Wet floor coop ideas

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Winter is the worst, rain and muddy puddles
My coop is built on dirt and is wet from the ground being wet underneath I think. I have added bags of sand to help and it has worked for a while but now the sand is wet and won't dry out.
Any ideas what I can do?

I have 22 Silkie chickens at the moment, they have the coop plus enclosed area plus fenced in area outside that area to forage under the trees.
I can take more pics when I'm back up there later of the inside.

 

[Lady of McCamley]

For me, in my very wet Northwest Oregon location, pine shavings is the only thing that keeps the mud down. It mixes with the soil creating compost, absorbs moisture, and holds smell down (unlike sand which stagnates in my wet clay).

I've also used larger bark chips in the outside run.

What I've done.
LofMc

 

[CrazyChicken360]

For me, in my very wet Northwest Oregon location, pine shavings is the only thing that keeps the mud down. It mixes with the soil creating compost, absorbs moisture, and holds smell down (unlike sand which stagnates in my wet clay).

I've also used larger bark chips in the outside run.

What I've done.
LofMc

X2 pine shavings has always kept my coop dry on wet and cold winters (or days).

 

[perkolator]

x3 Arborist mulch/wood chips/shavings/organic material.

I tend to water for multiple days to deep water (have non-potable irrigation water) and when I do it over arborist mulch/chips, such as in our chicken run, it's never soggy/muddy afterward and the chickens don't seem to have any problem with it. Over time our decomposed granite soil has loosened up considerably with all that organic material thats worked its way down and the worm activity, etc. Have two silkies in the flock and they're fine running around on our chunky wood chips

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Pic of inside.. and I have bale of pine shavings so would that be good to throw on top?
The sand is completely wet, it was their perfect dry group dust bathing spot

 

[MottsHomestead]

Pic of inside.. and I have bale of pine shavings so would that be good to throw on top?
The sand is completely wet, it was their perfect dry group dust bathing spot
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Yes you want to get a good layer down. Pine shavings are the way to go, they are extremely absorbent. I’d aim for a good layer that’s a few inches thick.

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

They are dust bathing in the wet dirt sand now...

..do I add the wood shavings just on top or mix it in?

 

[Lady of McCamley]

Just add on top. They will mix it in. Lol. We've even used the birds to spread bark dust in lawn areas. They are an excellent work crew.

LofMc

 

[ForTheLoveOfSilkies]

Just add on top. They will mix it in. Lol. We've even used the birds to spread bark dust in lawn areas. They are an excellent work crew.

LofMc

Ok I'll throw it on then

 

[aart]

Best thing to do would be to keep any runoff from seeping/pouring into the coop.
Runoff along the ground and/or coming off the tarps is likely the source.