What to do with uncovered run in winter?

[tweetzone86]

Hello all!

Thanks to health issues flaring and surgery coming up for said issues, I'm on a lifting restriction, and thus am unable to build a roof for my chicken run until spring at the earliest.

I get snow here though, and lately it's been raining as well (which is bizarre, as I'm in north Idaho 2 hours away from the Canadian border and we're getting rain but New Mexico had blizzards?!). The run was nothing but mud, as the chickens ate all vegetation within it, so I added 3 bales of hay to keep the mud down.

It worked, but now I've got poopy hay in there (and unlike what I use in the coop, this hay has not been verified herbicide-free, so I won't compost it for the garden just in case) and I have no idea what to do with it.

I thought about putting a tarp up, and I may still do that, but if we get more than a couple inches of snow (not likely at this point since the weather's been unusually warm of late- at least, warm enough to rain more often than snow), the wire I've got across the top of the run to keep cats and hawks out is going to collapse under the weight.

Thoughts? I really wish it weren't so dang wet under there. Additionally- should I just put sand in there (with the tarp so it stays dry) and just scoop up the poop regularly like one would scoop up dog poop? Instead of the hay that I have to haul to the dump?

Thanks!

 

[nchls school]

Hello all! Hi

Thanks to health issues flaring and surgery coming up for said issues, I'm on a lifting restriction, and thus am unable to build a roof for my chicken run until spring at the earliest. I have the same situation.

I get snow here though, and lately it's been raining as well (which is bizarre, as I'm in north Idaho 2 hours away from the Canadian border and we're getting rain but New Mexico had blizzards?!). The run was nothing but mud, as the chickens ate all vegetation within it, so I added 3 bales of hay to keep the mud down. We've been getting lots of rain here in TN. I'm using pine needles to combat the mud; we have a lot of pine needles!

It worked, but now I've got poopy hay in there (and unlike what I use in the coop, this hay has not been verified herbicide-free, so I won't compost it for the garden just in case) and I have no idea what to do with it. The pine needles I spread across the yard. The rain washes away the poop or makes it such that it soaks into the ground. Come spring I'll run the lawn more over the needles.

I thought about putting a tarp up, I did--Bad idea---The tarp sagged and collected water--The whole run collapsed---Top and sides. and I may still do that, but if we get more than a couple inches of snow (not likely at this point since the weather's been unusually warm of late- at least, warm enough to rain more often than snow), the wire I've got across the top of the run to keep cats and hawks out is going to collapse under the weight.

Thoughts? I really wish it weren't so dang wet under there. Me too! Additionally- should I just put sand in there (with the tarp so it stays dry) and just scoop up the poop This is what I do--Then replace the soiled needles. regularly like one would scoop up dog poop? Instead of the hay that I have to haul to the dump? Look around--maybe you have something else available you can use instead of hay. When I run out of needles I have piles of wood chips the county gave to me when they were removing trees and brush along the roads. The county ran what they had cut down through a wood chipper and dumped it by my garage when my wife requested they do so. The wood chips cost us nothing.

Thanks!

I hope the rain stops.

 

[aart]

Good drainage first, then large wood chippings are best for decomposing of poops.
I use mostly wood chippings and never have to clean out anything.
If you want to make garden soil, then nix the wood chips and plan on a lot more mixing of materials.

I shovel out part of my run, for my access and space for them to move(we get feet of snow here, but not yet this year) also helps speed clearing of ground at snow melt time.

 

[nchls school]

A tarp may be a bad idea. I put a tarp over the dog run. When it rained the top and tarp sagged, collected water until the whole thing collapsed; top and sides!

I'm using pine needles right now-then I'll be using wood chips the county gave me free when the cleared trees and brush along the roads,

 

[PirateGirl]

Do you have a picture of your current setup? It would help us be able to suggest practical solutions!

Also it's your call if you want to remove the hay/straw/poop or let the chickens continue to scratch and break it down. You don't necessarily need to clean/scoop poop from an outside chicken run.

 

[tweetzone86]

Do you have a picture of your current setup? It would help us be able to suggest practical solutions!

Also it's your call if you want to remove the hay/straw/poop or let the chickens continue to scratch and break it down. You don't necessarily need to clean/scoop poop from an outside chicken run.

I don't have a photo, but I made a paint drawing (overhead view) of it:

 

[aart]

This is all looking very familiar.....feeling too lazy to look for older threads tho.

 

[nchls school]

This is all looking very familiar.....feeling too lazy to look for older threads tho.

Do you know how I could find serama groups> not used to this new setup.

 

[Chicken crossing the road]

With 2”x 4 “ holes in the wire I can’t see it holding enough snow to collapse but I could be wrong.

As said a tarp may not work on it’s own and collapse,how much higher is the wall that abuts the run area?
If you can get enough pitch maybe it could work, I would lay a few 2x6 on the fence running across the run to a higher point on the coop wall if possible, this would give you a place to secure the tarp with a strip of strapping.
You could also use the same system of 2x6 to secure a polycarbonate panel which are pretty light, better than a tarp. Although both are noisy in the rain. I used them on my run and so far it is pretty dry. I did not flash the panels where they meet the wall, yes a little water runs down the wall but drainage is good so not a problem