[honeysuckle farm]

Hi

Sorry I've not been back as often as I should.  After a bit of advice which is probably a bit late now Spring is on its way.

Does any one have any good ideas in all this wet weather for preventing the chicken run becoming a mud bath.  I was thinking fo putting down some sand, but don't know if that would work.  I also thought of bark chips, but didn't want to hurt my girls feet, I've read nasty stories about splinters etc.

To be honest so far I have just put my wellies on and waded through the mud and got on with it, the girls don't seem to mind.  If any one has any good ideas though I'd love to hear them.

Steve

[kimT]

The best idea is to put a roof on or in wet weather put a Tarpaulin on top.

It's a nightmare I know but having a roof on the run is the best thing we have done.

Good luck

[trinacooke]

I have put bark chips down - they work ok for me I only have 4 chickens though!  

Trina

[poultrygeist]

If you can get softwood bark chippings (B&Q, WIckes,etc) or bulk, they should be ok. They soon get trodden itno the mud and become part of the whole mess.
If you use sand, I think it would just stick to your boots and make messier footprints !

But as KimT says, a roof would be your best friend. Our run still gets muddy but no puddles and it soon dries up.

Straw will help as well if you can scatter a load around. But does get soggy and messy in a short time.

Rob

[pushrod]

Keeping stock levels low is probably one of the key points if their outside run is too large to be covered. I am considering making a rough shingle path to the hen house ( behind the electric fence) so that i do not have to walk/slip/slide through  the mud . I think my own daily trek to their house has contributed to the mess as other parts of their run is ok.

[poppies]

I am considering making a rough shingle path to the hen house ( behind the electric fence) so that i do not have to walk/slip/slide through  the mud . I think my own daily trek to their house has contributed to the mess as other parts of their run is ok.

This is what we found it was us making it muddy although the hens have worn off the grass , so what we have done is rolled a bale of straw out to make a path , we have too  big an area to cover all over but we have put a roof - a couple of sheets of ply over one part so they can get out of the weather without having to go inside.

[andreadon]

we've got plastic sheeting as a roof.
We bought a huge roll (25mtrs long by 4mtrs wide) from travis perkins for a very small amount of money.
Our roof is 9 feet long and 8 feet wide (i think) and we used 3 layers.

(I also use it as a makeshift mini greenhouse for my tomatoes!)
 

[karlooben]

i would love to build a roof over my run but seeing its 10 m by 6 m  thats going to be very very expensive unless i suddenly find a whole load of 8 foot pvc sheets on the side of the road somewhere   .

i do find it very weird though as before i had the girls the bit of ground on the allotment where they are, was once a miniature nature area an i covered it all with membrane an loads of woodchip that i can get very cheap in truck loads , an the ground was never wet an gross like it is now . but at the mo the poor girls are swimming an its driving me totally mental , so i am now considering laying down tons of chips but i dont know if thats a brillant idea or not .

as for putting straw down DONT  i did that an it really messes the ground up and also as it rots it really really stinks and it is pure hell to get up if u want to clean the run at all.

what i do try an do as a friend  suggeated is to dig it over slightly were u get loads of puddles the water goes away quicker

[coopready]

hi it doesent have to be expensive go on ebay seriously on the camping and caravan bit  i got 2 sheets 10 metres by 8 metres and only cost  12 pound  which covered both my runs of 8x6  my advice have a good look round regards  

[karlooben]

i can get tarpaulins very cheap though my works , but its just the size of the run i have that  makes it differcult to fit anything up .