Muddy, Muddy Run-Need Advice!!

[mylilchix]

After a nice 6 inch snow, and then a 3 footer my run has turned into a giant mud pit. The worst part is the pine shavings in the coop are soaked from muddy, wet feet. What can I do to the run to soak up some of the water and mud? Is there a type of bedding I can use that will dry out faster? I need help before everyone gets colds!!

Thanks,
Sonja

 

[patandchickens]

First thing to do is get rid of all those shavings, dry or preferably *raise* (since it'll just happen over and over again) the floor, and put in new shavings. There, coop taken care of. You can put pallets in your run for a temporary abovewater place for chickens to go out.

Then, in a more permanent sense, I'm in too much of a hurry to type it all out again but check out the 'fixing a muddy run' link in my .sig below for a variety of things that you can do (preferably do *a bunch* of them) to improve dryness of coop and run.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[mylilchix]

Pat, you rock!! Thank you!!
Sonja

 

[LynneP]

Wow, that's a lotta birdlinks! Any chance of adding a porch or something to give them a small area to dry off on the way in and out? We found some old wooden packing crates in our loft, not sure if you have anything like that, it also gives the birds a place to get up off the ground while you cope. The pallets will give you a small platform or two, and/or you could make a platform or two to set in the run both for perching and shelter- even an old kitchen table would help.

This winter has been so early and is catching folks off guard...and making for some messy barns, runs and coops...our run is roofed but we find we have to be careful to keep the slope going out from the barn because of digging hens, and to clear out our drainage trenches before they freeze...oh and the eavestroughs are full of leaves- more to do!

 

[mylilchix]

That is an awesome idea!! I have a bunch of pallets laying around. I'll build them a pallet area right in front of the coop!

Sonja

 

[xke4]

Just a reminder to those emptying a coop of shavings while there is snow on the ground. Placing a tarp just outside the door, shovelling the shavings onto the tarp, and using the tarp like a toboggan to move said shavings to their final destination is so slick and easy, it will have you wishting for year round snow cover. Okay. Maybe not.
Sure beats wheelbarrowing tho'.

 

[ozark hen]

 

[mylilchix]

Good idea about the tarp. My wheelbarrows are still barried. lol I was thinking about putting hay down too. I won't be doing gravel or sand until next spring. I think for this winter I'll have to make do, and then make major improvements in the spring.

 

[cluckinchicken]

I used to hook up my best Australian Cattle Dog (long gone now) to a blue tarp in the mid-90's and let her do the pulling whist moving shavings or whatnot.

 

[SimplyForties]

Mine are free-rangers so I don't have muddy run issues but I do have some mud in front of the poultry barn. I'm going to outline the area with landscape timbers, or something like that and fill it with sand to create a sort of apron where they come and go. I'm hoping that, plus some new guttering will solve my mud problems! Good luck with yours!