Suggestions for a VERY muddy run?

[RoyalChick]

Pine pelleted bedding for horses. Here is a link to TSC source
https://www.backyardchickens.com/th...es-stories-of-our-flock.1286630/post-26641123

Don't get the kind for cats (it is MUCH more expensive) and look at the bag if you get the kind for a wood stove because some of them come with additives to make them burn better.
I personally wouldn't pay for bedding year round when I can get free wood chips and leaves, but in a mud emergency these will see you through nicely.

 

[southwestclucker]

I use wood chips in my run BUT we have had a LOT of snow this season and a good bit of rain too - when I know a lot is coming, I lay down cardboard in the run, weighed down with logs because we get bad wind also, and that keeps the wood chips much drier than they would be otherwise. I also keep a stash of dry wood chips in my shed in 5 gallon buckets so that I can spread a little on top after removing the cardboard when the rain/snow stops. I have also saved dry leaves and used them in the same manner before.

 

[3KillerBs]

If nothing else, try putting down some pallets and/or straw bales just to give your birds a dry place to stand.

Do your garden centers have bagged mulch yet? The coarsest plain, undyed mulch you can get might help.

 

[Colberon]

If nothing else, try putting down some pallets and/or straw bales just to give your birds a dry place to stand.

Do your garden centers have bagged mulch yet? The coarsest plain, undyed mulch you can get might help.

I would rather not do straw bales, we had straw in the run last year and it was a terrible mess to clean out, it did not dry out well in the spring and was clumped together and had to be shoveled out. There is no mulch available yet, we still have a lot of snow on the ground unfortunately. I'm going to try wood shavings and see if that helps. Thank you for your response.

 

[3KillerBs]

I would rather not do straw bales, we had straw in the run last year and it was a terrible mess to clean out, it did not dry out well in the spring and was clumped together and had to be shoveled out. There is no mulch available yet, we still have a lot of snow on the ground unfortunately. I'm going to try wood shavings and see if that helps. Thank you for your response.

Get some pallets then. It will at least get them up out of the mud short-term until you can solve the problem

 

[peepdaddy]

Nothing worse than a nasty, muddy run. As someone from Kentucky I can attest to the fact that KY clay is nasty stuff. Mixing in some chicken manure makes for a horrible mess! I got tired of dealing with the mess and put a roof over all my runs. Although a little rain blows in occasionally they are much, much better.

 

[SmiYa0126]

Nothing worse than a nasty, muddy run. As someone from Kentucky I can attest to the fact that KY clay is nasty stuff. Mixing in some chicken manure makes for a horrible mess! I got tired of dealing with the mess and put a roof over all my runs. Although a little rain blows in occasionally they are much, much better.

Same, we have a roof, I also use wood chips as bedding in the run.

 

[Colberon]

Same, we have a roof, I also use wood chips as bedding in the run.

We are expanding our run this summer, already have the two 10 ft. wide panels to add, just didn't get them installed last year as the new coop build took much longer than expected, therefore we didn't want to install a new roof until the expansion is complete. I'm hoping we have solved the mud problem for this spring, pictures coming soon.

 

[Colberon]

We were able to find some pelletized pine and purchased one bag to see if they could help solve the problem, we used these to put in their sun room. I then bagged up all the wood shavings from inside the coop and we dumped them in the run. They are very clean because our chickens typically spend most of their days outside in their sun room and when in they are inside the coop they love to be on their perch, I have attached pictures, thank you all for your advice! <3

 

[stacysfunnyfarm]

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 live in Seattle where mud is a way of life. The best solution here is wood chips. Find a local arborist and have them dump a load of chips in your driveway- they usually have to pay to dump so they are usually happy to get rid of them. Wood chips take a very long time to break down and the rain just goes right through so there are no puddles. The hens love to dig around in them so don’t be afraid to put down a couple inches. They also work on muddy paths and areas where you want to discourage weeds.