Wet Run? Help/Ideas for the Chicken Geek please?

[Porterfive]

We have a really good coop that keeps the ladies dry with a good roof over the coop and a portion of the run.

I have a problem with "run off" water. I am digging a ditch that will redirect some of the water, but I still have a good bit of water going into the covered portion of the run. When we walk into the run the ground is very muddy and slippery when wet. I am going to get most of the runoff redirected, but it still gets very wet when raining. Any ideas on how to keep it dry and not so slippery? A thick layer of sand? rocks? Oh, and the run is on a slight slope so slippery equals dangerous. Not so much for me, but for the rest of five it would be.

These are the random thoughts of a chicken geek. If you would like to help him, please donate your thoughts.

Thanks!!

 

[Picco]

To keep it nice and dry you can make a raised floor in your run, the same way people make raised beds for gardens. Just frame in the run with wide and sturdy boards and fill the framework in with sand. I plan on doing this in the spring, but for now I have made stepping stones through the slippery area using patio blocks. Just make sure the boards are tall enough so the bird don't scratch all of the sand out. I learned about this while reading about ducks. The website described this idea since waterfowl made such a muddy mess. If you include gravel under the sand it should help more, but it might just get mixed in by the scratching.

 

[TxChiknRanchers]

yep the sand is the best bet. And the raised bed is a great idea also!

 

[Redfeathers]

My back yard is flooded and muddy and horrible...but the chicken run is nice and clean and has no standing water because we filled it with sand. The drainage is just the best I think.

 

[Porterfive]

How does the sand effect chickens? and how would you clean it? Just rake?

I like the idea of a raised bed, I'm sure we'll do something like that, just gotta figure out whether we want to use sand or not? Hmmm

Anyone try to mix sand and topsoil?

 

[Farmer Kitty]

We have clay ground here and this last fall when it finally started raining and then forgot how to stop the clay was sticking and collecting on the chickens feet. I added sand to their run and that helped dry it out plus the sand doesn't stick like clay.

 

[Poison Ivy]

I live in Florida so after a week or two my run was nothing but sand. It stays pretty dry unless in rains for a week but as soon as it quits it dries out pretty fast. I have only raked my run a couple times and that was to clean the corn cobs out of it after hubby gave them some left over corn from the garden.

 

[FutureChickenMan]

we have heavy clay soil that just doesn't drain well around our house. we put in french drains to help with drainage as well as redirect the run off from our rain gutters.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_drain

it'd probably be more work than a raised bed or sand, but I don't see how sand on top of soil that doesn't drain or a raised bed on top of soil that doesn't drain would be an improvement over what you've already got. The problem is drainage of the base soil. You've already taken the right steps by creating a run off ditch.

You'd be surprised how much water a french drain can move, especially if you put in 4".

 

[sundance]

could you use bags of the sandbox sand from Lowes, All we have here is clay and it stays wet, sure do miss my Fla sand.Thought i would get some of the sandbox sand for them to dust in next spring, since it is so cold outside now they want to stay in the hen house its wet to but i do add some DE to all the hay and it helps We need the rain so bad here for the hay fields i almost feel sorry for my ladies having to get their feet wet, They sure don't like it, esp since the clay clings to their feet,Here when it rains very much and you walk outside you get taller with every step you take.My run is on a slope so that the water runs off and fertilizes the grass on the other side of a privacy fence.

 

[cottagechick]

How deep should I put the sand? 1'', 6''??
Thanks,
Julie