Washingtonians Come Together! Washington Peeps

[pennyJo1960]

I'm a new chicken owner in Washington in fact I'm new to Washington as well we have 4 chickens (long Island Blues) and 2 dogs

Welcome to our state thread

 

[Dingleberry]

I am so glad to find this thread!!!!! I have a question for Wa peeps. I have to move my covered run as they are going to fix my driveway and all the animals in there will be stuck in there for a week while it sets. I have a area on a 5% grade, I've had problems with muddy runs before what should I put down on the dirt to be better draining????

 

[WalnutTree]

I am so glad to find this thread!!!!! I have a question for Wa peeps. I have to move my covered run as they are going to fix my driveway and all the animals in there will be stuck in there for a week while it sets. I have a area on a 5% grade, I've had problems with muddy runs before what should I put down on the dirt to be better draining????

I honestly would try river sand. I'm putting that in their run and not sure how well it works yet but have heard great things from it.

 

[Sequel]

I am so glad to find this thread!!!!! I have a question for Wa peeps. I have to move my covered run as they are going to fix my driveway and all the animals in there will be stuck in there for a week while it sets. I have a area on a 5% grade, I've had problems with muddy runs before what should I put down on the dirt to be better draining????

I use wood chips from a tree service.

 

[Dingleberry]

I honestly would try river sand. I'm putting that in their run and not sure how well it works yet but have heard great things from it.

I heard from someone that when it gets wet it stays wet. Well Woodinville gets rain 7 months straight

 

[Dingleberry]

I use wood chips from a tree service.

how thick is the layer?

 

[Sequel]

how thick is the layer?

It varies. Pretty thin right now. I keep a pile and add when necessary if that makes sense. I started with 4 to 6 inches of aged chips. They work well here for mud control except where the chickens insist on removing them.

 

[Hinotori]

I won't try sand. I dumped a bag in one of the potholes in the drive one year after it started ripping. That wet sand stuck to everything. I had to avoid stepping near it when going to get the mail. I don't know how anyone deals with it.

I'd love a lot of wood chips. Those would be awesome in the runs. I put down some that I got one year in the swampiest place in the large fowl pen and it was wonderful until they decompose around spring. If I'd had more to put a proper depth, it would have been so much better.

I put down straw which does control the mud. It has to be added to every couple months in the rainy season. During summer they get bare dirt. We have a very high water table here. I've raised the level of the run in the large fowl pen about 8 inches in the last decade because of all the organic matter.

Run level is high enough now that there is no pooling and water runs off. I dare say wood chips would work even better now.

Silkies have covered runs and get straw or wood shavings for winter. Only shavings are put in their houses, but they like to carry straw in for the nest box. Sometimes they pick grass in the courtyard to carry in.

Large fowl have a dirt floor in their 8x15 coop. It has a working deep litter going in there. In the spring I remove some for the garden or Mom. It only get more shavings added occasionally. No smell and always dry. Lots of worms a few inches down where it has a little moisture. They take care of everything within a few days.

 

[Kmaria187]

Welcome to the state and to the thread! What area do you call home? I’m in Kitsap.

Im in Marysville

 

[pennyJo1960]

I use cement pavers where the mud is growing season through seed let whatever like rye this season let it grow birds love it