The muddy chicken run: what causes it and how to fix it.

In summer your chicken run is a green, grassy haven for happy hens. In winter, it can quickly turn into a slippery, soggy mud bath.

A muddy chicken run isn't just unpleasant to look at: it can become a real health and safety problem for both chickens and people. 

Why mud in the run is bad news for chickens (and for you).

Mud in the chicken run is more than just messy. It can affect your flock's health, happiness and safety.

Here are the four biggest reasons it matters.

1. The flock's welfare needs cannot be met.

Healthy chickens need to be able to scratch, forage and dust bathe. A thick layer of mud makes all three almost impossible.

When hens can't carry out these natural behaviours, boredom and frustration quickly set in. And that can lead to feather pecking, aggression and even egg-eating.

2. Wet conditions increase the risk of bumblefoot.

Bumblefoot is a painful infection of the foot pad. Wet, dirty ground mixed with chicken poop creates the perfect environment for bacteria to thrive⁽¹⁾.

If a chicken gets even a tiny cut or scrape on her foot, those bacteria can enter and cause a painful abscess. Bumblefoot is difficult and time-consuming to treat, so prevention is always better.

3. Mud can help spread disease.

Standing water and wet soil can harbour harmful organisms carried in wild bird droppings.

This includes viruses such as Avian Influenza (bird flu), which can survive for long periods in damp conditions^{(2, 3)}. Keeping the run dry is one of the simplest ways to reduce that risk.

4. It's a slipping hazard for both chickens and people.

Mud is dangerous underfoot. Chickens can slip and injure legs or tendons, and people can easily fall when collecting eggs or cleaning the coop. As I know to my cost...

A muddy run is uncomfortable, unsafe and stressful for everyone involved.

What causes a muddy chicken run?

Mud doesn't just happen. There's always a reason, and once you know the cause, fixing it becomes much easier.

Here are the three most common culprits, and how to deal with each one.

Cause 1: The coop and run are in the wrong place.

If your coop and run are built in a low-lying or poorly drained area, mud is almost inevitable.

Runs placed at the bottom of a slope, particularly in heavy clay soil or where rainwater naturally collects, will struggle to stay dry no matter what flooring you use.

How to fix it.

Ideally, move the run. Good drainage is always the first line of defence.

If you're still in the planning stage, choose a site that is:

• on slightly higher ground
• naturally well-drained
• not directly downhill from roofs, sheds or slopes
• partly sheltered from heavy summer sun.

If moving isn’t possible, try these options instead:

• Try to improve the drainage before laying flooring. Otherwise it may simply be washed away.
• Dig a simple drainage channel to divert water away
• Install a buried pipe
• Improve the base with free-draining material such as pea gravel
• Keep the area free from anything that retains moisture such as spilled feed or straw. 

Cause 2: no protection from rain. 

An uncovered run quickly turns into a swamp during wet weather. Small coops with built-in roofs like this one rarely have this problem.

I use this as a "hospital coop". But the rain can still blow in from the sides, so placing it under trees can help shelter it.

Equally, my Eglu, which I use for isolating new chickens, has its own heavy duty cover over part of the run, which protects from rain in winter and sun in summer. 

Larger runs can seem a more difficult problem, but there are ways to protect those too. 

How to fix it.

You don't have to roof the entire run, but providing some dry space makes a huge difference. Even partial cover dramatically reduces mud.

• A heavy-duty waterproof tarpaulin over part of the run. A good quality cover like this one protects from both rain and sun.
• If you can cover the whole run, so much the better. It will also protect from airborne predators and wild birds, who can carry bird flu.
• If the run is very large, cover one large corner so hens always have a dry refuge.
• Stretch it at a slight angle so water runs off easily and secure it well with strong bungee cords or zip ties.
• Natural cover helps too: plant evergreen trees, shrubs or hedging around the run to  provide year-round shelter from rain and wind.

Cause 3: sleet, snow and winter weather.

Snow looks pretty, but once it melts it leaves behind cold, saturated ground. Sleet and freezing rain are even worse, creating slushy mud that chickens hate to stand in.

It leaves few places for chickens to forage, or stand without their feet becoming prone to frostbite.

You know your own area and when snow is likely to fall. So before that's likely to happen, take some time to prepare your run.

How to fix it.

A little preparation before bad weather arrives can save a lot of problems.

• Wrap the same type of tarpaulin around part of the outside of the run. If you have chain-link fencing this shouldn't be a problem. Use zip ties to hold the sheets in place.
• Alternatively, clear plastic sheeting around the outside of the run will let in light and warmth.
• If you have a very large run (mine is over an acre!) choose a corner which is reasonably sheltered, and create a covered section. 
• Add logs, stumps or low perches to the sheltered area so chickens can get off wet ground. 

Frequently asked questions about muddy runs.

More useful chicken-keeping articles.