run litter in a humid, wet climate

[mychickensloveborage]

hi, i have 2 rirs, 1 plymouth rock, and 2 cochin bantams in a coop/run in my backyard here in hawaii. they were free range at first, but had to be enclosed....long story short, it's been a week and a half and the run (of course--i mean what did i expect) has turned into a muddy soup. should i be putting something down for them in the run, like straw, as other posts indicate? however, it's the rainy season here in hawaii, and i understand using straw can lead to mold in wet weather. covering the run with plastic sheeting? i just want my hens to be comfortable and am thinking of just extending the run this weekend and letting them tear up more area, or maybe just putting green waste (clippings/leaves, etc) down--but won't that just make things worse in the long run? any ideas? thanks in advance!

 

[sunnydee]

I would think sand would help. I don't know about hay since it tends to get moldy when wet and mold can be very harmful to your chickens. Is there any way you can put some drainage in?

 

[Jenski]

I have read positive posts about mixing sand into the run floor. I am going to try this myself in the next pen for all my bantam feather-feet.

As sunnydee mentioned, drainage is important! On one of my runs I placed paving stones along the higher end to force water around it when it rains, and it has made a huge difference.

 

[orcasislandchickens]

Sand and a plastic cover for the rainy sason. Rainforest dweller here also. That's what I have done with mine and it works.

 

[mychickensloveborage]

thanks so much, y'all! the sand worked great, and i did extend the run anyway just to give them all a little more leg room.