Run floor - How important to keep dry?

[SunHwaKwon]

Various sources and textures will work. Using the different textures can help increase pore space and keep it from packing down. In my case, I have pine needles, leaves, grass clippings (not so much at the moment), hay, those little round pokey balls from the tree in my run, pine cones, leftover scraps they don't eat like corn cobs and various peels, and so on. You want variety.
My first winter I tried just straw to keep their feet down. It formed wet, stinky mats that I then had to laboriously transfer to the burn pile. The hay seems to be much better at fluffing itself back up in a sunny day.

 

[aart]

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?

Oh, ducks too!
Might want to set their water over a drain pit.
Is the land flat all around your run?
I always think of this guy setup when I think of ducks, tho he doesn't have them.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coop-drainage-ideas.933637/



I have a large walk in run and never 'clean' poops from the run,
and there is rarely any nasty odors. The bedding of a good mix of dry plant materials use facilitates this nicely, it's basically no maintenance other than adding more material from time to time. I was able to start with a big load of tree trimmings from the power company that had been aged(6 months) so I avoided the toxic molds that can bloom with fresh chippings. I collect dry leaves in the fall (stored in feed bags in a shed) and add them occasionally, and other garden trimmings. I let my grass grow tall, mow and spread it out with discharge pattern, leave it to dry a few day, then push it into rows with the mower discharge, rake it up and add to run.

 

[charcham]

Various sources and textures will work. Using the different textures can help increase pore space and keep it from packing down. In my case, I have pine needles, leaves, grass clippings (not so much at the moment), hay, those little round pokey balls from the tree in my run, pine cones, leftover scraps they don't eat like corn cobs and various peels, and so on. You want variety.
My first winter I tried just straw to keep their feet down. It formed wet, stinky mats that I then had to laboriously transfer to the burn pile. The hay seems to be much better at fluffing itself back up in a sunny day.

Thank you.

 

[charcham]

Oh, ducks too!
Might want to set their water over a drain pit.
Is the land flat all around your run?
I always think of this guy setup when I think of ducks, tho he doesn't have them.
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/coop-drainage-ideas.933637/



I have a large walk in run and never 'clean' poops from the run,
and there is rarely any nasty odors. The bedding of a good mix of dry plant materials use facilitates this nicely, it's basically no maintenance other than adding more material from time to time. I was able to start with a big load of tree trimmings from the power company that had been aged(6 months) so I avoided the toxic molds that can bloom with fresh chippings. I collect dry leaves in the fall (stored in feed bags in a shed) and add them occasionally, and other garden trimmings. I let my grass grow tall, mow and spread it out with discharge pattern, leave it to dry a few day, then push it into rows with the mower discharge, rake it up and add to run.
OK Thank you. I will give this a try. I have plenty of pine needles and such around my yard.

 

[charcham]

OK will give this a try. I have plenty of pine needles and such in my yard also. Thank you for the advice.

 

[charcham]

The land I have the pen on is a slightly sloped on a raised area on my land.

 

[aart]

The land I have the pen on is a slightly sloped on a raised area on my land.

Then you might be able to dig a trench to drain the run area, IF it's constant problem.

Depends on....

(where does the water come from just heavy rain or run off from nearby roofs and/or sloped ground?)

 

[charcham]

Thank you for this ideal. I have some left over pvc pipe laying around. This sounds perfect for what I need. Drainage. I have flower beds around the chicken pen. I will have it to drain in there.

 

[charcham]

This is a great ideal. Thank you so much!