# Too Much MUD!!   Any solutions?



## EllieMay (Feb 12, 2013)

Does anyone have any techniques that work as far as mud management?
Like in front of barn doors or gateways it gets real muddy from the livestock going back/forth.
I was wondering if you just leave it as mud and wait for summer or do you put down something on the mud.
I have one area where I put down some gravel, but it was a small area so the cost was minimal.
Just curious.


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## SheepGirl (Feb 12, 2013)

When my sheep were on a dry lot back during the summer, the area around their water bucket would get really muddy so I laid down pieces of plywood. It kept it pretty under control. Now that my sheep are back in a lot (won't call it a dry lot because it's wet right now! lol), the ground around the 'gate' is really muddy so today I went ahead and laid down more plywood.

I just used scrap OSB plywood we have from building our sheds. The sheep don't slip on it, which is good.


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## bonbean01 (Feb 12, 2013)

With all our rain this winter and mud...we break open the oldest bales of hay from last year and they mash that into the mud pretty good and it works.  We had lots of rain again today and will all night, so will break a few more in any area that gets muddy.  

I wasn't sure what we were going to do with these bales, but now have a use for them.  Was a lousy batch of hay to start with, so never fed it last winter.


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## CrazyCatNChickenLady (Feb 12, 2013)

I have a half sheet of OSB just inside my gate too.


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## SuburbanFarmChic (Feb 12, 2013)

We got a truck and trailer load of old barn wood in a clean out last year. I use that to lay down to make a goatie board walk between the trough, the feeder, the hay bale and the barn. And a couple spidering out into the yard so they can get to dry land.


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## Southern by choice (Feb 12, 2013)

Worst mud year we have ever had. It is awful here... we use straw and lots of it on the real bad areas but now EVERYTHING is a bad area. I don't know if the fields will re-coop or not. :/


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## EllieMay (Feb 14, 2013)

Yeah, I tried straw, too.
Worked great and looked awesome for the first day.  
At least around their water buckets I have gravel so they don't have to stand in the mud to drink.


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## 20kidsonhill (Feb 14, 2013)

EVery year we work on our drainage and we dig out the manure and loose black soil.  Where the animals spend a lot of time the poop can build up on the top of the soil and turn the soild to a really good quality dirt, but this makes it more absorbant and muddier. We dig it out and use that soft dirt elsewhere and then dig a drain ditch or grade it so the water doesn't sit by the doorways and gates. But as long as they don't have to stand in the wet spots all the time, they should be fine.   LIke in front of the feeders is important to keep it dry as possible to help prevent hoof problems. 
I would personally not use straw or hay in the mud, it just turns it even more organic or compost like and allows more water to absorb in those areas.


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## Shelly May (Feb 14, 2013)

This time of year I would check out Lowes to see if their INDOOR/OUTDOOR carpet is cheep, can wash with a hose and roll up for next year.


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## goodolboy (Feb 14, 2013)

Rock, rock, and more rock. Not gravel in the main walk ways. The bigger rock, like #3 or #2, they don't like to stand on so they move on thru. Don't stand there poopin'. Gravel around waters, and feed buckets, where they must stand for a while, #57 work good in these areas. this will be your most cost effective means of controling the mud in the long run.


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## jodief100 (Feb 14, 2013)

I bought muck boots.   Way too much mud to get it under control.  The barn is dry and so are the 3 sided stalls.  They have to walk through it to get to the fields but there isn't much else I can do.  All the rock we lay down just sinks and we have the same problem in a few weeks.


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## WhiteMountainsRanch (Feb 14, 2013)

goodolboy said:
			
		

> Rock, rock, and more rock. Not gravel in the main walk ways. The bigger rock, like #3 or #2, they don't like to stand on so they move on thru. Don't stand there poopin'. Gravel around waters, and feed buckets, where they must stand for a while, #57 work good in these areas. this will be your most cost effective means of controling the mud in the long run.


*

X2 this is what we do. That and Decomposed Granite (DG).*


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## babsbag (Feb 14, 2013)

I have the stall mats in front of the feeders and they slope a little away from the feeders so they stay dry. The goats don't have to stand in muck to eat.

It has been relativley dry in CA since Jan so I don't have much mud right now. The muddiest place is the gate from the pen into the pasture and the goats don't like to walk through it when it is really muddy. They just stay in the pen, thier choice and I don't try to do anything about it since I don't have to walk in it.


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## Bryan99705 (Feb 20, 2013)

How about throwing out a few solid surface pallets.  They allow air flow, give you a raised surface to walk on, you can add cleats if inclined, and you can move them and/or hose them off as needed


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## Oakroot (Feb 21, 2013)

jodief100 said:
			
		

> I bought muck boots.   Way too much mud to get it under control.  The barn is dry and so are the 3 sided stalls.  They have to walk through it to get to the fields but there isn't much else I can do.  All the rock we lay down just sinks and we have the same problem in a few weeks.


You need to lay landscaping fabric down first to create a barrier between the soil and the rock. This will prevent the sinking.


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