Run floor - How important to keep dry?

[fluffybumfarm]

I have my girls housed in large aviaries with a cement floor. On the floor of the coop area, I have Hemp which keeps everything very dry and odour free. This area is enclosed. However, the runs at the front of each coop are wire sides and roof so are exposed to the weather. I use sugar cane mulch on top of the cement in the runs.

The runs get wet. The sugar cane mulch on the top dries quick enough but underneath it stays damp/wet. I turn it over once a week. They free range much of the day but do spend parts of their day in the runs. My question is:

Does having this dampness in their runs have the potential to cause health issues.

Common sense tells me that they go outside to wet ground but I have had some runny noses so I want to make sure this is not the cause.

Thanks in advance for any help!

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Any organic matter can get moldy when damp, which can cause respiratory issues. Wet ground is different than wet bedding on concrete. I'm not familiar with hemp. I might try sand, or gravel as a substrate, or change the bedding as necessary. In our pens with concrete floors we clean them out if they get wet.

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I was thinking the same thing. Most of mine is uncovered and gets wet, but it is the actual earth and I deep litter in there so the moisture serves a purpose. On concrete you might run into issues if you can't keep it dry, between mildew/mold and soggy poop mess.

 

[charcham]

I am having a problem as well keeping the run dry. We have had so much rain that it is getting really muddy in there. My son put hay in the run but it gets wet and smells bad. I have read that a layer of sand is the best. Might try that. Was thinking about putting large stepping stones on the floor run then sand on top of that. Water could pass through the stepping stones in between them. Does it sound like this could work?

 

[SunHwaKwon]

I am having a problem as well keeping the run dry. We have had so much rain that it is getting really muddy in there. My son put hay in the run but it gets wet and smells bad. I have read that a layer of sand is the best. Might try that. Was thinking about putting large stepping stones on the floor run then sand on top of that. Water could pass through the stepping stones in between them. Does it sound like this could work?

What is your soil like? High clay content?

 

[charcham]

What is your soil like? High clay content?

Yes. They keep digging holes. They fill up with water. Was thinking a layer of sand and then big square stepping stones down on that. Then a thick layer of sand for them to dig with. I need a plan to control water build up and the digging holes in the pen.

 

[aart]

Yes. They keep digging holes. They fill up with water. Was thinking a layer of sand and then big square stepping stones down on that. Then a thick layer of sand for them to dig with. I need a plan to control water build up and the digging holes in the pen.

Sand will only kinda hide the standing water and could turn the sand into a petri dish of stinky organism growth.

It's pretty much impossible to keep chickens from digging holes,
they are very good at it.

A good deep litter might be an better option, it will help absorb the water and the chickens will mix it into the clay soil possibly improving it's permeability.

Good drainage is the first step to a healthy run.
Knowing more about your site (where does the water come from just heavy rain or run off from nearby roofs and/or sloped ground?) might help us help you ameliorate your drainage problem.

 

[Ridgerunner]

That's a good question and timely for us here in the States, Many of us are soon going to be going through a wet time of the year. A lot of us will be faced with wet runs.

Your specific question is "Does having this dampness in their runs have the potential to cause health issues." The answer is yes, there is a potential. There is also a potential for a piece of space junk to fall out of the sky and hit your house (I believe that happened in your country a few years back), for you to have a fender bender the next time you go to the store, or for the sun to shine today where you are. There really is a potential for various health problems but try to keep it in perspective.

Organic material might mold if it stays damp. Some molds are beneficial, some are harmful, and many are neutral. One favorite place for chickens to scratch is in piles of dead leaves if they have that opportunity. It is often moldy down in those leaves, yet they hardly ever get sick or harmed from that. A pretty dangerous type of situation is when feed gets moldy, that's a big no-no. The mold produces a byproduct of digestion that is very toxic to chickens. That can get trapped in among the feed, especially in a sealed container. Another problem with mold is that it tears my allergies up. Whether or not it is harmful to chickens it's not good for me. The type of mold in your situation is probably not that dangerous to the chickens, but an allergy may be causing those runny noses. You still cannot totally discount that there might be something toxic about that specific mold.

If chickens constantly live in wet that can cause foot problems. But if they can get to dry areas so it is not constant they are usually OK. I don't think you have a lot to worry about this from what you describe.

Think about your organic material as compost. If it is slightly damp aerobic microbes will break it down and give it a nice earthy smell. That is a nice beneficial great condition. But if it stays too wet, it can go anaerobic. Not only is the quality of that compost less, it will stink. It can get slimy and cause black stains. It produces ammonia which can cause health problems. In an open well-ventilated space like you are describing the ammonia isn't that much of a risk but in a confined space it can build up and be toxic. The actual danger to your chickens in what you describe isn't all that high but it can be very unpleasant. If it is in an enclosed area it does get dangerous.

Certain microbes live in wet organic matter, especially with chicken poop in it. Like the molds some of these can be beneficial, some harmful, and many neutral. Some diseases can really thrive in these wet conditions, Coccidiosis is a great example. Once your chickens are exposed to cocci for two or three weeks they develop an immunity, but a common cause of a cocci outbreak is a wet brooder, coop, or run where the numbers of these organisms get out of control. If the area alternates between wet and dry the lie cycle of those organisms can be interrupted but the longer it stays wet the higher the risk is. I'd put this risk up higher than the molds. If you are putting birds in that that have not developed an immunity to cocci the risk goes way up if it stays wet.

You are on concrete. If that is sloped so it drains you are probably in great shape, about any bedding will work. Depending on your chicken density and how much they poop on that area you may or may no have to change the bedding out. Sand drains really well as long as the water has some place to go. Some people use sand and strain clumps of poop out of it to make it last longer. That sugar cane could be a great bedding, especially if it is free. You can use it straight on the concrete or put some sand down under it. Turning the bedding lets it dry out. There can be some trial and error in determining what works for you. In general if it stinks you have a problem. If it does not stink you are probably OK.

 

[charcham]

Sand will only kinda hide the standing water and could turn the sand into a petri dish of stinky organism growth.

It's pretty much impossible to keep chickens from digging holes,
they are very good at it.

A good deep litter might be an better option, it will help absorb the water and the chickens will mix it into the clay soil possibly improving it's permeability.

Good drainage is the first step to a healthy run.
Knowing more about your site (where does the water come from just heavy rain or run off from nearby roofs and/or sloped ground?) might help us help you ameliorate your drainage problem.

Rain mostly. It comes in the caged in area. I have ducks with my chickens and they play in the water all the time making it muddy constantly. What is a good organic matter to soak up the water and healthy for my flock?

 

[charcham]

Rain mostly. It comes in the caged in area. I have ducks with my chickens and they play in the water all the time making it muddy constantly. What is a good organic matter to soak up the water and healthy for my flock?

Since sand for an option is out of the question now.