# Wet ground



## Bob Settle (Feb 4, 2021)

Hello one and all

I'm about to get my first chickens but the problem is that the ground I will be putting them on tends to get water logged after rain and takes a day or two to drain. 
Will this do the chickens many harm.?


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Need more information. Is this in a coop, a run? Where they free range? 

By water logged do you mean standing water or just wet from rain?

A pic might be helpful in helping you deal with the problem.


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## Bob Settle (Feb 4, 2021)

Hi 
They will be free range and yes there is standing water but the coop and small run will be elevated.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

So where is the problem at? The run? Or where they're free ranging?

If it's the run you can build it up with sand to allow for better drainage.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> So where is the problem at? The run? Or where they're free ranging?
> 
> If it's the run you can build it up with sand to allow for better drainage.


How about mud? I've got lots of that.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

PJ, are your birds in mud? Or are you talking about where the horses are and where you're running equipment?


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> PJ, are your birds in mud? Or are you talking about where the horses are and where you're running equipment?


It's a mud farm, but the birds are in dry mud.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

Bob Settle said:


> Hello one and all
> 
> I'm about to get my first chickens but the problem is that the ground I will be putting them on tends to get water logged after rain and takes a day or two to drain.
> Will this do the chickens many harm.?


*Large wood chips or gravel will go a long way to dry the area. If you contact your county when they are brushing the road sides, they will often give the chips being happy to have a place to dump them. I did this a couple years ago.*

*I'd also recommend that you stay away from feather legged breeds. Pick breeds that have the leg length to stay high and dry.*


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Ooooh yeah- good sourcing Dan! 

He beat me to what I was going to mention with the feather legged breeds. They do require dry ground for their living area for sure. 
Consistently wet ground may not hurt per se, but it’s definitely not an ideal situation, either. It will raise the humidity level in the coop, potentially causing frostbite issues, and will also raise the level of stink and bugs. 
Perhaps you can build it up such that it drains to one side or the other?


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

*I have to deal with mud too. I'm constantly adding wood chips and pine needles to the poultry yard, but I free range so the birds are not forced to stay in muddy areas.*

*Be sure their coop and roosts are dry and there shouldn't be a problem.*


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## Bob Settle (Feb 4, 2021)

Many thanks for the ideas and advise. Never thought of the breeds with feathers on the legs as my two year old granddaughter picked one out from a picture and went "aww" 
Ah well one of life's lessons in that you can't always have what you want.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Is this where I tell you that some Silkies like a good mud bath? The one in my avatar would spot one and head straight for it to wallow in.


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## Bob Settle (Feb 4, 2021)

Really because that's the breed that see saw.


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## Bob Settle (Feb 4, 2021)

Really,that's the breed that she saw.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

Yep. The first time I saw her do it I was appalled. I thought she was going to be nothing but clumps of mud afterwards. Turns out a good mud bath really brings out the sheen in the feathers. And no mud left anywhere.


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Yep. The first time I saw her do it I was appalled. I thought she was going to be nothing but clumps of mud afterwards. Turns out a good mud bath really brings out the sheen in the feathers. And no mud left anywhere.





robin416 said:


> Yep. The first time I saw her do it I was appalled. I thought she was going to be nothing but clumps of mud afterwards. Turns out a good mud bath really brings out the sheen in the feathers. And no mud left anywhere.


Yes, it's amazing!


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

*My old Yokohama is also drawn to mud puddles. Somehow she has learned that if she scratches in the water, worms and other good stuff come to the top where she can eat it.*


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

danathome said:


> *My old Yokohama is also drawn to mud puddles. Somehow she has learned that if she scratches in the water, worms and other good stuff come to the top where she can eat it.*


Yum!


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

danathome said:


> *My old Yokohama is also drawn to mud puddles. Somehow she has learned that if she scratches in the water, worms and other good stuff come to the top where she can eat it.*


We've now got two that have proven they know more than we do about what is good for them.


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## Bob Settle (Feb 4, 2021)

Would two Silkies be ok with two Plymouth rocks,as I say I'm new to this (I have must things I need) but lacking the chickens , suggestions would be appreciated.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

They should be fine. When I sold my Silkie breeding flock I combined everyone into one space. They all seemed to get along fine, even the two large fowl egg layers. 

It works out best if you got them all at the same time so they are a flock right from the beginning.

Warning though, Silkies are difficult to sex. If you get them as chicks you could end up with one or two males.


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## Overmountain1 (Jun 5, 2020)

Yep, they’ll do fine. They might stick with their own type primarily, but they do just fine, especially if as Robin mentioned they start out that way. 
Mine group themselves by feather color, first, but they’re good living together for the most part. I’m working the part that isn’t! New girls going out with them tomorrow, I wanted to give everyone a little time to settle in and learn where hiding spots are, learn to trust us humans some more since we just met, and they had a challenging ride home. (As did I. Oh my.... I should type all that trip up sometime- it was an exercise in extreme patience- and flexibility!)


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

Bob Settle said:


> Would two Silkies be ok with two Plymouth rocks,as I say I'm new to this (I have must things I need) but lacking the chickens , suggestions would be appreciated.


I have Rocks and Silkies and they get along okay.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

*If you are getting chicks then YES. With older birds there will be bullying behavior. It's still doable but you will need to watch and make sure the bullying (which is normal behavior for chickens) doesn't get to the point of birds being hurt. The bullying will become less once a pecking order is established. The easiest way to have a mixed breed flock is to get chicks all at once so they grow up together.*


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

*Now I have the wet ground-lots of it-with puddles galore. Happy are the ducks and the Yokohama. Me? I am not happy walking through mud and gunk.*


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## Poultry Judge (Jul 15, 2020)

danathome said:


> *Now I have the wet ground-lots of it-with puddles galore. Happy are the ducks and the Yokohama. Me? I am not happy walking through mud and gunk.*


I hate when the ducks make a bunch of new holes.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

Poultry Judge said:


> I hate when the ducks make a bunch of new holes.


*New holes are a pain, but for me it's when they dig holes by the drainage system and plug it up. Then everything is wet and mud. I never seem to remember to unplug BEFORE it rains.*


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

danathome said:


> *New holes are a pain, but for me it's when they dig holes by the drainage system and plug it up. Then everything is wet and mud. I never seem to remember to unplug BEFORE it rains.*


Don't feel bad. I've kicked myself more than once for putting something off and then forgetting all about it until it became a serious issue. Sometimes, just sometimes it's not the time for whatever reason or no reason other than not wanting to deal with it.


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## danathome (Sep 14, 2020)

robin416 said:


> Don't feel bad. I've kicked myself more than once for putting something off and then forgetting all about it until it became a serious issue. Sometimes, just sometimes it's not the time for whatever reason or no reason other than not wanting to deal with it.


*Yes indeed. I have gotten too good at putting things off.*


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