How to Keep a Chicken Yard Dry

Mud is a big problem for any homeowner who cares about their yard, but it is especially troublesome for chicken owners. A muddy chicken yard often leads to negative consequences, including muddy chickens, extra flies and health concerns. Keeping your chicken yard dry is not always an easy task, particularly in rainy climates, but putting forth the extra effort to keep it as dry as possible leads to healthier, happier chickens.

  1. Higher Ground

    • One partial solution to keeping your pen dry is to settle your chickens on high ground. Water creates mud, and water runs downhill. If your chicken yard is at the bottom of a hill, it will become muddy and stay muddy. Relocating your coop away from low ground and out of the path of water will help keep the yard much drier.

    Divert Water

    • Keep water away from the yard as best you can to prevent mud. For example, put gutters on the walls of the coop so that water doesn̵7;t run straight from the roof of the coop to the soil in the yard. When it rains, tie a tarp over the yard to keep water away. In particularly rainy climates, consider building a wooden roof over the yard. Another way to divert water from the yard is to dig a trench around it to collect water that would otherwise turn your soil into mud.

    Switch to Sand

    • Another way to keep your chicken yard dry year-round is to switch to rough, construction-grade sand flooring. Sand doesn̵7;t retain nearly as much moisture as other types of bedding or regular dirt, so even when it rains, your chicken yard automatically stays drier. Rough sand is actually good for your chickens̵7; feet, and it dehydrates droppings, which makes cleaning the yard much easier for you. Wait to install the sand until the ground underneath is very dry, like during the summer. Put in at least 3 feet of sand, and remember that you̵7;ll need to top off the yard with sand every so often.

    Provide Adequate Shelter

    • Make sure your chickens have a place to go when it rains. Providing a coop for your chickens won̵7;t necessarily keep the yard drier, but it will keep your chickens cleaner and healthier. Ensure that the roof of the coop is solid and leak-proof, and check that the walls protect your birds from the wind and rain.