My small solution to a muddy run

[artsyrobin]

Wonder if leaves would work? got ten acres full of em- will have to talk to our neighbor who runs cattle about getting some hay...

 

[Wifezilla]

Sure. I throw dry leaves in the duck pen. We mulch them first though. Otherwise they can mat down and get moldy.

 

[Bellasmom]

We bought 3 bales of wheat straw and I put a layer of it in the girls runs. It helped alot but we only had really bad mud, not the water you have! They do enjoy eating the wheat left in the straw! I can already tell that it will make cleaning easier when we move the tractors.

 

[ozark hen]

I forgot to mention that the hay breaks down within the year and we have some awesome soil in the run now.

 

[mlm1965]

A friend of mine had a similar problem. He built his run up with sand. When you put the concrete up I would fill the run up to it with sand. Sand will drain fast when it gets wet. And it may avert the water away from the run too! JMHO

 

[Kieyamama]

Quote:

 

[alycoop]

I have a small run attached to the coop for my 5 hens to use while I'm at work. It is very secure with hardcloth above, below, and three sides. The remaining side is attached to the coop. For this run I use sand on the ground. During the summer I just cover it with shade cloth. Today I purchased some corrugated plastic roofing panels from Lowe's to keep the rain out and prevent the sand from being waterlogged.

In addition I have a larger run that I let the hens into when I am at home and can supervise. It was grass but that has been pretty much depleted now.
I think I may give straw and leaves a try in that area for the winter. Might be a good slug attraction.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Quote:
You must not have a garden.


Because if you did, you would be tossing those used shavings into a compost pile, so that they could be used in next year's garden bed.


There is nothing better to fertilize next year's garden than this year's used chicken coop shavings.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Quote:
May I suggest that you get a few wooden pallets from some store (alot of stores still throw them out) and put them out into your run?


That would give your ladies a higher place to go in a bad rain, and more room "up high" to play on.

 

[Barry Natchitoches]

Quote:
If you have a garden, you can rake up the hay every few months and pile it in a pile to compost. Of course, you replace the manure/used hay/mud mixture with new hay. But doing this, you can make compost year long. And gardens LOVE that mixture of manure/used hay/mud.