Wet Run and Health Issues?

[Jaxdrisc]

Happy March! And with it, comes a LOT of melting! Boston had an insane snowfall this year, and a normally dry area is now flooded....which is now the run. Since I am 1500 miles away caring for my mom, my family shoveled 4 feet of snowbank away from one run wall. One more needs to be cleared tomorrow. The run is mostly flooded with about an inch of water, this occurring in the last 2 days. My concern is my 5 hens. I can't imagine that walking in and out of that all day is healthy for the birds. I found a lot of info. about adapting the run conditions, but not much on the effect on the chickens. I would love input! I have instructed them to keep them in the coop until one of them comes home in the afternoon, then let them out til roosting time. I have a big window that can be opened to give them air and a view of outside. I need suggestions on what else to do, and if standing in water is, indeed, a hazard. Thanks for your help!
ETA: Mods, I reposted this here as I posted it under the incorrect subtitle...hope this was ok.

 

[howfunkyisurchicken]

I feel your pain, I'm dealing with a water logged run myself. Not as much water as yours, but enough to be annoying for sure. I don't think them standing in water is going to be a good thing. But, there isn't really much I can do about it at this point. I've spread straw where I can and mine have coops to go into to get out of the mud and muck. Other than that, we're just dealing with it. If your coop is dry and well ventilated, they'll be fine in there until things dry up some. I've been letting my birds out, and while they do get around the run some, they're mostly staying in. We've gotten a fair bit of snow (nowhere near as much as you, thank goodness) and now we're getting a bunch of rain, so the ground is completely saturated right now :/

 

[Skye727]

I got a bale of cedar toe at the feed store and spread that out. Works much better than straw and smells good too. It costs more than straw but it's worth it.