[Liz M]

I have now got to grips with my hens................... well I thought I had!! The rain is so bad here at the minute that the pen approx 10m sq is a mud bath.  Can someone tell me what they would do? I have been keeping the hens in the small pen under cover, but they are going stir crazy and just want to dig in the mud all the time.  Is this bad for them?
It's not my week for hens.  Wednesday evening my other half walked past the pen with a very large umbrella and one jumped a 6ft fence into the field next door.... imagine this ... rain coming down so hard the mud was splashing in my face. One very happy hen wandering across a field full of cows digging and scratching, but keeping me at a distance..... I was out there over an hour, until I got clever and got out a tin of sweetcorn and mad a little trail all the way back through the cows and then pounced!!!  I never wanted to clip their wings as I like the to feel free.  Yep that was last week. Wings all clipped.
Right where was I, oh yes, is mud OK for the hens?

[Mammyshaz]

  MUD! There's nothing worse than seeing them clagged with mud up to the feathers 
We tried wood chips last year but as soon as the heavy rain started the chips just ended up being dug into to mud by the chooks.
Now we have put a cover over appx 2m of run with their dustbath area and a long perch branch so they can at least choose to stay dry in the day without resorting to their house. They seem very happy with it and often settle on the branch.

[Liz M]

Yes I tried the bark... big mistake, just seemed to make the mud deeper.  We are thinking of putting a cover on part of the pen, but even though they can already shelter a little, they just want to dig the whole place up........... oh well, lets hope there is some dry weather to come, unfortunately as I live in Ireland I'll have to cross everything

[little blue]

and some of them seem to seek it out!
we've set our pens on slabs so they can be hosed out (that's my next job - I'm procrastinating til the rain eases off abit!)
even with covers, the mud finds a way...

[darkbrowneggs]

Has anyone used the hardwood chippings in the outdoor runs?

[Mammyshaz]

It was the hardwood we used. The hens still enjoyed just burying them in the mud 

[Bionic]

Our run is only small but there is a cover over all of it. They can choose to be under cover or go free range. Most of the time they seem to be outside, although they are looking pretty mucky, preferring instead to shelter under the bushes.
Sally

[Fowlman]

If you put down a layer of sharp sand it helps with drainage. You need about 3-4 inches but it works.

[darkbrowneggs]

It was the hardwood we used. The hens still enjoyed just burying them in the mud 

I was considering using the hardwood chips, but afte what you say am not so sure.  Do you think if some of that black woven weed supressor type stuff would have made a difference if it was put over the earth and under the chips?

[darkbrowneggs]

If you put down a layer of sharp sand it helps with drainage. You need about 3-4 inches but it works.

My runs are wet heavy clay, and the field slopes in the wrong direction.  How does your soil/situation compare, and does the sand ever need to be dug out and replaced?

[Fowlman]

If you put down a layer of sharp sand it helps with drainage. You need about 3-4 inches but it works.

My runs are wet heavy clay, and the field slopes in the wrong direction.  How does your soil/situation compare, and does the sand ever need to be dug out and replaced?

Luckily i'm on chalk so dont need it. When i have had pens on clay the sharp sand works great, just top up once or twice a year. No need to replace. If you put down lime first then sand even better.

[jaykay]

I'd put a thick layer of sand down and then concrete slabs for your hen house and a big 'patio' outside it. Then you've got dry ground to walk on attending to the house and putting down feeders etc. and the chooks have got the choice of dry or muddy feet.

This was my system on clay, when I had chooks in a run and it seemed to be ok.