Keeping the run dry -ish

[Jenniwrenny]

Hi chook people 😊

I am hoping to learn from your experience.
I am a newbie to keeping chickens and need some advice about my run.
We have bought a commercial hen house and converted a polytunnel with wire and a wooden framed door. I am very away my neighbours aren't a long way away and am very concerned about the smell from a wet soggy run.
We have clay soil and the floor is covered in builders sand, fairly deep layer.

Any ideas on how to keep the run protected from the elements? From what I have read the main smell comes from a wet run.

Many thanks
Jen x

[Snadger]

If the run was originally a polytunnel, could you not reinstate part of it as a polytunnel to keep that part dry?

[roitelet]

Dig it up now and again. The smell comes from water lying on compacted soil. Never have a problem with mine.

[burnie]

Welcome Jenni, not a chook keeper myself, but it helps if we know what part of the world you are in if you need advice re any gardening problems.

[Jenniwrenny]

Thank you. I'm in Somerset.
The poly uinnel
Came with a cover but it is rubbish. I ended up buying a tarp which is covering most of it.
What do you think? (I think I have uploaded a pic!)

[Scarlet]

Nope...no pic.

How many chickens have you got and how big an area are you giving them?
I've never found my run to be smelly. just made sure it was cleaned out, clean woodchips put in thickly if it's rained heavily, no feed scattered etc.

[Snoop Puss]

Give your neighbours a few eggs every now and then! Does wonders for encouraging people not to complain.

More seriously, can you dig some drainage channels so that standing water runs out and away?

[veggiechicken]

Hi and welcome. Its the poo that makes a run smelly, as long as you keep cleaning it out, it should be fine. I use woodchip in the run which may be a bit more absorbent than sand, I don't know.
Its good to have a covered area, for the chickens and for your own comfort when you go in the run.............ah, just realised, you may not have a walk in run.
Need you to come back and tell us more.
If you're posting images from your phone this may help http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...oid_94344.html

[Stan79]

Definitely a cover to keep it dry... and as said before, dig it up and replace with wood chip or sand...

[Jenniwrenny]

Hi all. Thank you so much for your replies.
I have put a deep layer of builders sand on the floor.
We got 5 brown hens in a 2 meter by 4 meter run.
So far so good!
Thank you for your instructions for the photos, I am on an iPhone would that make a difference?

Jenni x