Muddy run

[jlholm]

I also have the problem with the muddy run right now and put straw in it for now for them to walk on, but am looking for a more permanent solution.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

The weeds that so many tend to hate in their yards (dandelions, chicory, clover, ect...) do well in chicken runs. I also seed my run with oats very liberally. It works. You won't have a lush run but it will have some greenery which will have roots that will keep the run from being muddy. I had a woman from work come over this morning and was amazed at my run. One, because it was large for the number of hens I currently have. Two, I wasn't joking when I told her that I put a lot of oats out when I seed (you can see them every where in the run). Three, I had weeds, oats and even grass growing inside with four hens, a rooster, and six chicks in it. No matter what anyone tells you, vegetation CAN grow in a chicken run. Mine is proof.

 

[Lotta3]

I would isolate her and maybe see a vet

 

[cafarmgirl]

Thanks for all of the advise! It means a lot! This is my first week with chickens. I just cleaned the coop and noticed my Americana is still acting sick. The other hens are pecking at her also. She just lays around and barely eats. Could she just be old?

I bought laying hens from a guy who said they were all a 1 1/2 but I think the Americana is way older than that.

Any time you move chickens to a new area there is always the potential for them to be exposed to a new strain of coccidia that they are not immune too. It is a very good idea to always keep Corid on hand and treat birds that show the symptoms you describe. Yes it's certainly possible for this to be any one of a number of things but coccidiosis is lethal, it kills very fast, so you need to treat for it and at least rule it out. If that's what this is you can easily save this bird by treating, if you don't treat and this is coccisidosis the bird will die. If you run a course of treatment and she's still not feeling well then you can move on to other possibilities. Have you checked them very closely for mites? Have they ever been dewormed? These are the most common and easily treated possibilites and usually the best place to start ruling things out.

As far as the run.... a better draining location would probably be a good idea. If that is not possible then I'd clean out all the muck and put down a thick layer of sand. Straw is going to quickly turn into a wet, moldy, stinking mess and it's going to break your back when you go to clean it all out.

 

[JadedPhoenix]

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Some pics of my greenery where I keep 30 chickens.

 

[Rosanna]

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Some pics of my greenery where I keep 30 chickens.

Your run looks great and green! What is the best way to seed the run to grow anything green in it?

 

[JadedPhoenix]

I put out oat seeds in the afternoon and I have a lot of natural vegetation just on the outside of the run. I need to put up another pic where some wild purple passion flower has begun to take over. It gives the chickens lots of flora to roam around in for shade and they don't seem to want to eat any of it so they don't demolish it. I've had so much that I've had to clear some out since it is right where I walk to get to the main part of the run. Find some local plant life that your chickens don't like and introduce it to your run.

 

[Davidhalpern2]

I had a bad drainage and mud problem. I solved it with 12' x4' 2x4's and sand. It's been 6 months and so far it's worked perfectly and the girls love it! It's also a snap to clean with a slotted scoop.