Red Clay and Sand

[BLaBauve]

Hello,

I live in Georgia and therefore have lots of red clay. My chickens run is in a shady spot at the back of my yard. When I built the area I added a few inches of sand to the floor. It's been 3 months and it's almost all clay again. After it rains it takes days to dry out. I went out today and bought 18 bags of play sand to start again.

Does anyone have other ideas to deal with clay? I really need something that can drain well.

Thanks!

 

[sundance]

I live in Middle tennessee, and we have both rocks and red clay. In fact I think our rocks reproduce overnight. I use hay in my run since my hens ate everything green anywhere near it. Now I just turn them out about noon and let them go.since the run and coop is built on a very slight slope the rain runs off the back, except for the coop, and I use lots of hay for that and it goes in my garden.can you dig a small drainage ditch for the water to run off,or cover the run with a tarp to keep it dry, maybe some one else has some other ideas, best i can do marrie

 

[Yard full o' rocks]

Quote:
I am in NW Georgia (Cartersville) and have a similar problem. I have found that hardwood chips seem to work pretty well. I had a local tree service dump a whole load in the woods here and we have been working on using them for about 6-7 months. This company did it for free. Might be worth looking into

 

[Omran]

I think there are few things yu can do:
1- try t install french drain around the run if that possible, that way most water will not enter the run when it does rain.
2- try to build up you run with some Gravel ( starit #57) then cover the rock with good top soil if possible, that way the rock will filter the water out and dirt will dry quickly.
3- you can brake up clay by adding lime, but that will take a lot and a ot of work.

Omran

 

[shelleyd2008]

Basically the same as what Omran said. Start with a good base of gravel or rock, with some kind of trench around the run to direct the run-off. Sand is a very good filter, but you need to have something else under it (hence the rock) for drainage purposes. Sand also dries quickly, if it has proper drainage. I would put at least a few inches of sand over the few inches of rock. Make the run somewhat sloped to direct the water run-off as well.

 

[Bigsonstinypets]

I live in Virginia on a slope of red clay that I improved over years for my garden. When I built my little coop and run, I dug out the “good dirt” and moved it to another flower bed. Then I dug a trench at the top of the hill, leading away from my house’s downspout. And connect two long trenches running down the hill, parallel to my house. All the clay displaces from the trench’s went to build up the grade away from my foundation, and the new trenches got filled with normal blue gravel. The section in the middle is where I built my sand run. But before I added any sand, I compacted them site by putting a prices of cardboard down and walking on the clay/dirt. Super low tech, but effective. The point was to let gravity carry water away from my house, and the chickens’ run. I will try to find a picture in process.

 

[3KillerBs]

I live in Virginia on a slope of red clay that I improved over years for my garden. When I built my little coop and run, I dug out the “good dirt” and moved it to another flower bed. Then I dug a trench at the top of the hill, leading away from my house’s downspout. And connect two long trenches running down the hill, parallel to my house. All the clay displaces from the trench’s went to build up the grade away from my foundation, and the new trenches got filled with normal blue gravel. The section in the middle is where I built my sand run. But before I added any sand, I compacted them site by putting a prices of cardboard down and walking on the clay/dirt. Super low tech, but effective. The point was to let gravity carry water away from my house, and the chickens’ run. I will try to find a picture in process.

Welcome to BYC.

You might want to start a new thread about this because you're responding to a thread that's 12 years old.

If you have photos it would probably make a great article because clay and drainage are problems for many people.

 

[Bigsonstinypets]

Ok. Thanks so much.