Rain rain go away!

Ashllen · Jan 21, 2023

Hello! I live in nw washington and as all Washingtonian know... we have rain... a lot of rain, maybe a week worth of light snow that's gone in 3 days, and if we are lucky 2 months of sun. I've been indoctrinated into the chicken way for almost 4 yrs now and was wondering whats the best bedding to use in a run? I use wood chips, but even tho I have a roof over my run, we do get sideways rain and the ground gets so soaked every thing that is in contact get soaked. So any tips or tricks would be appreciated.

AnnPann · Jan 21, 2023

If it's a drainage issue, then I'd work to redirect the water away from the run. If it's just blowing in, then maybe something removable that when it's raining, you can pull down over the side getting hit with the wind to block it, like a tarp? I've found a very deep layer of mulch/wood chips are the best ground cover for a wet run.

WallyG74 · Jan 21, 2023

Like the outside window coverings for the patio at Chili’s

Ashllen · Jan 21, 2023

Yeah at the moment I have an old shower curtain covering it. It's on the ground and worse yet it's a bit downhill. I'm renting and can't move it (very lucky landlord is allowing me to keep chickens, rent prices suck here in WA). Any advice on ways to set up drainage? I'm still at the stage of life where my knowledge of construction is "ask dad"

just learned how to use a hand saw last weekend.

AnnPann · Jan 21, 2023

You could trench around it (not sure your landlord would like that?), or you can try and divert some of the run off with something like bricks, which works surprisingly well. I accidentally created a river of mulch down one side of my garden by accident last spring, just with a "wall" of standard red bricks stacked 2 high. If it's low ground, you might also try adding lot more mulch so that the chickens aren't standing in mud/puddles. Last year I even put a few boards down in my poorly draining run to give them somewhere to be out of the standing water during a particularly wet week.