The run is a muddy mess. What to put down other than sand?

[gale65]

We don't have trees so no leaves to put in there. I don't want to do sand at this point. I need something right away and dh is resistant to sand, what with having to put down gravel first, boards all around to keep it in, etc. I mentioned straw and he said the wind would just blow it all away. Right now they are muddy up to their knees and the eggs are a mess. Any ideas? We probably have plenty of straw but the hay is bought for the cattle.

 

[twentynine]

Hay! Straw!

I use hay in my run, stays where you put it, chickens love scratching through it.

 

[groundpecker]

hay, woodchips, or even go in the woods and get a bunch of limbs,branches, small logs and lay down side by side.

 

[jerseygirl1]

I use small stone, honestly, hay gets wet and gets moldy, it may look OK on top, but try picking up hay when it's been rained on and you will have the BIGGEST mess and smell around.
It has made more work for me than stone does, hands down

 

[wilobrookfarms]

I know you said you have no tree's, but I LOVE leaves in my run. I to was having a problem with mud, so I added leaves. My solution to no tree's/no leaves, was easy, I let my friends and family know what I was doing, and they all dropped off bags they had raked up at their houses. I even stored some extra bags to top off over the winter.

 

[gale65]

DH had some older hay so he put a bunch of it in about 1/3 of the run closest to the coop. He said it's alfalfa hay. He put it in after they went in to bed so it'll be funny to see if they're willing to walk on it in the morning.

 

[chickenshagg]

I put down pea gravel in combination with sand and that has worked out well. The soil never compacts down hard as the chickens are always scratching out new dust bathing spots.

 

[mgw]

We use hay or straw when our run gets boggy, it seems to work the best for us!

 

[bantamboy93]

what about gravel?? the wind shouldn't blow it away..

 

[gale65]

Eventually I'd like to do a gravel/sand mix. Right now we're supposed to get rain for the next 3 days so I wanted something I could put down quick. Hopefully the hay will help. Thanks everyone!