Would sand help?

[richje100]

Ive read somewhere that sand is good to lay in a wired run.
We have really wet winters over here in great britain and the run gets very muddy. would it help if i covered the ground with sand or partly cover an area of sand?

 

[ging3rhoffman]

Yes sand is the best. I have about 8 to 10 inches in my run. It provides grit also and they love to take sand baths. Its so easy to clean also. Water drains quickly also.

 

[LynneP]

We have sandy loam in ours, which is our soil type. Very pleased and if I needed more fill I would order sand. Great drainage.

 

[2txmedics]

I bought a truck load of sand....18.00 and my girls love it....dust baths...when it rains it makes the sand wet and cool...helps in the texas heat...daily I go in there and get the Hoe and I hoe up the sand, turning it over, and they love it, looking for bugs and kicking the sand around.

and its soft for them

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Take a look at the 'muddy run' page in my .sig below for some ideas. Summary: sand is a reasonable option but there are probably other things you can do too, to further solve the problem.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Blue_Myst]

I use sand in my coop, and it has worked out great so far! When the chickens spill water from their trough or rain water gets in from the side, it drains very quickly.

Even just mixing in a few bags of sand in with the soil will help with drainage. If you decide on sand, remember to wait until the ground is bone-dry!

 

[OutdoorFun4]

Love the sand. I had to dig some drainage trenches around the run and filled them with crushed rock. The sand was the final step to keep it dry.

It has been the wettest summer in history here. The sand has been a blessing...no mud.

 

[MandyH]

We started using sand about 4 years ago, by accident. We had HORRIBLY wet, stinky runs that winter and I just happened to think about the big creek that runs through our property. We loaded up the Gator and rode down there, and sure enough, both sides of the creek were lined with the whitest, finest sand you could find. We took that Gator load and put it in the run, and that's where it all started. Now we have 6-8 inches in every coop and run and it works WONDERS under wire bottom brooders. Keep the flies away. Sand will be a GREAT investment if you plan on having chickens for a while.

 

[richje100]

great, thanks all for your helpfull replies.
I know it sounds corny, but boy have i learned tonnes of usefull info off this site. Makes keeping chickens good fun.