welovemarmite Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 With all the rain and then the melted snow the chickens half of the garden is a mess. or rather a bog. They live in an aviary, but they also have half a garden to freerange in when we let them out. Its horrid. Am thinking of getting a load of chipped bark to put down on there to try and make it a little bit more pleasant. How is everyone else coping? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 Hmmm, same here...well the girls wir is a sodden slippery slimy mess. Going to get onto the roofing project of the wir sooner than expected. Is polycarbonate the best thing to use for a roof? (We have an avaries 4 u run) then planning on digging out old sludge and replacing it with new wood chips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 we have avaries 4 u too. we have a roof that came with it, but where the snow was windswept in then it was horrid in there. thats been cleaned out and just leaves the outside mess now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
clucker1 Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 OOOerrr, what is your roof made of WLM. Any pics or tips? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 29, 2013 Author Share Posted January 29, 2013 its corrugated plastic. i cant do pics as i have forgotten all the passwords and website addresses for the places i have to go to post up photos. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted January 29, 2013 Share Posted January 29, 2013 I'm afraid nothing will help much - I wouldn't let them free-range when it's wet! I'm hard-hearted, I know, but the only thing that will improve it at all is keeping the chickens off it for a while. They do much more damage when the ground is wet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 i'm keeping them off it anyway, but its still horrid. the prospect of more rain to come looks like it will never get any better. Its been like this for a long time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Mine are all banished to the soggy run to try and give my garden a break, Little Annie was looking very sorry for herself through the mesh wire fence I spent ages putting woodchip down and now it ressembles a mud wrestlers dream lets hope we get some dry weather soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 OOOerrr, what is your roof made of WLM. Any pics or tips? I've got a corrugated plastic roof - you can see it in the link in my signature . (It doesn't look nearly as nice now ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 yes thats the type of roof i have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miller30 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I have 60 birds and put down 6 ton of chippings before christmas and its knackered and some of the pens are roofed leanne. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 30, 2013 Author Share Posted January 30, 2013 so is the verdict dont bother putting woodchip int eh garden? Not worried so much about the run. not worried about the grass coming back either, ust the mud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grandmashazzie Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 We also have corrugated plastic roof,plus tarpaulin over roof and down one side,but that hasn't stopped the rain and snow blowing in and making a mudpit of the floor.OH spent weekend digging out sludge and putting down new chippings,hopefully it will last and weather will dry up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HennyPenny59 Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 I've fallen on my backside twice this week in their run Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Am thinking of getting a load of chipped bark to put down on there to try and make it a little bit more pleasant. I think / feel sure I read somewhere (but could be wrong) that wood chips is supposed to be better than bark because the latter gets fungus and the spores could be harmflul to your chickens. Either way I do know that we have bark chippings on a path outside our chicken area and they are one horrid soggy mess from the dogs' paws. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandyhas3chucks Posted January 30, 2013 Share Posted January 30, 2013 Over my omlet WIR I have a like gazebo corrugated cover sort of mini car port. I have it covered on all sides with clear tarp, and my girls flooring is pretty much lovely and dry, just a few places where I have got corrugated plastic up the sides and there are a few gaps where the rain can get in makes a few damp patches... it is also rather lively in there if we get any sun... The other WIR is under a car port by the house and has some pretty wet patches wher I have leaks tat I have been unable to get anyone to fix yet.. I do let my mobs out in the garden but after the snow have reduced this to about 2 hours a day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charly1979 Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Ive had a break out ! 6 Naughty girls roaming in the garden Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chortle Chook Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 Ive had a break out ! 6 Naughty girls roaming in the garden They must have been watching 'Chicken run' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 We have hard wood chips down in our chicken area. I did put 10 bags of the stuff down, and it wasn't cheap, but this lot has been down since last September, is uncovered (the birds are behind an electric fence so no chance of covering it) and is still OK in there. Even our cochin, with her big fluffy feet, seems to cope ok, and I've not slipped in there yet! We've done this for several years and, although this year I might have to top up the wood chips sooner than usual, I'm still happy with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welovemarmite Posted January 31, 2013 Author Share Posted January 31, 2013 so this is wood chip rather than bark chip.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minnie&Moose Posted January 31, 2013 Share Posted January 31, 2013 so this is wood chip rather than bark chip.. yes - we've used hard wood chips - they're not cheap but they seem to last for a longer time than the softwood ones, which seemed to go mushy after a while. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mimi5 Posted February 1, 2013 Share Posted February 1, 2013 Hi there! I have a cube with 3 metre run and had been enjoying trundelling it around the garden..........till the rain and then more rain!! So in the end to prevent my lawn from becoming a mud bath, I sited the cube&run and filled it with hard wood chip (pine) It has been great!!!! I got 4 80 ltr bags and could have done with another really (just got one the other day....but haven't had time to add it yet!! ) Cost, approx £45. The run is completely covered (with a varrying array of omlet covers and assorted others!!! ) But I have to say it has been great, especially with the snow and the pekins feet have been totally dry!!! Just add a good sprinkle of ground sanitiser once a week and turn it over. So pleased going to leave it set up like this and just let the gang out to FR Probably going to do the same with the classic......just letting the little ones nibble up the grass first!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
