Chicken pen floor!

[Evie91]

Suggestions needed please.
I have four hens and one cockerel. They live in a secure pen, with converted wooden Wendy house as a coop.
They used to free range in the garden each day but after a problem with a wily fox they are now restricted to the pen.
I've put a dog crate in there for extra shelter, filled with straw (covered roof), couple of dustbins on the side and two old hutches so they have some where outside to shelter from the rain but still be out in the fresh air.

The problem is the floor - it was grass but is now mud. Tried to put wood chips on top, so now have muddy puddles. Tried half pen covered in straw - ends up as a stinky mush.
I have shavings in the covered area, the rain has blown in and now this is a wet mess! I thought this area would be good as they used to like going in to the stables and 'bathing' in the shavings. I'm worried now as they have nowhere to 'bath' since the shavings are soggy.
I could really do with some ideas for a suitable floor - can't bear to see them paddling in mud!
Also the whole thing looks a mess - I'd really appreciate any ideas for a make over!

 

[chillipup]

Is it not possible to move the wendy house and pen to an area on fresh grass? and keep moving it around as people with rabbits do.

 

[Evie91]

No it's a massive thing - with a big door and porch. The area has a wall around three sides of the pen and 10ft fencing at the front (dug under) to keep out the fox so not possible to move.
Thanks for the suggestion though

 

[teacups]

I've found that sharp sand works well for a while. I get a bag from Wickes or builders's yard (you might want more if your coop floor is larger) , tip it out onto the muddy bits and it means they are not standing on mud.
It's cheap and doesn't become a rotting stinking mess like woodchip, straw, etc. Won't last forever as the mud comes to the top again after a while, but even if it sinks down it is still improving drainage overall.

 

[chillipup]

Just during winter, would it be possible to put a tarpauling type cover over the entire top of the pen area (tied down) and perhaps a clear plastic cover over the sides of the pen area, this would then stop wind and rain blowing through so you wouldn't get such a mush either straw or shavings

Or how about considering rubber grass mats as a floor base but I'm not sure if chickens would like to walk on it/difficult on their feet. However, even then, if you put straw or shavings on top, without some sort of wind or rain proofing, the shavings would still be turning to mush.

 

[Evie91]

Great thank you - will try the sand

 

[Evie91]

Sorry Chilipup missed your reply. I have covered where I can. I have some rubber mats down but they seem to avoid them!

 

[dollyanna]

I am having this exact dilemma at the moment, mine still free range usually but the recent weather has been unreal and being Polands they are a little more vulnerable to getting soaked and then cold but they don't have the sense to stay under cover themselves so they get shut in on the awful days we've been having.

It finally calmed down weatherwise enough yesterday for me to lay a couple of slabs on top of the mud (had some lying around) to cover the walkway into the pen, and then I covered a little area in front of the house with a tarpaulin, filled it with their straw bedding and hid a load of mealworms in it. The plan when I have a bigger window of not raining and blowing a hooley is to cover the whole pen in slabs, put boards up round the edges and then cover it all with sand. Then they can scratch around, won't get muddy (which isn't great for their fluffy heads), the sand will stay in the pen and not get mixed in or knocked outside, I can hide goodies on the floor for them and they can stay clean and relatively dry.

The tarp is working ok so far, horrendous weather again today so it is a bit soggy but still clean at least, and they have plenty of bedding in the house that they go and roll in too. If you need a really quick fix then go with a tarp covered in something, but I would suggest sand or woodchip rather than bedding, and punch a few holes in the bottom of the tarp to help with drainage!

 

[MotherOfChickens]

tar ping it will help-just remember to take it down in gales and heavy snow (ask me how I know lol). And yep, sharp sand is good as a short term fix-they love sand too.

 

[The Bouncing Bog Trotter]

Definitely recommend sharp sand. I put it down in my run (which was straight onto the ground) to a depth of about 3 inches and walked around on it to compact it. It became a really firm base that I could rake weekly. I used to spread a small amount of shavings on the top and when this got manky I could rake it off and put it on the compost heap. At extra smelly times I would use horse bedding that had a strong smell like eucalyptus. Unsoaked wood pellets also work well for very wet patches.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

for smell try stalosan f-its more for indoor use but it will cut down on that smell you get when its at risk of becoming soup. I usually chuck it down once they've gone to bed .

 

[Evie91]

Brilliant, thank you for all of the replies. Sand definitely sounds worth a try.

 

[Nudibranch]

Lots of good ideas, but just wanted to add one more. Ours come out to free range but in their pen have bark chippings over a deep hardcore base. If you can dig it out to at least a foot, fill with hardcore and top with chippings you will honestly never have a problem with mud. We change the chippings maybe once a year, but they stay lovely and dry over the hardcore.

 

[Archangel]

Mine have a clear tarpaulin over one half and a sand floor. However chickens decided to be divas and would not come down from their perch without assistance for 2 whole weeks (I kid you not) because of the strange stuff on the floor *sigh*

 

[Honey08]

For a quick fix that doesn't go soggy, crushed oyster shell scattered on top of shallow mud (I buy it in big sacks). Last week I swept up all the bits of Tarmac clippings that had been washed down the lane in all the heavy rain and tipped the half barrow in the chicken run, that was helpful too (until the little sods scraped it all into a pile behind the gate and locked me out!)

I second the hardcore and road planings. Mine desperately need topping up, including the horse's bit.

 

[dollyanna]

Mine have a clear tarpaulin over one half and a sand floor. However chickens decided to be divas and would not come down from their perch without assistance for 2 whole weeks (I kid you not) because of the strange stuff on the floor *sigh*

I've just spent the last week covering my pen with paving slabs and then put a couple of inches of sand on top.

I haven't laughed so much in ages - wish I had filmed it. I opened the door, the Poppy led the way out, got to the bottom of the ladder and started swearing at me at the top of her voice and insisting she wasn't going on THAT. Teasel followed, got to Poppy, joined in the swearing. Lily behind them, also joined in the swearing. Daisy came out, gave a shove from the top (cos it is only a little ladder!) and Poppy got pushed off the bottom - cue running round like a headless chicken squawking at the top of her voice and acting as if she was walking on fire. Ran in a circle straight back to the ladder and leaped back on Eventually Celandine cam out to see what all the fuss is, jumped off the top and came over for her mealworms - love my little Celandine - and the rest followed, but rapidly moved to the edge where there is no sand and spent the entire day swearing loudly every time I came near

They have now settled and seem to quite like it - at least their poll feathers aren't nearly so disgusting! Just waiting for the wind to die down so I can fit the new roof and they'll be sorted.

I like the idea of oyster grit, I might just sprinkle that over the sand, would save having a bowl out that they knock over anyway.

 

[supagran]

According to a FB (Chicken Keeping UK group) thread, gravel works best. Haven't tried it myself, I've got woodchip and a roof on my run, but it still gets wet!

 

[Evie91]

Wow didn't realise there had been so many replies. I've actually put nine bags of sand down now and seems to be working well at the mo. It's only covered about a quarter of it, then have straw, wood chips and shavings (in different parts) in the rest of the coop - sand has really worked well so far....
Hoping to get some more once Christmas is out the way.
Some really interesting and useful (and entertaining) replies - thanks all for replying