wet/ muddy/ buggy run

[chcknlttl]

Hey all!

So, my chickens have been out in their coop for a few weeks now and I'm noticing it's wet and buggy. Lots of flies and damp ground. Not inches of mud but definitely wet. Originally the ground was just grass and they have since dug that all up. I have a covered run but live in a swampy area, which is how I think this has happened. We did get quite a bit of rain. They don't spend a ton of time in the run since I free range them as much as possible. Some weekends we go away and they are in there for a day for two though and I don't want to leave them sitting in the wet.

I was thinking of using sand and some larger pebbles to help with drainage/keeping it dry.

What kind of sand is appropriate? Should I mix anything else in to help keep it dry?

Here are some pics - I realize the one of the run floor isn't very telling but

 

[linguini]

I had same exact problem, and worse yet, our run is covered with tarp serves as a "soft roof", so big raining days can be problematic. I use play sand (easy to get and cheap, I don't know where to get river sand), but I also dump organic matter like weeds from gardening. (still waiting for free wood chips, that'll be best on top of the sand). We just had a few days of rainstorm, the water drained relatively fast and I threw all my yard waste into the run (to get rid of the smell) - they seemed to like this living/bathroom combo with green carpet!

 

[aart]

First fix any drainage issues, if at all possible.
Is there standing water in there?
When it rains hard, does water run into the run area?

Sand is not going to really help.
Coarse wood chippings, and other dry plant material, will.
Do you have space on your land to store a big pile of tree trimmer chippings?

 

[21hens-incharge]

Sand on top cannot fix poor drainage below.

Is the water running downhill toward the coop? If so a trench to divert it away can help.

 

[3KillerBs]

I agree, first address the problem of where the water is coming from.

If the water is running into the run off nearby buildings use gutters and downspouts to direct it away from the chickens.

If the water is flowing across the ground in a drainage pattern that runs through the coop use French drain, diversion ditches, and/or grass swales to divert the water around the chickens.

If the water is collecting in the chicken run because it's a low spot in the ground it's probably easier to move the chickens to a more well-drained area than to bring in a lot of fill dirt and machinery to raise the level of the area and re-grade it.

Sand won't help mud, especially if it's clay mud. Sand+clay+organic material = brick once the sun comes out and the ground dries.

The gold standard of run litter, especially for muddy areas, is coarse wood chips -- the kind you get from a tree-trimming service.

Here's a useful article about mud: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/how-to-fix-a-muddy-run-chicken-coop.47807/