The Poultry Keeper

Teasal · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 12:51 pm Post subject: Mud, mud glorious mud!!

after the torrential rain all day yesterday, the area outside my hen sheds is deep gooey mud. The hens are free range, but obviously with 40 of them trooping in and out, it will get muddy. Plus they are carrying the mud inside, so its nearly as bad in there as out!!

This morning, I have cleaned all the sheds out, but not much I can do outside about the mud. There is the additonal problem, that the hens are getting in the nest box, and then the eggs are covered in mud too. I know people do not mind a bit of dirt on a free range egg, makes it look the real thing, but this mud is a bit much!!

Perhaps little green wellies are in order? Its the same weather as this time last year ....still to do the haymaking, old horse is wearing her winter rug as she is so cold with all the rain, and the local agricultural show I had entered this weekend has been cancelled because of the wet field ......a typical British summer.

Just wondered, those of you with hens in a run - how on earth do you cope in this wet weather? I have the 12 new girls in a run away from the other hens, at the moment. I have moved their large run twice since Monday. Its a complete mud bath in there - but they seem to enjoy having a "dust bath" in it, and digging for worms, so obviously they are not bothered!!

Diane · Joined: 05 Feb 2006 Posts: 274 Location: Dorset

I've had to put paving slabs down in my run and I've put a covered roof on it.

How about putting some wooden pallets down in front of the henhouse so they have to walk across them to get to the nestboxes. It may help to collect some of the mud as they negotiate their way in.

I suppose a couple of door mats on top of the pallets would be taking this a tad too far Rolling Eyes

but, hey, if it works?

Muddiwarx · Joined: 01 Apr 2008 Posts: 101 Location: Nr Manchester, UK

Maybe wellies made for dolls will fit?

http://www.dollclothesstore.com/DOLL_SHOES/Rain_Boots.htm

Teasal · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:49 pm Post subject:

Door mats and wellies? I will be laughed out of the farming community LOL!! I have alot of old paving slabs down the field, intending to do that as a winter job, but looks like we may have to bring it forward. I will have to get a new pair of wellies, mine are feeling suspiciously like they are leaking ...ugh.

debcat · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 1:56 pm Post subject:

In the winter I have paving slabs as well as putting straw down outside to soak some of it up
cleaning the houses out is a nightmare, it's impossible to keep them clean

Gilly C · Joined: 22 Jun 2006 Posts: 2623 Location: South Cumbria

my run is rooved with bark on the floor

don't know why I said Bark I meant woodchip Embarassed

having a blonde moment we go to the local woodyard with a trailer and have to load our own but at a fraction of the ready bagged price

Chuckie Chick · Joined: 01 Aug 2008 Posts: 47

I've heard that putting bark down isn't good, as it molds and causes fungus spores that can harm the chucks.

tracey061196 · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:34 pm Post subject:

I agree about this weather - its AWFUL.

But there is nothing we people can do about it.

My hens DID have a really nice run (about 40ft x 30ft ish) which they stayed in when i was away from the house (not liking the thought of foxey loxey) and then when i returned home they could roam anywhere. The run had nice green grass and now its horrid brown muck.

My chooks really do not like this weather, eggs are few, house needs cleaning out more than normal, the food bowls get all wet.

I had a chook with a bad eye the other day so i brought her into an out building to tend to it, while cleaning it noticed that there was mud particles in it. When thinking about it if they get an itch all they really have to scratch it is their dirty muddy feet.

robgodfrey · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:48 pm Post subject:

Elly · Joined: 18 Apr 2008 Posts: 335 Location: Norfolk

Mychickens have a large, covered run off their coop which has slabs and hemicore on the floor, which stays dry. Their free run is a mass of trees/bushes and despite the heavy rain seems to stay fairly dry Confused

Our guinea pig run is another matter and they hate getting wet Rolling Eyes

Just watching another downpour now; wonderful Cool

Keep smilin
Elly

Teasal · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 3:52 pm Post subject:

We have not had any rain today, thank goodness. Although it keeps looking very doubtful, and you can never tell from one minute to the next.

tracey061196 · Posted: Wed Aug 13, 2008 4:06 pm Post subject:

Hay Teasal

You are more than welcome to have some of our rain, had inches of it today, its ok its free.

jessjess · Joined: 28 May 2008 Posts: 218 Location: Derbyshire

We have spent the day trying to look at ways to cover some of our run.... as the house while big enough for the birds is a little small to spend all day in.

Autumn · Joined: 27 Jun 2008 Posts: 486 Location: Suffolk

We have a tarpaulin over most of ours which is brilliant and we got two in Aldis last year for about £10! I'm sure you can find them in places like Argos or Millets or focus maybe. Ours are freerange but do retreat when it's really blowy and wet as it is today.

debbieduck · Joined: 04 Aug 2008 Posts: 51 Location: South Yorkshire

we have the girls in a run attatched to their coop - the floor is covered in bark chips and I have erected a tarp on guy ropes over the top, but the water just collects beside the run and now I have to look for some decking squares to stop me from sinking. My garden never dryed out from the floods in Sheffield last year and as soon as it rains we are standing in water again.

I really need to think about what to do come winter tho, the girls cant stay in their coop all winter.