Wet Run Floor, HELP!

[betsy329]

Hi guys, I am new to this whole chicken thing and I am sure this has been covered but I need help. I have a run that is 8' x 12' that had grass in it but it was holding water so we filled with mud. Now the problem is when it rains it is nothing but a big muddy mess and is still holding water in spots. My question is: What is the best material to put on the floor for drainage and to keep it drier for my babies? I was thinking sand and rocks mixed, well more like pebbles. Any help I can get on this would be great!!!

 

[Heiko27]

I know a lot of people just put straw down and rake it up often. It still gets kind of muddy but as long there are higher areas- you could just use extra straw for them to have a choice to get out of it, they should be fine. Or you could dig the dirt out a few inches and fill it with sand. A lot of people like sand. Then some people put straw on that layer too. But I'm no expert.

 

[Egghead_Jr]

If you have standing ground water you might think about moving coop. Other than that you'll have to build it up with sand/gravel so the ground is higher than ground water. It wont get soggy as long as the silt content is low in the sand/gravel.


If it's only standing water in the run area and outside of it is fairly dry then dig out the dirt in run (say 4 to 6 inches) then replace with sand. Sand from gravel pits is "dirt" cheap ($10-$15 per yard); it's the trucking that costs so much. Hope you own a pickup truck or know someone who does.

Edit again to add (as I'm bored drinking coffee this morning):

1.5 cubic yards will fill a 8X12 run 5 inches deep. I'd go with sand as it weighs less than gravel and most pickups are 3/4 ton. Sand only would still take three full weight capacity loads.

 

[M.sue]

I agree with egg_head jr. When reading your post my first thought was move it or build the ground up! I don't think I'd want to have to be moving & raking straw all the time. While it temporarily solves the problem you eventually end up with a soaked mess sooner or later.

 

[Little_Rooster66]

We had this same question when building ours and we went with construction sand. It is a combination of sand and gravel up to 1/2 in. Has been very good not muddy at all and has good drainage, helps with smell and provides them with grit. It's cheap here it's about $30 ton . Cleanup is easy just like a big cat box we just scoop out the clumps and add more sand as needed to keep it about 4 in deep. In our opinion it is the way to go

 

[BoltonChicken]

+1 for the construction sand! I would not use straw at all, because it tends to lump and clump together when wet and muddy
and gets pretty heavy, making clean-out a chore. The sand can just be raked when needed, and will dry out pretty quickly.

 

[ChooksinChoppers]

Quote:
straw = smelly as well

 

[Nicole01]

Quote:
straw = smelly as well

The straw will also get moldy and may cause additional problems.

We have 1/2 sand/dirt and the other 1/2 is grass in our run.

 

[betsy329]

Thanks for all your help. I think I am gonna try sand and gravel mixed. It has rained alot lately and it isnt really standing water but more water that has built up in the holes my girls have made from their baths...lol, so i am hoping the sand will help it drain off more. They dont seem to ming the mud butI cant stand it!