under foot

[walldanzig]

Because the weather is so bad now in sunny sheffield everytime I put the chickens somewhere new(they are in a run) the ground turns to sludge within a week. I was thinking of putting bark chipings down but worry the same would happen does anyone have any suggestions

[RichmondHens]

Are your runs big enough to take a few branches, so they can perch off the ground? Failing that, a layer of straw where the water can drain through a bit is probably your best option, but you will have to change it pretty frequently.

[Bramble-Poultry]

personally not a fan of bark chip - it is a great substrate for fungus! We straw the runs, changing it everyweek, we have also put polycarbonate sheet on some of the worst runs just because it has gotten so bad in places. The plastic has worked really well, we trialed it on the turkeys and they are still mud free where everyone else is wading!! so now the plan over the next few weeks is to roll it out on all the pens. so with rooves and straw we are hoping not to be so bad!

[walldanzig]

the perch sounds a good idea and straw as well thanks guys appreciate that

[bluemoon]

Mud? In Sheffield? I find that hard to believe.

Actually when we cleaned out our houses yesterday you wouldn't believe the accumulation of mud on the perches. I like Bramble's idea of a polycarbonate roof, I'm also going to build a 'patio' in the area immediately in front of the pop-hole in the hope that most of it is left outside. As for straw, we have three runs and they are all huge so I'd need loads. Would I be able to get it from the horsey place where I buy the Hemcore, do you think? We buy small packs of it for our rabbit, but it would work out ridiculously expensive at pet-shop prices. I'd need it by the bale.

[Scottishnewbie]

I pay £20 for one of those h-u-g-e bales of straw - but then i use it for 5 horses. you can buy smaller square bales - usually about £3 & i think that would last you for ages - easy to put in the boot of the car too

[Suechooks]

Mud? In Sheffield? I find that hard to believe.

Actually when we cleaned out our houses yesterday you wouldn't believe the accumulation of mud on the perches. I like Bramble's idea of a polycarbonate roof, I'm also going to build a 'patio' in the area immediately in front of the pop-hole in the hope that most of it is left outside. As for straw, we have three runs and they are all huge so I'd need loads. Would I be able to get it from the horsey place where I buy the Hemcore, do you think? We buy small packs of it for our rabbit, but it would work out ridiculously expensive at pet-shop prices. I'd need it by the bale.

Bluemoon - Try and find a farmer who'll sell you some straw. Our feed place sells it at an exorbitant price - about £3.50 a bale. I pay a local farm £1.25 or maybe £1.50 a bale. I use it in winter in the runs. The rest of the year I have the pallet tops covered with tree surgeon chippings which I can rake over nightly and compost when they start to rot. I also have a patio area around the popholes and a roof over that area which gives them shelter.

[Snadger]

If you can get a hold of an old pallet put that in the run.............at least it will get them off the bottom!

[Hilary B]

The most important thing is... can any rain get AWAY, or is the run in a hole that rain turns into a puddle? Sort that one out FIRST or all the others will be of limited use! That is where the use of old pallets comes in.
What sort of soil do you have? Clay will be tricky, sandy soil will be easy to 'cure'.
As with so many things, the 'foundations' are important, and being incomspicuous, liable to be forgotten.

[walldanzig]

The house is off the ground with a ramp leading up to it( The T Peers one) I just feel a bit sorry for them trenching around in the dirt

[RichmondHens]

I feel sorry for you guys having had so much rubbish weather. We have had a pretty good summer here, and the irrigators are still out. The grass was starting to die back until a couple of days ago, when we got rain for the first time in weeks. The only thing is the trees are all losing their leaves early, and my big layers run which is in an orchard area is turning into a sea of leaves from the trees, and feathers from the moulting birds.

[Bramble-Poultry]

Ditto what sue says - we get our straw from a local farm at £1 a bale - buy it from a horsey place and beacuse it has the word equestrian in front of it you instantly tripple the price!!

Pallet is a good idea snadger - look at getting soem of those!!

Richmond - our weather has been no worse than yours as a matter of fact many a time our weather has been soo much nicer than yours and vica versa - trouble is the soil type under foot, yours is a very light soil, free draining etc so takes a heck of a lot of water to become water logged - ours is heavy so 1 short afternoon of rain and we are flooded and boggy, in the areas where we have improved drainage then its a lot better.

[Polly Fouracre]

I would use pallets too, if they get too muddy you can take them out and hose them down. Also straw or old hay bales but kept whole, the hens will still scratch them about and this way they last for ages.