SOS! Dangerously Mucky Run

[hokankai]

I'm home visiting my family for the holiday weekend. It's been almost two months since I've been gone, and the coop/run are DISGUSTING. My mother has been maintaining it...but I think the NW rains are winning. First of all, I feel like the coop floor is very wet even though it's raised. It didn't smell like ammonia when I went in though, just very earthy like the pine shavings were composting. Either way I'll be doing a complete change of the shavings while I'm home to start off with a fresh slate.

Second, the RUN IS DISGUSTING. Like...really really bad. There's a layer of poop, instead of mud, and the gravel is just not doing it's job. I posted an earlier thread about what to do with our crappy soil where the coop is (clay...with a compact sand/gravel mixture for the top 12") but now we REALLY need something to do. I'm afraid the poop is not being washed away...and is rather just sitting in a pool of waste underneath them. It's especially bad because they rebel against my nipple waterer and try and drink from any little puddle they can find...which can't be good.

I honestly don't know WHAT to do. When I was home last I tried to stir the gravel, but it's so coarse and compact I couldn't do it. Also, the smell that rose up from the stirred gravel was so disgusting I almost threw up.

What should I do?! The run is going to get wet regardless of what we do. The coop is at the lower end of our property and it's always soggy here.

 

[farmer_lew]

Best case scenario would be to move the coop to a dryer spot n the yard. As for the water situation, since they rebel against the nipple waterers, you may have to go to the plastic waterers from the feed store. That will at least give them fresh water. As far as the current run, I don't know. Sounds like you need to improve the drainage somehow. Don't know how to do that without putting in underground drain line. Maybe a layer of sand? As far as the coop, sounds to me lke water is getting in from somewhere. Check for leaks, and patch them as you go. Defintely clean out the coop and put in fresh bedding.

Sorry I can't be more help than that. Good luck!

 

[Pharm Girl]

I'm right here with you in the Pac NW. I put sand and bark chips in my run and have had no problems all winter. It has worked great for this climate. Sand is relatively cheap and so worth it! There is virtually no poop either. The sand dehydrates it and the rain washes it away. I use sand with a layer of straw in the covered run and just rake out the straw every few weeks.
Another thing I have tried is ponderosa pine needles, though they still get muddier that the sand.

 

[hokankai]

Well, I know the coop is getting wet from their wet feet going in and out all day because it's worse by the door

As for the run, do I need to dig out the gravel that's there? Or just lay some wood chips on it for now? I'm thinking it would be a good idea to put some kind of covering up there too...

Ah, gotta leave, but thanks for the replies so far!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Try reading this. You might see something that will help.

Pat’s Big Ol' Mud Page (fixing muddy runs):
https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-fix-a-muddy-run

 

[hokankai]

Yeah I read it. The only problem is that it's not exactly mud...it's all poop and maybe a little mud. I think we're just going to toss in a couple inches of wood chips until it dries out somewhat. That and put some kind of roof on it to keep it as dry as possible until spring.

 

[Knock Kneed Hen]

Temporarily you can clean out what poo you can in the run then throw some pallets down so they have a place to stand without being in muck. If you can get it covered do that as well. Sometimes a temp. fix is all you can do until the weather allows you to do more.

 

[hokankai]

Just thought I'd update. We decided to try and flush out as much muck as possible for the time being, we well as increase drainage. We dug a trench all the way around the coop ad well as down the middle of it, installed some french drains in the trenches, and plan on covering the roof of the run. My father did a LOT of shoveling, made a big heap of gravel, and sprayed it to flush out the organics. After being out there for two days it no longer smells like death in there! It's VERY muddy right now, now that the clay is exposed and the gravel is in a heap, but we've been letting the girls roam while we're home anyway so no big deal.

 

[Pharm Girl]

Sand, sand, sand, I'm tellin' ya! It works wonders in our climate. Glad you got it somewhat under control though. Sounds like you put a lot of work into it. French drains? I'll have to look it up. Sounds neat. Good luck!

 

[hokankai]

I SO want to do sand...but my parents don't like the thought of scooping a big litter box. What happens to the poop?