bad eggs Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 help! After all this rain our chicken run is like a bog. We have a tarpaulin over the run but when there is a very strong wind it comes off. We have chip bark in the run but where the girls like to dig around the edges it has now got very muddy and a bit smelly. Whats the best way to keep it dry? Any advice please Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theherd123 Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 You could get an Omlet winter shade or some people use a clear plastic shower curain so the girls still get the benefit of the light. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 We're muddy too, and I'm getting worried as damp=disease. We're thinking about buying a £20 gazebo today ( ) to put in our pen and cover the worst and put straw down on the swamp surrounding the muddy bark chipped area. Also want to buy a single paving slab to put under the extension where the dirty bit of the run is so that barkchips can be replaced and the area scrubbed down and disinfected. I've ordered some stalosan f (or this link for small tester)to put on the paving slabs and in the eglu after cleaning. It is a powder that mops up moisture and disinfects against a large number of organisms. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gallina Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 Don't put the gazebo up until at least 2 January! Terrible storms are forecast for tomorrow. It was pretty bad in Oxford yesterday, and the gazebo next door has blown over and buckled. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kannie Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 ...stalosan f (or this link for small tester)to put on the paving slabs and in the eglu after cleaning. It is a powder that mops up moisture and disinfects against a large number of organisms. Sounds great chocchick - will you let us know how it works? Our run is damp too, despite being covered with clear plastic. Think water must run in from the surrounding area, as its based on a concrete terrace. I turned over a small area of the damp and compacted layer of stuff this morning, and there was a distinctly fungal smell from some underlayer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 Don't put the gazebo up until at least 2 January! Terrible storms are forecast for tomorrow. It was pretty bad in Oxford yesterday, and the gazebo next door has blown over and buckled. Good advice, Gallina. The whole country is due bad weather and some cities (including Birmingham) according to the Saturday paper, are on the point of cancelling their New Year celebrations . I believe Liverpool have actually cancelled theirs (but if you were going, best check the city council website first!). It was incredibly windy and rainy here last night, I thought the roof was coming off at one point! It has started raining again now, and we are not expecting a change until at least Tuesday. In answer to the original post, I built a covered run. It appears to be the only way of keeping a decent area dry for the girls. Mine have been able to dustbath in the soil this morning, despite the overnight deluge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 You should have heard the scaffolding at the side of my house rattling last night. It was enough to waken the dead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlottechicken Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 Egluntine, one more post and you have reached your 1000th! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AnnieP Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 Yep: She's on "Nearly there".......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocchick Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 In answer to the original post, I built a covered run. It appears to be the only way of keeping a decent area dry for the girls. Mine have been able to dustbath in the soil this morning, despite the overnight deluge. OH refuses to build/buy one, would have been much better Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura & CTB Posted December 30, 2006 Share Posted December 30, 2006 I put down a second layer of paving slabs over the concrete base which seems to keep the water out, also have a clear tarp over the run held down with tent pegs ( drilled into the concrete). The girlies are still nice and dry even after all this wind and rain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clare* Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 The wind got under my winter shade and managed to swivel the eglu around. It was on the slabs. Make sure you pin it down. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chicken Licken Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 I shovelled out loads of soggy, pooey bark chippings this morning - the girls loved it and joined in too - a bit too close for comfort really. I was less happy with the whole thing, but it needed doing. I transferred the old chippings on to my allotment to improve the soil (add new weeds as all the chooks discarded grain and gubbins seems to germinate very well!). They got a new bag of dryish chippings spread over the worst areas of the run. The run is covered almost fully with the trusty Ikea showercurtain, but still gets soggy at the end. Is hemcore a better option? I have visions of sawdust and bark chippings - aaaagh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted December 31, 2006 Share Posted December 31, 2006 Charlottechicken wrote Egluntine, one more post and you have reached your 1000th! Ooh err! I hadn't spotted it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted January 2, 2007 Share Posted January 2, 2007 my eglu is surrounded by bark chippings (around the outside of run where we walk around it) but inside the run we have layers of HEMCORE which I regularly change and top up, it seems to stay pretty dry in the run as it soaks up better than bark chippings. Auboise is also pretty good at soaking up wet - we wouldnt use anything else. I have the winter and summer shade over the top of the run and a ray mears style camouflage tarpaulin held down with bricks to keep the wet at bay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 My run is completely dry - they have Aubiose/Hemcore on the ground and an Ikea shower curtain over the run, secured with elasticatd bungee hooks. It is quite tight so that it doesn't flap and catch the wind. Stalosan is excellent - I had a very interesting conversation with the legendary Terry Beebe of Regency Poultry about it the other day and he recommends it for disinfecting both the housing and the ground, he also said that it is excellent in cases of damp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
One Man Banned Posted January 3, 2007 Share Posted January 3, 2007 We put the laydees on to the patio area a few weeks ago to try and save the garden a little and I left the rather unsavoury task to Joe to clean the slabs over this week With all the mud that the girls tread about and spilt pellets and corn it really had gone quite nasty At least at the moment the Eglu is quite protected from the elements and they have the winter shade over the run so it is giving them some dry areas - but my girls are daft and wallow out to dustbathe in the mud anyway! A xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
treeman Posted January 5, 2007 Share Posted January 5, 2007 we`ve got the omlet winter shade cant reccomend it enough, use plenty of woodchip, ask you local tree surgeon, loads cheaper than the baggged rubbish full of creepy crawlies too my pair love. make sure its deep though mines a good 4inches. but then again i dont have to pay for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
