Soggy Run

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Kristi Tatebe on November 2, 2012 at 12:30pm

I used sand in my run. I just pick out the poops every couple days so it doesn't get too messy.

Got it at a little place across the road from Rona on Grandview Hwy - can't remember the name, sorry! The price was competitive though, and they delivered. They also have topsoil, aggregate etc.

Permalink Reply by Geoff Fox on November 2, 2012 at 12:35pm

Try Groundworks Supply at 2806 Grandview Highway Vancouver, BC V5M 2C9
Tel: 604-322-6790 email: [email protected] I wouldn't go with wood chips if there is OSB etc in it.

Permalink Reply by Alyssa K on November 2, 2012 at 1:20pm

Awesome. Road base is the cheapest (mix of sand and gravel, which the article I read said would be fine) at $40/yard. I only need about half a yard, and delivery is $55-$65. Does anyone else need any and would want to get more and maximize the delivery charge? Let me know ASAP - I may order tomorrow for tomorrow afternoon delivery.

Thanks!!

Permalink Reply by Dane Chauvel on November 2, 2012 at 3:01pm

Living in Vancouver, most of us suffer from the same soggy (and, if you're not careful, smelly) chicken coop issues. I put gravel down, then put landscape mat on top of that, and then a mesh (either chicken wire or plastic mesh on top of that so that the chickens don't tear up the landscape mat and the gravel. Finally, I spread white pine shavings that you can buy by the bale at any feed store (like Roddick's in Ladner) which provides a nice, clean and bright environment for the girls. While I'll clean things up a little bit every week or two, about every six months I clean out and replace all the shavings (which is made easier by having the landscape mat as a base). You don't have to worry about the birds eating the shavings but it is a good idea to put some dirt in a section of your chicken pen which they can dust bathe and scratch in.

Permalink Reply by stephanie st loe on November 2, 2012 at 5:23pm

I got mine from Groundworks on Grandview. I paid about $130? For 2 cubic yards delivered. I think the delivery was most of the cost. Bagged sand is available at Homedepot or Rona but is super expensvie compare to bulk. I chose construction sand-not river sand. Construction sand is sharp grains with little gravelly bits-good for chicken crops. You want to get your run a couple of incehs higher than the surrounding ground. Check out if this is really the problem-you might be soggy because the roof of your run doesn't have enough of an overhang -rain falls at an angle, not straight down. Sand/gravel will still help the rain that might be landing inside your run drain away faster. You could chuck some plywood or old doors on top of the roof for a quick fix if this is part of the problem. If paying for or fetching a big load of sand is not convenient just now you could also try digging a trench around the outside of the run and a drainage trench to somewhere down hill of it, but be careful you don't go too close to the run fence and make it too easy for racoons to tunnel in or chickens to burrow out.

Permalink Reply by stephanie st loe on November 2, 2012 at 5:35pm

I found that the plain old construction sand was great for the run. They like to dust bathr in it and it dries out the poo in seconds-very low odor. I like the idea of a bit of garden soil too-they like to dig for worms in it. I don't like the soil to get mixed in with the sand so I have some big flower pots full of soil that I plant with chicken scratch, let sprout and grow into grass then put in their run. I rotate and replant them every few days. Cleaning the sand is soooo easy. I have a big plastic container that's sort of mesh and just rake up the top layer and dump it through and give it a shake. The poo, rejected snakcs and scraps and little stones go into the bottom of my planter box-drainage, heat production and nitrogen. I find cleaning the shavings inside my coop much more time consuming as I pick through with a kitty litter scoop. I do both once a week and it doesn't get too bad, but I have a fairly large run for 4 hens.

Permalink Reply by Alyssa K on November 3, 2012 at 10:13am

Wow, neat idea! I have some oats and some peas specifically meant for sprouting for chickens if you want to give them a try. As an added bonus, the peas are quite pretty.

Given the pouring rain today, and the (so far) relative success of my sawdust/straw fix last night, I think I'm holding off on the gravel delivery for today.

Permalink Reply by stephanie st loe on November 4, 2012 at 12:14pm

Yesterday I had to tweak my rainproofing some more. The drain point from the roof was richochetting into the run. I stuck a bucket tilted away from the run under it-no more richochette. You might keep an eye on the bottom layer of the straw for mold-could give them respiratory problems. It will make fabulous compost when its ready to be chucked out though.

Permalink Reply by Alyssa K on November 9, 2012 at 11:58am

Bad news. My landlord found out I was going to put gravel in the run and said NO. (He loves to say no).

Guess I will just have to scoop out the wet straw every weekend?? Basically I'm just digging a big hole though if I keep doing that.

Permalink Reply by stephanie st loe on November 9, 2012 at 3:49pm

I guess you just keep replacing it? Lots of work. Big piles of straw. Do you have room to compost it? GRavel would be best, but higher ground will also work. Can you just build up the floor with more garden soil? Down side is it would keep the bottom of your wire mesh or wood wetter than gravel and you'd want to keep an eye on it for rust/rot. You might try a drainage trench-envision a moat. Put the stuff you dig out of the moat inside to build up? It's cool that as a tenant you managed to get the landlord to say yes to the chickens at all though. Maybe if you offerred to add a clause to your rental agreement that you would be resposible for replacing that area with turf if you left he would be OK with it? Good luck.

Permalink Reply by Alyssa K on November 10, 2012 at 5:58pm

Clearly I've already agreed to: remove the coop, replant the grass, remove any other structures, etc. The landlord was having a rough day and I got screwed. (Incidentally, I didn't ask the landlord directly if I could use gravel in the coop, I asked the maintenance man if I could borrow a wheelbarrow... go figure). So... back to straw - it just smelled bad when I scooped out the lower layers last time - I doubt anyone else could smell it - it was only when I manually picked it up to transport to the compost pile. Sigh, anyway. Thank god for this dry week, and lest anyone get excited about renting with chickens, my landlord said 'he wouldn't do it again'.

Ditches/moats are out of the question - he's less likely to notice the gravel layer - which has been quashed. May try this again after a couple weeks

Happy Long Weekend,,

A