need advice re. muddy run

[cackilacky]

I don't think grass will grow in our run b/c it is covered. We do let our chickens free range quite a bit on our partially wooded lot, which is about 3/4 of an acre. I did rake out and compost the straw and put a bag of dry stall (stall dry?) and 2 bags of sand in our run and raked it around. It is much drier and less smelly now, but sort of seems like a giant litter box! I do think I should add some dirt on top, but might wait a bit and see if the chickens' scratching mixes it up some.

 

[wombat]

Quote:
You're probably wasting your time growing grass in a chicken run anyway. They'll have it back down to bare earth in days.

 

[maplesky7]

I've gotten palates for free from the feed store and hardware stores... and I have a couple in my run so when it does get mucky... the chickens have something to stand on.

They also have my old discarded plastic molded outdoor chairs that they perch on.

 

[Mr. Frizzles Hen House]

I have a covered dirt run and had it turn to muck after several weeks of consatant NW rain/wind storms. I thought I was raking out the dropping pretty good during the dry months, but I could tell by the smell of the 2-3 inch developing muck that I was mistaken. After almost losing my boot in it (have to walk through the pen to let them out & close them in), I decided there was only one option... a shovel! I spent about two hours filling my wheel barrell full of foal smelling muck. I figure 6 loads was about 600# of it I scraped it down to the original sandy/rocky soil. I can't say it was fun, especially for my molting non-laying slackers, but it sure is refreshing to have a clean pen. I think I may add sand as well, but I can't imagine putting anything down until I got all of that out of there.

 

[lngrid]

Quote:
Was that "Stall Dry " (clay and diatomaceous earth) or "Dry Stall " (looks like perlite)? If it was "Dry Stall," what size bag did you get and how many cubic feet were in it?

And I'm wondering... if "Dry Stall" is permanent, what do you do about old manure? Scoop it like kitty litter?

 

[cackilacky]

Well, thanks for the post. I did use Dry Stall. I thought it was the Stall Dry that everyone was recommending. I went to Southern States and asked for Stall Dry and the clerk said it was called Dry Stall so I bought that. Didn't realize that there were 2 different products! I hope it's okay for my chickens. Anyone? It has worked wonders in my run. I used one bag (I think it was 40 lbs.) mixed with 2 bags of play sand. Our run is 12' X 6'. At first, I thought I would need to add some dirt, but after a couple of days it seems to be blending in with the dirt that was underneath. As for maintenance, I think you could just do what you normally do. I rake out the run about once a week and put the poop in the compost.

 

[Keri78]

I had muddy runs too but after doing a little reading on here I added hay and I can't believe how nice and dry it stays and it keeps their feet off the mudd. I put in a good amount to cover the entire run in the beginning and now just add some when needed. They love picking and scratching through it and it's a great way to raise the elevation of your coop when sand is not an option. Hope this helps, Keri

 

[lngrid]

Thanks a lot for helping me figure this Dry Stall/Stall Dry/Stall Dri thing out. It confuses me so easily.

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Isn't it confusing? And there seems to be another product called... wait for it... "Stall Dri!" I haven't managed to figure out what that stuff is yet. I've only seen a couple of online stores that carry it and none of them offer information about it. I read somewhere that it's made in Canada, but "Stall Dry" and "Stall Dri" such easy names to confuse that I'm not sure about that tidbit.

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How deep did your sand/Dry Stall mix go?

 

[cackilacky]

Not sure how deep...it covered the entire surface with a good layer. I would say about 1/2 to 1 inch or so. At first it did look like a giant litter box, but now it's blending in with the dirt. And not a drop of mud! I really hope it isn't chicken poison. My girls seem to like it so far. I'm surprised the lawyers for all of these companies haven't been on each others' cases!

 

[1acrefarm]

I usually shovel mine down to the dirt after every heavy rain. I also use stove ashes to dry things out after the smaller rains. It is raining so much lately I put pallets down. I put all the muck against my terrace to pull into the garden when I till it. I plan to build a replacement barn on higher ground [better drainage] so I don't have the same problem..