Suggestions for a VERY muddy run?

[Colberon]

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 hear you on the mud and stink!! Ours typically isn't bad, but the tarp like cover that came with our chain link dog kennel used as our run had worn out and we replaced it with a tarp that we weren't able to pull as tight and snow and ice gathered on the the tarp and didn't slide off. Earlier in the winter we had a storm with wind gusts over 50 mph and my husband put bags of pellets on the roof to hold the tarp and it got so wild it tore some holes in the tarp, now rain and melted ice and snow are boing down through and making it worse. This summer we are expanding the run and putting a metal roof on, fingers crossed this helps for next year. Putting your pool on the sand should be a big help, I would still add the large woodchips, we tried sand int he past and the poo sits on top and they walk through it. We have tried sooo many things, sand, pea stone straw, larger rocks, we find the large woodchips work best, hoping we can find some soon!

 

[Colberon]

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!

I did straw last year, oh what a mess it was, never again! Try to large wood chips, they have been the best yet for us.

 

[Colberon]

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

Thank you, I'll have to check the local farm store, the closest home depot is almost 2 hours away.

 

[Shipgirl]

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'.

I take the wood chips from my coop when I clean it and spread them in the run.

 

[Ocho 8 Farm]

Pelleted pine shavings. They absorb all the moisture and make it easier to clean up.
I love it!

 

[Colberon]

Pelleted pine shavings. They absorb all the moisture and make it easier to clean up.
I love it!

Never heard of them, I'm going to have to google and see what they look like and where I might be able to purchase some. Thank you!

 

[Colberon]

I take the wood chips from my coop when I clean it and spread them in the run.

Thank you for your reply, I haven't really had to change out my woodchips in my coop since we finished out coop this fall, our girls spend most of their day in their "sun room" which is an area that we have for them under our "sick coop" that is 4x4 and is closed in with a clear panels of plastic or when inside they love to stand on their nesting bar, which has a box containing sand beneath that I scoop every other day. I just might take the shavings out of the coop and add to the run and place new in the coop, but I don't think there would be enough shavings to solve the problem.

 

[Shipgirl]

Thank you for your reply, I haven't really had to change out my woodchips in my coop since we finished out coop this fall, our girls spend most of their day in their "sun room" which is an area that we have for them under our "sick coop" that is 4x4 and is closed in with a clear panels of plastic or when inside they love to stand on their nesting bar, which has a box containing sand beneath that I scoop every other day. I just might take the shavings out of the coop and add to the run and place new in the coop, but I don't think there would be enough shavings to solve the problem.

I change out shavings every 1-2 weeks in mine and it saves me having to buy more to fill my run.

 

[aart]

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.

I hear ya. I try to put a good thick layer on in late fall, so there's some left at snow melt season. But I have had to resort to tossing some pine shavings(used in the coop).
Might think about bagging up some chippings to save for snow melt.

 

[Colberon]

I hear ya. I try to put a good thick layer on in late fall, so there's some left at snow melt season. But I have had to resort to tossing some pine shavings(used in the coop).
Might think about bagging up some chippings to save for snow melt.

I have definitely learned this year and will put down a thick layer next falll, I'm thinking the metal roof will help for next year too! For now, I think I will move all the current shavings from the coop into the run and place new shavings in the coop. Thank you for your suggestions.