Need help for a run on a sloped yard

[BDutch]

Whatever you do, do NOT add sand to the mix! You’d end up with concrete!

And create a waterfall.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Whatever you do, do NOT add sand to the mix! You’d end up with concrete!

Only if you also add cement to the mix. I've read that before and it is just not right. The best soil for runs has enough sand in it so it drains instead of holds water like clay. You do not have to add sand but adding sand will not turn it into concrete. It may help a clay run from setting up hard as concrete after it gets wet.

Have you ever been to a sandy beach? Those do not turn into concrete when it rains. Why would people set playground equipment in sand if it were going to turn into concrete.

 

[Mother of Chaos]

Only if you also add cement to the mix. I've read that before and it is just not right. The best soil for runs has enough sand in it so it drains instead of holds water like clay. You do not have to add sand but adding sand will not turn it into concrete. It may help a clay run from setting up hard as concrete after it gets wet.

Have you ever been to a sandy beach? Those do not turn into concrete when it rains. Why would people set playground equipment in sand if it were going to turn into concrete.

Well, I have to admit that when I lived in Knoxville and was planting azalea beds, I ignorantly and enthusiastically dug sand into the native red clay, and it became very near to concrete.

That’s when I learned to dig hardwood mulch into clay instead of sand to improve the tilth.

Most clay soils are incredibly fertile. It’s just that the individual clay particles are so tiny that they don’t allow for air pockets around the roots, which are critical for plants to bring in oxygen for cellular respiration.

They bring in carbon dioxide through leaves for photosynthesis (energy via sugars), but they need oxygen gas through their roots for cell function.

But I don’t know if that’s relevant if you’re not deliberately mixing sand with clay in a run. I’d still prefer hardwood mulch and other products like pine needles and shredded dead leaves for run bedding. It’s better for any future soil (or compost), and rainwater drains very well through it.

 

[chicken dinner]

Yup, steep hillside can be a challenge, but doable.

Hillside Birds

Works in the rainforest of SE Alaska.

Have fun!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Most clay soils are incredibly fertile. It’s just that the individual clay particles are so tiny that they don’t allow for air pockets around the roots, which are critical for plants to bring in oxygen for cellular respiration.

That's why the best soil for growing almost anything is a mix of sand, clay, and organic material. The sand allows some drainage due tot he difference in size of clay particles ands sand particles.

Well, I have to admit that when I lived in Knoxville and was planting azalea beds, I ignorantly and enthusiastically dug sand into the native red clay, and it became very near to concrete.

That was not due to the sand. That was due to the strength of the charges between the clay particles. When you stir up wet clay those atomic level attractions become really strong. I grew up on a farm a little north of Knoxville that had red clay. If it rained we stayed out of the garden and fields because it would set up rock hard if we disturbed it when wet. Nothing to do with sand, just disturbing the red clay.

 

[Phoenix Collins]

Our run is on a pretty deep slope and it’s driving me crazy! We live in NC so we have clay ground and it’s awful. Has anyone built a wood floor to level it out? I’m thinking about building a wood floor and covering that with sand. Any thing we put down as the base in the run washes away due to the slope and we are left with clay again. It’s impossible to clean and starting to smell. It gets no sun so when it rains for days it takes forever to dry. My poor girls get so dirty. Just looking for ways to help the situation while I dream of a flat yard

I would most definitely suggest the terraces, a water diversion system, concrete blocks, and a complete dig of the run. For the run the clay should have a lot of other elements added to it to keep it from getting your chickens stuck. I would suggest digging up the clay and adding cobblestone pebbles and then place smaller stones over it to start a drainage system. Then mix some of the clay soil with some other soils on top of the rocks. Potting soil, some sand, ash, and some other rich soils. This way your chickens can still have some of the benefits of clay but have some nutrient rich soil that they will love to bathe in. I would also recommend using a cover for the top of the run so that if it gets too wet out you can keep the run dry. When it’s warm and sunny you can uncover the run. I would also recommend using a sun lamp so when your chicken kiddos want to be outside during those wet days they can get some artificial sunlight. Probably wouldn’t hurt to try to keep the ground around their coop from getting too wet too. Considering that moist soil always runs rampant with fungus and mold. A Vinegar and hydrogen peroxide mix is a great weapon against fungus so if you have some in your soil I would recommend putting this solution in a spray bottle and spray the ground for a few days. It would probably wouldn’t hurt keeping your chickens off the soil for a few days, considering that the fungus can give them respiratory problems. This what I would suggest from your original post.