Really, really muddy coop!!! Help

[jarasz]

I have an A frame chicken coop that has chicken wire on all side including the ground. We have some pretty smart racoons around here. We have also had a lot of rain this summer. The coop is in a horrible state! Super muddy, like wading through poop! I have tried shoveling it out, but it doesn't seem to help much at all. What can I do? I think the coop is too big to move. I feel so bad that I have started to let the ladies out during the day to free range. I didn't before because of my garden and all the predators.

It also seems like they have really really slowed down on the egg laying. Could this be do to their coop being so messy or the heat? We do live in Florida.

Please any advice would help, my coop is disgusting, almost every egg is really dirty and I'm not sure what I can put down now that it has gotten so bad. It's like wading through pooh creek!!

 

[gumpsgirl]

Try putting some sand down. That should help quite a bit. It might not even hurt to put down some small gravel, then put the sand over the top of that. Just make sure that you put a nice thick layer of sand over the gravel. As for the egg laying, if it's hot, then that could be the problem.

 

[rooster-red]

Lots and lots of sand.

 

[cmom]

Quote:
I agree. Excessive heat/cold and stress will cause the birds to slow down or stop laying. I live in Florida too. I put plenty of vents in my coop. I even have vents in the nest boxes. Well vented helps to keep the coop dry. I put spanish moss in the nest boxes. Every so often I replace it with more spanish moss. It works great.

 

[Farmer Kitty]

Sand. From what you're saying it sounds like the sides of your coop are chicken wire? Which, BYW, isn't very prediator proof. If that is so I would get some tarps or plastic that you could wrap around (or fold down depending on how you want to go) when you know it's going to rain. That would help keep the rain out.

 

[Omran]

ello,Try to put some 57 rocks on the ground if all possible that will drain the water out quickly.
and the Tarp Idea is really good too.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

SAND, SAND, SAND

My coop was very muddy, I had my chickens with my call ducks. I got a load of 1900 pounds of concret (medium grit) sand and put it in about 4 inches thick where the mud was. its like a brand new coop. Im going to get another load before winter comes.

It was cheap too. 1900 pounds for $12.98

 

[al6517]

I too have had some serious rain issues, I tryed sand as most people say, this was a big mistake now it is just flooded sand, if the ground does not drain to start with your still going to have mudd and lots of it. even though i built the coop/runs with a downhill slope clay soil only flows it never soaks, as I live in the devils country Oklahoma, we don't get rain here, we get in the car and run, ever wonder why they call this the bible belt, because they have to pray they are alive after the storms move through.

Anyway i was PO'ed at the mess in the coop/runs that when we got one dry day i shoveled out the poop soup, put in new bales of straw hay to help dry it.

Today I laid 4" of concrete on a 12'x24' coop/run yes I can hardly move but it is done and looks great.

So come on now you #$%^&* rain, it is sloped with drain channels, I am really happy with it.

Moral of the story, concrete my friend concrete.

AL

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Quote:
I wouldnt put any organic matter down, hay or straw. It will get wet when it rains and make a big mud pit of mud and mold.

 

[Emzyyy]

I would let it dry then "Lots and Lots and LOTS of sand."