Smelly and muddy run solutions

[shannonann66]

Hi, All! This is my first post. I live in WV and keep a flock of 12 hens. We have had so much rain lately that the girls have not been able to spend much free range time outside the coop/run. Due to this and the rain, the run has become very smelly and very muddy. Does anyone have any suggestions for something, maybe sand or gravel to put in the run so that it does not get so muddy? Thanks so much for any suggestions you could send my way!

Shannon

 

[ChickenUnionOrganizer]

Hi Shannon,

I've got a similar problem, but it doesn't smell, yet. I've been throwing lots of straw on the mucky run. By lots, I mean several feet high. Then when the weather is drier I rake it out and move it to my compost pile. Sometimes there's a day or two between rains and the soil begins to dry out. This is a short-term solution.

Others here can tell you about long-term solutions with sand and gravel.

-nancy

 

[patandchickens]

See my "fixing a muddy run" page, link in .sig below.

A multipronged approach usually works best, not *just* dumping fill into the run.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[pontoosuc]

My short term solution: I rake leaves from our wooded area "every day" since it's been raining for weeks here.

Put them into the run. So it's good for like 24 hours.