# Muddy



## jen3910

My run has turned into a slippery muddy mess. Yuck! We were away for the weekend and I had neighbor friends minding the coop. The eggs were filthy and you could hardly walk in the run due to the slipperiness. It has been so dry here it wasn't a problem all summer. 

I added about five leaves of straw and the girls are happily spreading it around for me. Seems like a temporary fix though. Hope it will get us by through spring when I hope to add pea gravel.


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## BlackCrowFarm

The best long term fix is gravel, at least 4" deep for good drainage. Some people use sand instead of gravel.


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## creeperolie

If you use sand the run must be COMPLETELY DRY or it will just sink. Gravel is great though


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## BlackCrowFarm

creeperolie said:


> If you use sand the run must be COMPLETELY DRY or it will just sink. Gravel is great though


Thanks for pointing that out. I've never used sand so it never occurred to me about sinking.


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## rob

im going the gravel route in the spring. ive got wood chip down at the minute.


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## jen3910

Thanks everyone for your input. I think I'll have my work cut out for me come springtime.


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## jen3910

One more thing - are the poops pretty easy to rake up on gravel? I like them for my compost and with the dirt and straw it all rakes up into a nice compost addition. Is there anyone that uses straw and changes it out very couple of weeks? My run isn't very big - a couple hundred ft squared.


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## fuzziebutt

I did. I had a dirt/sand floor, and used straw over it. They loved helping me spread it, as was mentioned, and it was so easy to rake out of the coop. And we just put it in the garden, and tilled it under.


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## GrumpyMan

I have an all dirt floor in my newest coop. I am not planning on putting rock in there because an older farmer had told me to keep adding hay to it and once or twice a year take my tiller in there and till it all together. It will draw the warms to the area. I'm just at a loss about how much chicken dooky is to much for them to have in the ground with all there amonia an all that. Should I till it up take out the dirt and wheel barrel in new dirt? GrumpyMan....


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## fuzziebutt

Hi Grumpy! I really would kinda ignore what the old guy said, and put hay down, then when it gets bad, rake it out, then put fresh hay down. I wouldn't till it under, because you have it right, you just can't keep piling poop and pee and ammonia up. Pull it out, and put fresh hay down each time. Just my 2 cents worth!!


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## GrumpyMan

Will do. If it ever drys up out here that is. It is just none stop rain and our chicken run is a muddy nightmare. Come on spring.


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## kahiltna_flock

GrumpyMan said:


> Will do. If it ever drys up out here that is. It is just none stop rain and our chicken run is a muddy nightmare. Come on spring.


Having the same issue here. Not my coop, but the run. I piled up the wet stuff around the edges of the run and put dry stuff down. We are supposed to freeze back up tonight/ tomorrow. It is a mucky mess.


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## GrumpyMan

I'm fixen to try out our "new" chicken feeder we received from a friend who was takin down an old barn. It was her great grand dads from 1900. That is when he but it. It hold 5 50 pound sacks of cracked corn. We are heading to Nashville for a few days and our house sitter don't want to mess with our birds. They have more Hoban enough water I just hope the food holds out. GrumpyMan...


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## diinman

i hate to put anything in my run. i want them to get the worms and grass. right now though it is frozen ground. i put a big tray, cement mixer size in the run so they can bathe in it. it is filled with some sand, dirt and ashes.


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## dandmtritt

I have a flat lot no hill what so ever. I'm going to put down a nice lay at least 3" of concrete aggragate which is 3/4 size rock thats clean. then a layer of commercial weed block/ filter fabric and then 4" on sand. The gravel will allow and standing water a way to drain and the fabric will save the sand from settleing down into the gravel. Then I'm gonna rig a kitty litter scooper to a pole and use it to pick up droppings every couple days. It is very wet here, we are classified as a rain forest, our weather is very much like seattle so I just want the best drainage possible.


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