So. Much. Mud!

[silkie10]

I have some sand... not very much only three bags. it might be enough...

 

[silkie10]

I'll do that! thank you for your help

 

[aart]

Sand plus Mud equals Concrete.
At least the straw will break down and improve the soil...or can be mostly raked up.
What is the area like without deluges of rain...does it drain well?

 

[silkie10]

Sand plus Mud equals Concrete.
At least the straw will break down and improve the soil...or can be mostly raked up.
What is the area like without deluges of rain...does it drain well?

When it doesn't rain for a while it's pretty dusty, which I like because the chickens love to dust bath, but when it rains it becomes the muddiest thing. NO, it does not drain, It just dries up eventually. It usually takes quite a while

 

[Ridgerunner]

Sand plus Mud equals Concrete.
At least the straw will break down and improve the soil...or can be mostly raked up.
What is the area like without deluges of rain...does it drain well?

Aart, I have a challenge for you today. Be careful it may make you think. Can you please provide a valid reason that sand plus mud equals concrete? Some chemical or mechanical reason, not an old wives' tale or general knowledge. Don't go with "they put sand in brick" logic, they often put straw (or some other type of fiber) in some brick too so the same logic means mud plus straw equals concrete. What I'd really like to see is "why" you think mud plus sand equals concrete.

Some hints. If that mud is mostly clay it will dry like concrete whether sand is there or not if it is stirred up. Good cropland often contains a fair amount of sand so it can drain. I've been talking to the extension service about putting in raised beds for a garden since I moved down here. The recommended soil mix for that garden is a 1:1:1 ratio of sand, compost, and loam. Loam soil is a proper, healthy balance of sand, silt, and clay soil.

I'm just not as afraid of sand as many people are.

Silkie10, since that does not drain well at all, it probably is clay. That is not good for drainage unless it is built up so the water runs off the top to a lower spot. Where they dust bathe they will dig holes that hold water anyway. It doesn't sound like that run area is all that big. My suggestion is to find something like straw, pallets, just something they can get up out of the mud on and put it in there, realizing you may have to remove it later. It is hard on their feet if they stay wet. It won't hurt them to walk in the mud some but they need to be able to get up out of it so their feet can dry occasionally. If you walk in there you don't want to wade through the mud either.

Once it dries out you might want to consider adding more dirt in there to build it up so it does drain. They will still dig their holes for dust baths but maybe the rest will drain better. You could try sand or deep litter after you get it where a lot of the water drains off.

 

[MrsWayne]

I am struggling with this as well. I have placed pea gravel in key places. Even with my Sloggers on I slip in certain spots after a rain. Pallets are a good idea as long as they are not directly in the mud. Other wise they will rot just like any wood. And, if you don't know what was hauled on the pallets you could expose your birds to dangerous chemicals. I am having to rethink my entire coop/run setup. I don't want to deal with this in the winter.

 

[aart]

Can you please provide a valid reason that sand plus mud equals concrete?

From my brother trying to amend clayish garden soil with sand, long long ago.

Don't go with "they put sand in brick" logic, they often put straw (or some other type of fiber) in some brick too so the same logic means mud plus straw equals concrete.

This exact thing was running thru my mind as I typed the mud+clay=sand.

If that mud is mostly clay

Significant 'if'.

Anyway, any base soil type, I still think straw, or some other dried plant material, is better to ameliorate mud than sand would be.<shrugs>

NO, it does not drain, It just dries up eventually. It usually takes quite a while

No matter what you use now, drainage should be addressed and improved somehow.

 

[Tfo4214]

Thx for the tip on straw - we have had solid rain here in Alberta for over a month. The only people that are happy are cattle farmers. I’ll try the straw and see how it goes.