Wet stinky run....

[WthrLady]

Thanks Aart didn't catch that on my phone. And I thought she was in washington state. Louisiana. Now I want almond king cake.

 

[WthrLady]

Wow. Just now got to the pictures. That's just a soggy location to start with. Plus it's dealing with runoff from the pump house. You can't even dig a drain around that one and allow run off as it is in a low spot. Any chance you can move the coop altogether? maybe mound some earth to make the coop about 6 inches higher than surrounding yard?

OR

MAYBE if you can create a new foundation frame for it of about 8 inches you can go really deep with the litter and get them out of the mud, making the run the higher point in the yard.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Thanks Aart didn't catch that on my phone. And I thought she was in washington state. Louisiana. Now I want almond king cake.

You NEED to try the cream cheese filled donut king cake... to die for
And don’t forget about dem Saints!!! Who Dat

 

[WthrLady]

You could dig a big trench, just outside the anti dig apron, fill with coarse gravel.
It would be like a yard gutter (not a drain-as there's no lower ground to drain to)
to keep the flooding from reaching the coop/run.

I was going to suggest that, but it would just fill with water as this is the lowest spot in the yard. Hmmmmm.....

 

[WthrLady]

You NEED to try the cream cheese filled donut king cake... to die for
And don’t forget about dem Saints!!! Who Dat

I make cream cheese almost KCake .......NOM NOM NOM

 

[want2know]

Clean builders sand. It's expensive, but sooooo worth it in the long run.

Agree with construction sand, used as a base for my elevated coop. Never smells.

 

[WhoDatChick]

Wow. Just now got to the pictures. That's just a soggy location to start with. Plus it's dealing with runoff from the pump house. You can't even dig a drain around that one and allow run off as it is in a low spot. Any chance you can move the coop altogether? maybe mound some earth to make the coop about 6 inches higher than surrounding yard?

OR

MAYBE if you can create a new foundation frame for it of about 8 inches you can go really deep with the litter and get them out of the mud, making the run the higher point in the yard.

The WHOLE yard is a low spot
If I tell/ask my hubby that it needs to be moved or lifted.. this’ll be him.... and he is NOT an angry person! At all.. ever!!
I’ll just try adding lots, and lots... and lots of “stuff” and see how that goes..
I picked that spot cuz that is the one spot in the yard that doesn’t actually “hold” water.. it really is/was one of the dry spots when it rains/floods... it’s getting wet from the surrounding water but the puddles in there are from their “dust bath holes”... if you look at the rest it’s just wet and muddy... so I’m thinking if I add a bunch more stuff then that just might do the trick.. I’m just gonna have to try and see what works best..
I’ll let yall know
Thank you SO much!!

 

[aart]

I was going to suggest that, but it would just fill with water as this is the lowest spot in the yard. Hmmmmm.....

Long shot, but might work to keep water away.....especially if fill from trench could be used to raise coop/run area.

 

[getaclue]

The trouble with wood chips is that it's hard on the chicken's feet. Bumble foot. Another thing, the water wicks easier with the wood, and it gets moldy, mildewed, fungus, etc. While the wood chips may be a decent band-aid fix for right now, it's not a long term solution. The sand allows the water to sit underneath, but doesn't wick the water, so with the fill dirt on top, it's not a muddy mess.

 

[rosemarythyme]

The trouble with wood chips is that it's hard on the chicken's feet. Bumble foot. Another thing, the water wicks easier with the wood, and it gets moldy, mildewed, fungus, etc. While the wood chips may be a decent band-aid fix for right now, it's not a long term solution. The sand allows the water to sit underneath, but doesn't wick the water, so with the fill dirt on top, it's not a muddy mess.

I haven't had more or less issues with bumblefoot since switching to wood chips (was pine shavings & bare dirt previously) but I do check for it regularly.

Wood chips are actually pretty great for drainage, provided that water has a place to actually drain off to.

My lot is pretty flat, like a 1 degree slope overall. And I get a lot of rain. But the soil here is quite good at absorbing water and so the wood chips function to let the water through to the absorbent soil underneath, while providing a relatively dry mat on top for the chickens and keepers to walk on.