rain

[bazzysbarn]

Hi   fed up with this rain?     Chickens will be turning in to ducks!!! Has anyone got any ideas how to keep chicken pen dry? We cant put cover over the top as it isnt strong enough to hold much?  Thanks

[RobinOfTheHood]

I've just put a couple of large bags of shredded office paper in mine, I get loads of it from work. Seems to do the trick for maybe a week...

[bazzysbarn]

Tried that, they tend to eat it!  Have been been putting the fork over it, throwing straw around, have even put an old cane chair in there to try to keep them out the mud!

[ktlawson]

Can't do much for the run so it remains wet.  Just put another 1/2 bale of straw in the cree. 

[coznbob]

Have put a tarp. over ours weighed down with a few bricks. Is a bit makeshift and still getting wet, but they were wading at one point

Going to try and get down our feed place and get some easibed and put a bag of that in the run, should soak some of it up and if is a thick enough layer, it should last a few days before they scratch their way back to the mud.

[Norfolk n Proud]

I really sympathise with you all Re:- Rain. Me and the wife have just spent 6 hours rebuilding an extension to the hens run, complete with corrugated metal roofing to keep the hens dryer, it resembled something akin to a swamp until today, so fingers crossed it works!! 

[bazzysbarn]

Had a dry day at last but couldnt go to lottie so hopefully go tomorrow and try to make a better cover for them! Looks like it could be dry for a few days!

[james1]

Someone suggested laying a couple of pallets flat on the floor.
In a post not too similar to this. I can`t remember who but i thought it a good idea at the time........

[bazzysbarn]

Have now got a party size gazebo someone kindly gave me. Just got to sort out how to adapt it to cover the run!

[Old bird]

I made a very robust and cheap dry area which works a treat.

I bought 3 bales of straw - covered with corrugated plastic atout 13ft long - leld down with a pallet and a gate - hey presto!

I took said  cover off this weekend and they are now enjoying bouncing from one straw bale to the next!!  They really do enjoy something different.

I put their corn on the top so they have to scratch around in the straw to get it and fairly soon the bales will break up and I will then either spread it - although at the moment it is dry - or use it as a mulch on the garden and buy another 3 bales which at £1.50 each is a bit of a bargain.

My sister in sussex pays £8 per bale!

Old Bird