What is the best litter for a chicken run that is over clay soil and tends to hold water when it rains?

[WhyKnott]

Actually, you are 100% on the right track.

Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree-trimming service, are usually considered the gold standard for managing mud and odor.



Yes.

Likewise diversion ditches to move water around the chickens' area. But there has to be somewhere for the water to go and neighbors don't appreciate it being sent into their yards.

Building up the ground level with layers of dry organic material is probably the best option unless there is a clear place to send the water.

"First, fix the drainage," is my usual advice, but it's not always feasible on a small city lot.

You're 100% correct, there is no way for me to fix the drainage, anything I did that would result in draining the water away from my property would result in it being displaced onto my neighbor's property...and I'm sure they wouldn't appreciate that since they have the same issue with standing water at the back of their yard the same as I do.

 

[WhyKnott]

Wood chip, end of story. I even made a small drainage ditch and filled it with wood chips so it would not be a trip hazard. It made a beautiful walking path. This pic is after a flooding rain right after construction. It drained nicely so i got with the wood chips. My finished project.

Your results are fantastic, and the wood chips are what I have been using, the only problem is I don't have anywhere for the water to drain to. In your picture it looks like you have your ditch directed into a forested area, I don't have that option unfortunately.

 

[David61]

It is draining out to the front yard 220'.
Water goes down hill. If you neighbor is down hill, it hate to tell you, he gets it anyway. Dig a ditch or raise your ground level with chips, you are displacing the water down hill.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

You could look into a wood chip trench as suggested that leads to a “rain garden” of water-guzzling plants. If you stick to natives, the should be quite low maintenance. But that would help limit the amount of water heading to the neighbors house.

 

[WhyKnott]

That's a great idea... Drain the water into a rain garden! I did plant a river birch tree which love water and are good at helping break up clay soil. I've also been considering planting a Sassafras tree, which also prefer moist, even soggy soil, which would also help with soaking up some of the water and breaking up the compacted soil. Both of those are native to my area (NE Ohio) so they should thrive there. The River Birch has already grown 4 ft easily and I only put it in 2 yrs ago. It has helped with making the area less soggy in the summer months despite the area being primarily shady, but it hasn't done anything yet in helping during the rainy seasons.

 

[AmeliaBedelia]

That's a great idea... Drain the water into a rain garden! I did plant a river birch tree which love water and are good at helping break up clay soil. I've also been considering planting a Sassafras tree, which also prefer moist, even soggy soil, which would also help with soaking up some of the water and breaking up the compacted soil. Both of those are native to my area (NE Ohio) so they should thrive there. The River Birch has already grown 4 ft easily and I only put it in 2 yrs ago. It has helped with making the area less soggy in the summer months despite the area being primarily shady, but it hasn't done anything yet in helping during the rainy seasons.

Just watch out with tree roots near structures . Or septic fields.

If you can rent/borrow/have a tiller, you can also till in some organic matter or sand into the clay under and around the run to help with drainage in general. But you will probably then need a way to tamp things back down.

Or use the tiller before you dig the trench. Makes it less digging and more just shoveling.