SO. MUCH. MUD. Thinking of putting a metal roof on run....

[BBHF1775]

I have my five bantam hens in a small 10 foot by 4-foot pen and raised 4 X 4 roosting and nesting area. I let them out every day into 30 foot by 40-foot screened-in yard. The pen has a sandy loam floor in it and they spend most of any rainy day in the pen where they are protected by the roof.
When I started with My wife and I being somewhat pragmatic did not consider the chickens as anything but an expense for the fun we get from watching them and having them underfoot whenever we are working in their ranging area. We do not get snow but 60 inches of rain does happen. The short day began the first of October and the girls stopped laying, not certain they will start again when days are long but we will see. Their feet get quite muddy but I do not see it on the house floor. I try to keep an 8-inch layer of fall leaves in their free-range area because they seem to love digging in it to the point that once a month I have to replenish the leaves. I feel the leaves keep the somewhat clean and from my observation they do not seem to like getting muddy even though they enjoy their every other day or so dust bath.
We originally had a yard that was 60 X 30 for them and I lost one to a sparrow hawk So we had to cover them with netting and that made us reduce their ranging area.
Another thing I observed was they really liked to eat green weeds in the late afternoon so I made a raised bed 4 X 8 covered in white clover and lawn grasses which they really enjoy grazing on before I but them in their coop pen every day.
Do not let the chicken become a choir for you or else you will lose interest in them and for the amusement value, I can not think of any other animal as much fun as Bantum chickens.

That sounds like heaven, they must be completely spoiled. We feel the same way, the effort is offset so much by the joy and entertainment they have brought us. I had no idea how much we would enjoy having them.

 

[BBHF1775]

What ever the roof, success will depend on if the water has someplace to go. Give water a place to escape TO, and the problem may solve itself. Water will seek the area of least resistance, such as empty space: a few swales directing water to water retention area and the rest of the area may dry on its own.

We dug a huge amount of underground drainage late this fall, I am hoping that by late spring the soil will be completely compacted and less likely to get soupy as it's been doing. So ready for summer...

 

[BBHF1775]

I had the same problem, instead of metal I went with a clear polycarbonate corrugated panel roof, the kind people put over decks and patios to allow light but keep out the rain. It works great. I went with Suntuf as my local big box carried them as their higher end panel. Properly installed they even stand up to an Oregon windstorm. The hens like the extra light as do I. I'd post a photo but it's coming down in buckets right now and I don't feel like getting drenched.

Coming down in buckets? Definitely Oregon!

 

[BBHF1775]

Meanwhile, and when it dries up a bit, drainage. Shovel out a 10 foot section of your run, dig a drainage trench, put a covered, drainage tile in and over it up with clean gravel used for drainage, hopefully your run isn't at the bottom of the hill, route your drainage tiles towards the hill bottom and away from your run. cover with 2 inches of the same gravel, cover that with sand. Move over 10 feet and repeat till your done (easier to do at setup). Replace or reinforce your walls to take the snow load and build in the recomended pitch in your area. Surprisngly, your local big box store knows what the pitch needs to be, ask em. Put your roof on and remember to put guttering on your run to move that water away from your run as well. My old coop gets wet from runoff and it takes a while for it to get dry. My new coop might be wet for a day or so but quickly drys out. It gets wet because I haven't got the guttering on it yet or the final drainage tile needed before I build a small retaining wall. The old coop run is made from cattle panels, I just cover those with plastic though I scored some free plastic roofing panels (just like tin roof but plastic) from work and will be putting that over the top. The cattle panels really take a heavy load well. We don't usually get more then 4-6 inches, I haven't seen it deform yet. Here's a link I used to build my new coops run, perhaps it will help https://www.construct101.com/chicken-coop-run-plans-10x8/#comment-51803

Thanks for the link, that's a great resource. The run and coop are at the top of a hill lol We've put in A TON of drainage, trenched with gravel, with drain tile and piped out down the slope, the works. I'm wondering if since we did it shortly before winter that the soil didn't have time to really get compacted and with the ground frozen, the top layer that does melt in the rain has just become a muddy soup. Bring on spring!

 

[BBHF1775]

I smiled at your post...I’m in nw CT and also sing the mud song...it’s temporary for sure but not for the faint of heart. It’s what made hunter boots so popular...dump the chips if you can get some for free..good luck.

Oh yeah, hunter boots are SURVIVAL GEAR!

 

[BBHF1775]

View attachment 2026757
We did an 8x12’ run, with a 4x6’ coop built inside. All of this is under a slanted metal roof, 12’ high in front, 8’ high in the back.
All wood stained and wrapped in plastic for a warm and cozy winter run. The top sides were intentionally left open, no plastic to allow for air circulation. This run has stayed so dry all winter that they are able to dig and dust bathe. I have tires filled with sand, but they prefer digging in the dirt floor. The ground in there never freezes because it never gets wet. Metal roof is great, I just had to add a gutter in the back so on rainy days I didn’t get poured on when I was working in the back clean out doors. I put down straw in part of the run, under the coop structure just to give them a cozy place to all nestle together on really cold days, and so they can admire themselves in the mirror, lol
We live in Massachusetts so have installed Cozy Coop radiant heat panels that turn off and on depending on the inside coop temperature using a thermoplug.

What an amazingly cool set up!

 

[BBHF1775]

Your run just needs a few additions. You could add a sheltered lean to along the rock wall side of the run to send the rain to that lawn area. Then cover the side walls to keep the water from blowing in. Last I'd add a perch if some sort, such as a big log or railroad ties to get them off the ground.
Our 20' run is enclosed on 1 end, 3 walls covered in clear plastic because the water was blowing in. You could use any kind of water proof material

These are great suggestions. We do have tarps up on the west and north sides of run to give them a wind break. I dragged in some big branches and left them in the middle fo the run area for them to perch on. They have all kinds of perches and playground equipment in there but something new is always appreciated and I think they like having another option to keep their feet off the ground. Not so helpful for the ducks (but they love rain and mud)

 

[ajackalope]

Instead of trying to redo the roof, walls and such how about just putting down sand? I'm in NJ and we've had a lot of rain this winter but I dont have much mud on the run because my footing is currently about half sand half dirt. When I change out the sand that's in the coop I throw it in to the run and my husband runs the tiller through it. Then of course the girls tear it up. We add till get a little mud but less each year. The roof of my run is also meshed and we would have to rebuild a lot to put a solid roof on.

 

[leslielbk]

I'm posting this on this thread in case someone watching has a brilliant idea. My current run is about 30'x75'. Over the course of a year-and-a-half they've pretty much eaten every green thing so now most of it is just dirt. Rainy season is coming and I'm in Florida. And I'd like to be proactive for once . I haven't had to plant anything with chickens around so far and I don't know what to plant or how to keep them away from it while it grows in. Any ideas? If I don't do something It's going to turn into a muddy swamp during hurricane season.

 

[TanyaTS]

You are in FL? You must do pine straw easily available for us in the south . I have in on my run floor and live it! It is clean, it smells nice, it drains perfectly, it breaks down nicely to had to compost heap and most especially my chickens love scratching through it.