Muddy run

[LisaP]

Their run is about 6 feet wide by 10 feet long with no option of raising it, so I guess sand will be the key here. Just bags of play sand, right?

Thanks everyone for the help!!

 

[Cowgirl75446]

I have sand in all my runs, it still gets muddy, but not near as messy.

 

[indi]

I just put a ton of mud in the run for my chickens to scratch in! Is there a problem with mud (health issues??) To keep it looking nice an movable scratchable for the girls and boy I rake it every few days or when necessary, I thunk in spring I will go out an buy a bag of mud so the layer is thicker.
I have heard (and seen) that wood chips (you can buy from garden stores) work really well!

 

[bairo]

playground sand is ok...but it is fine and all the same size. Therefore it packs down easily and does not drain as well. Look for a local quarry or gravel place and see if they have course sand. I think it works much better.

 

[Clay Mudd]

Lots of good ideas here:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run

 

[Frost Homestead]

I prefer creek sand, it drains well too. keeps the run from getting muddy and I find that it really doesn't require any cleaning, the poo breaks down. (I guess it all depends on how many birds you have and the size of the run) also during the summer it's great to have sand because when it's really hot I'd spray it down with the hose and the girls would dig a little area out and chill in the cool sand.

 

[curtym]

Get a truck and head down to the soil and sand landscaping place. It's much cheaper to buy bulk than by buying a bag at a time of play sand at say Home Depot or Lowes...