Suggestions for a VERY muddy run?

[Colberon]

I live in Northern Maine and have been away on vacation for 9 days, when I left the ground was frozen solid, but spring appears to have sprung while I was gone, resulting in my run being EXTREMELY muddy. The thaw has also thawed the feces, and now it's a mucky mess! Any suggestions on what I can put down to prevent my 6 hens from walking through the mix of mud and poo and becoming sick?

P.S. Their run is 5'x15'.

 

[Lacy Duckwing]

I've been dealing with the same problem. My hens needed shavings, but my local feed store was out. I ended up getting stuck buying shavings at Paris Farmer's Union, and they were more like sawdust and wasn't fit for in the coop because it's too dusty. I just got some good shavings today, so I put the sawdust in my run and it's working well. It's still moist, but it's not all poop and stinky anymore. (Also, yesterday I scrapped a bunch of the muck to one side, so the sawdust today isn't having to soak up as much.)

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

Wood chips have helped a ton with my mud mess.

 

[aart]

I live in Northern Maine and have been away on vacation for 9 days, when I left the ground was frozen solid, but spring appears to have sprung while I was gone, resulting in my run being EXTREMELY muddy. The thaw has also thawed the feces, and now it's a mucky mess! Any suggestions on what I can put down to prevent my 6 hens from walking through the mix of mud and poo and becoming sick?

P.S. Their run is 5'x15'.

What do you use for bedding in the run?
Put more of that in there....tho coarse wood chippings(from a tree trimmer) are best, IMO.

 

[Colberon]

What do you use for bedding in the run?
Put more of that in there....tho coarse wood chippings(from a tree trimmer) are best, IMO.

We actually use the coarse wood chippings, the problem is we aren't able to get any right now. We have a big pile we restock from in the warmer months, but it is under snow/ice currently and would be all other places. We still have a couple feet of snow and ice.

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

You can usually buy them at the farm store or even home depot.

 

[FortFusterCluck]

Wood shavings and sand is what we use here in Kentucky during the rainy season.

 

[BarnyardChaos]

I've been dealing with it, too. I'm just so bleeping sick of the MUD and MUCK and STINK. Even said to the hubby just yesterday that I don't mind the cold as long as it's DRY! I've thrown down hay everywhere (free supply), and straw from a couple of broken bales, over a thick base of old wood chips already - and still the muck squishes up through the hay. Wish I could find a good free supply of wood chips; that would be better. Well, that and good drainage!

We'll be moving this summer. We are swapping houses with our son. (His family is growing and needs a bigger house, and we need a smaller house with no stairs. Win-win.) We plan to locate the coops on the highest point of the property, where he had his above-ground swimming pool over a generous base of sand. (Pool = electrical outlet and water hydrant installed already. ) So.... that and wood chips should be perfect. Hopefully, this has been my last year keeping chickens in a muddy run! Woohoo!

 

[FortFusterCluck]

We'll be moving this summer. We are swapping houses with our son. (His family is growing and needs a bigger house, and we need a smaller house with no stairs. Win-win.)

Genius!!! Good plan!!

 

[BlindLemonChicken]

I've been dealing with it, too. I'm just so bleeping sick of the MUD and MUCK and STINK. Even said to the hubby just yesterday that I don't mind the cold as long as it's DRY! I've thrown down hay everywhere (free supply), and straw from a couple of broken bales, over a thick base of old wood chips already - and still the muck squishes up through the hay. Wish I could find a good free supply of wood chips; that would be better. Well, that and good drainage!

We'll be moving this summer. We are swapping houses with our son. (His family is growing and needs a bigger house, and we need a smaller house with no stairs. Win-win.) We plan to locate the coops on the highest point of the property, where he had his above-ground swimming pool over a generous base of sand. (Pool = electrical outlet and water hydrant installed already. ) So.... that and wood chips should be perfect. Hopefully, this has been my last year keeping chickens in a muddy run! Woohoo!

I did straw this year to help the chickens with the wet snow. It helped in the short term but now that the snow is gone I just have a bunch of wet straw that's really hard to turn over. Lesson learned. I am going to stock up on sand as soon as the weather dries out a bit. Your new setup sounds ideal!