number of other options before using limestone.

Coarse wood chips, the kind you get from a tree-trimming service, are commonly held to be the gold standard for dealing with a wet or muddy run.

That is what I did. I put down a good layer of wood chips as the base, then added grass clippings and leaves to turn my run into a compost system. My compost litter in the run is now about 12 inches high. If we get a heavy rain, it all gets absorbed into the litter and is like a wrung out sponge. But I never had a flooded run to begin with. If your run is in a low area in the yard that floods, you might have to build it up with rocks and sand or just move the run to higher ground. In my mind, there is a difference between a muddy run and a flooded run.

For us, adding leaf litter and such to make the ground less muddy is a fool's errand. It looks great and works for a while. But, as that organic matter breaks down it just turns into more mud. A year later, the problem will be worse than it was before..

I think if you put down a good layer of wood chips first, then follow that up with leaves and/or grass clippings, then you will be OK. I turned my entire run into a compost system, so I look forward to the next year when I can harvest all the broken down organic matter that I want. My compost gets better with age. Again, that is for a muddy run, not necessarily a flooded run. My run is about 12 inches deep of compost and I can walk on the litter easily, dry or wet. It never gets muddy, never smells, and provides me with more compost than I can use in my gardens. The chickens love scratching and pecking in the compost all day. It is full of good tasting bugs and worms. Just like nature provides.

 

[3KillerBs]

I have thought about using the plentiful pine needles I have on property as bedding but read that wet pine needles are not healthy for them?

What kind of pine needles do you have?

I'm in the US southeast where the longleaf and loblolly pines drop 4-10" needles we call "pine straw". Pine straw is GREAT in a chicken run because it doesn't pack and mat readily and it dries out on top rapidly after even the heaviest rain.

 

[MROO]

I have thought about using the plentiful pine needles I have on property as bedding but read that wet pine needles are not healthy for them?

I've never had an issue with pine needles, but I don't bag them for fear of mold. I gather them from a friends tree-lined property, so I try to pick up the drier needles.

I have also used Christmas tree sections as bedding - but was anally careful to remove any wire ornament hooks. Tinsel is a big no-no, too, but we don't use it .. we have cats .. 'nuff said!

Here's an older thread that might help. too:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/pine-needles-for-bedding.247107/page-2

 

[gabbicrawford]

I just read the news letter that came through from backyard chickens but I had a more in depth question. If my coop gets muddy, can I put powdered limestone down? I know we have used it in barns to keep everything dry but I didn’t know if it would hurt the chickens or if anyone has any input!

Hi! I have 2 ducks, a Mallard and a Pekin duck. Their names are Malley the Mallard, and Waddles. They love to dig in the mud and take a mouth full of water and make mud if it is dry! I have a special mud puddle location for them now, to avoid them making their own in their coop. We built up all around the coop with grass sod so no rain water flows into their coop. Kind of just made a hill around the coop. We also use horse pellets, that soak up a ton of water, on top of that we put corn cobs. The corn cobs absorb the water and swell up. When sun comes out, it drys the pellets and the cobs, and they return to normal size! Then they are ready for the next rain and do the same thing. You only need to change them about once a month. The coop stays so clean! Hope this helps