Wet stinky run....

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And this when I added leaves
 
The area we built the chicken coop in, is the high side of what looks like a moat when it rains heavy for days on end. I did not want my coop being wet, so dug out the area, and had a load of clean builder's sand delivered. It's expensive, so it came out to a little under a foot deep when spread out over the entire area.
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Fill dirt is significantly cheaper, so we added a bit over a foot of fill dirt on top of the sand. That way the sand provides drainage.
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Normally my yard looks like this. Off to the right of the pool hose, is a huge drain that goes back to the creek.
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Normally we do not get the kind of rain we got this summer. We broke records. As I said, there is a drain that runs to the creek. I'm so glad I did things the way I did. See what record rainfall did? My coop was high, and dry, as long as it wasn't raining.View attachment 1632309
AHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!
 
I use one bale (plastic cube thingy) per 100 sq feet. I don't even spread it. I plop it in the middle of the run, dump some seed on top and get out of the way. The girls spend HOURS scratching and spreading, and digging. It's a hoot!
No way!? You just leave it in the big ole square?! So, really no work on your part at all.... I just might have to try that:lol:
 
OK, so looked at photos again. If you simply add another board, like a deck board which is 1x5.5 inches around the bottom of the run, you can make the floor in the run that much deeper with out it spilling out the hardware cloth! Easy! And DH friendly! The boards are treated so you don't have to worry about rot and if you WANT to, you could drill several holes through the board 2 inches from the bottom to allow for drainage for anything that would run in.:ya
 
OK, so looked at photos again. If you simply add another board, like a deck board which is 1x5.5 inches around the bottom of the run, you can make the floor in the run that much deeper with out it spilling out the hardware cloth! Easy! And DH friendly! The boards are treated so you don't have to worry about rot and if you WANT to, you could drill several holes through the board 2 inches from the bottom to allow for drainage for anything that would run in.:ya
That sounds like a plan!! Should the board be around the outside or in?
Thank you so much! I appreciate it!
 
What ever is easiest for you. If the board is inside, which looks like the easiest with your build, you'll have pine shavings get stuck between the board and the hardware cloth and it'll fall outside the run and then decompose on your apron and make dirt.

If the board is outside you'll have shavings get stuck between the board and hardware cloth and fall inside, eventually.

No big deal either way.
 
What ever is easiest for you. If the board is inside, which looks like the easiest with your build, you'll have pine shavings get stuck between the board and the hardware cloth and it'll fall outside the run and then decompose on your apron and make dirt.

If the board is outside you'll have shavings get stuck between the board and hardware cloth and fall inside, eventually.

No big deal either way.
Okay, thanks.. yea, I was looking at the pics again too:D... and was thinking hubby’ll have to figure that out;)
Thanks again!
 

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