Too Much MUD!! Any solutions?

[EllieMay]

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.

 

[SheepGirl]

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.

 

[bonbean01]

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.

 

[CrazyCatNChickenLady]

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

 

[SuburbanFarmChic]

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.

 

[Southern by choice]

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. :/

 

[EllieMay]

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.

 

[20kidsonhill]

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.

 

[Shelly May]

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.

 

[goodolboy]

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.