Mud Bath

Ex-Battery Rescue Info, Other hens needing homes & Hens wanted
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Logopolis
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Mud Bath

Post by Logopolis »

Hi Guys,

I keep my hens in one part of the garden (about 12ft by 6ft) with fencing to keep them & univited guests out..but with all the rain its like mud bath in there.

Did think about getting my 3 girls a canoe so they could paddle round!

I have dug the soil over to try and get rid of the slop...any ideas on what i can do to the soil?

I dont think it helps that the soil get trampled down by them scrating around all day and its fine in the dry months.

Just if you have any suggestions.

:)
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wendy
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Post by wendy »

Hiya.
Welcome to the forum.
I think we are all in the same boat [or canoe] with the weather we have been having lately.
We put down wood chipping [will be doing so this afternoon] it is very good. It does eventually get mushed down. But then I just put some more on. Straw goes awful when it gets wet. Make sure it is wood chippings, rather than bark. As the bark can get mildew on it and it can affect the girls ar sacs.
Wendy
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Richard
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Post by Richard »

Hello, nice to see you here.

The weather comes round I think is the answer. You can do as Wendy suggests.

But wherever you put them, after a couple of days, it's decimated !!

They'll be fine. The weather is natural to their ways and I don't think they mind the occasional splosh around!

I wonder if Chicken Ark comes from Noahs Ark ? !!
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littlefeat
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Post by littlefeat »

i layed slabs straight onto the soil leaving small gaps between( to help drainage) and covered this in wood chips, i then put clear plastic corrugated sheets on top, its kept it pretty dry, and they love scratching around in it.

littlefeat
at home with 1 dog, 2 rats, 3 rabbits, 6 fish, 4 cats, 8 chickens, 2 kids and 1 hubby
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fussymare
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Post by fussymare »

littlefeat wrote:i layed slabs straight onto the soil leaving small gaps between( to help drainage) and covered this in wood chips, i then put clear plastic corrugated sheets on top, its kept it pretty dry, and they love scratching around in it.

littlefeat


Sorry to be dim - did you put the plastic corrugated sheets directly on top of wood chips - or do you mean that you used the corrugated sheets as a sort of roof over the wood chip area? I am visualising chickens scrathing around on plastic corrugated sheets! :)
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melons
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Post by melons »

My girls have 1/2 their run covered in a tarp over the gazebo roof, patio slabs underneath leaving an area for a sand pit. This has worked for us, but I have to keep the poo out of the sand pit & keep it clean, otherwise it gets niffy :shock: & I'm such a Jessie I've got a door mat at the chicken run door way, to wipe any straw off my feet as I hate it all up the garden :razz: oh so posh )j;

Doesn't help with the mud when they have potato mashers for feet )c( )c(
Cheers
mel x
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littlefeat
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Post by littlefeat »

Sorry to be dim - did you put the plastic corrugated sheets directly on top of wood chips - or do you mean that you used the corrugated sheets as a sort of roof over the wood chip area? I am visualising chickens scrathing around on plastic corrugated sheets! :)[/quote]
:-D :-D :-D

sorry, yes i put it on the roof, my run is 5 foot high and six foot square so its made a nice shelter for them, they are only contained when ime not there or if the weather is very bad .

littlefeat
at home with 1 dog, 2 rats, 3 rabbits, 6 fish, 4 cats, 8 chickens, 2 kids and 1 hubby
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AnnaB
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Mud Bath

Post by AnnaB »

I've just ordered some of that garden screening stuff to hopefully act as a windbreak for the girls run. I didn't want to use tarpaulin as its not too pretty.
We have fields each side of the garden and the hedges are bare so they are getting the full force of the wind and its blowing their feathers away!
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littlefeat
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Post by littlefeat »

just thought of a good idea for wind breaks or covers for runs, clear cheap shower curtains, they are inexpensive and quite thick plastic, some have nice patters on, these could be used on top of a run still letting in light but keeping out the rain, they had some nice ones in home bargains clear with flowers on. they could be stapled on or make small holes and use cable ties or garden string to attach to the wire or wood, what do you think,

littlefeat
at home with 1 dog, 2 rats, 3 rabbits, 6 fish, 4 cats, 8 chickens, 2 kids and 1 hubby
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chucky egg
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Post by chucky egg »

Hi
Littlefeat. I tried a shower curtain for a roof which worked for a time. Then there was alot of rain and it built up. I accidentally touched and whhooosh!!! it all got through - like a tent. As for the sides - it ended up like a sail!!
You can get cheap pvc corrugated stuff for side and roof. Mine really do work well! They have hoels at the end so you can tie them on.
Giood luck.Oh and I tried wood chippings thanks to this site (free from the local farm) and it works a treat!
Chucky Egg
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