4m x 3m Omlet pen, cube, new auto door still boxed and coop light

[beckyfitz]

With this horrible weather, I just can't keep the run dry, We have an extension & both winter & summer shade, but heavy winds etc means the rain get sin anyhow, The girls seem to be walking in mud all the time, I've been letting them free range in the rain just to get their feet out of the mud. Their Eglu is as clean as it can be & they can get in it out of the rain, but I'm worried about their little feet -- do chickens get trench foot??

[Tulip]

Hey Becky,

 

A lot of people recommend a clear shower curtain over the run to give the girls some dry space - I think Ikea do them fairly cheap - held down with bungee cords.

 

Do you have anything down in the run for them or is it just on bare earth? Might be worth getting a bag or two of softwood chips from BnQ if you can, to try and give them a bit of protection

 

I swear by Hemcore, but you need a good cover to keep it as dry as possible.

 

Hope this helps!

T x

[Ain't Nobody Here]

This is my setup and it works really well. It gets slightly damp at the door end but not much. When I clear out the run every 6-8 weeks, I sprinkle down powdered garden lime and lots of Stalosan F which helps to dry things out. I then put a thick layer of Hemcore or Easibed down. It's very wet and windy here but the run stays almost completely dry .

 

[atsw]

We do a very similar thing for our girls. The photo below shows how it is from the 'inside' in early spring, the light reduction is minimal.

 

 

During the winter we move the run to the vegetable patch, and put a mixture of large and small bark chippings down to stop mud from building or the soil compacting. Works well, the chooks stay clean and dry and the veg beds get a good does of chicken manure over the winter.

 

The corrugated sheets came from Wickes. Two sheets give excellent coverage.

 

Andrew

[poachedegg]

This is my setup and it works really well. It gets slightly damp at the door end but not much. When I clear out the run every 6-8 weeks, I sprinkle down powdered garden lime and lots of Stalosan F which helps to dry things out. I then put a thick layer of Hemcore or Easibed down. It's very wet and windy here but the run stays almost completely dry .

 

 

Nice photo ANH - is it a new one!!!!!!?

[Ain't Nobody Here]

[Hen Watch]

Hi Becky,

 

I've got an eglu and my garden sits on clay so in winter is a quagmire. Last winter the chooks paddled in mud like yours. This winter I've put the eglu on the patio and then fenced of an area of lawn for them to free range in. My patio doesn't get waterlogged so their feet stay dry. So in spring when they are back on the grass I will just power wash my patio. The slabs are covered with Auboise bedding for them to poop on and scratch over.

 

Last year I had copious shower curtains held down by bungee cords over the run which did help keep it dry. This winter I have "upgraded" after being inspired by ANH's picture of corruated plastic (I bought 3 sheets for £6 each, held down with bungee cords and used the free Omlet shade at the eglu door end).