Mud control?

[dianneS]

Any ideas for cutting down on the mud situation around the barn in the spring?

We've had a ton of rain. My horses come and go in and out of the barn area at liberty. Its a huge muddy mess.

We're considering a permanent solution, but I'm not sure what to do? Some have suggested gravel, but I'm afraid it will just get tramped down and mixed into the mud.

I would love to have a rough cobblestone barnyard, like you see in England, that would be awesome, but pricey. Any other suggestions?

 

[patandchickens]

As a temporary fix, you could consider putting down a dumpload (or however many are appropriate) of hogfuel i.e. tree chippings, PROVIDED THAT a) you inspect the stuff before purchase to ensure it is not one of the type batches that has long or really spiky bits that can be a threat to hooves etc, and b) you recognize that on many soils/sites it can make things worse long-term if left there too long, as it eventually breaks down into find spongy water-retentive humus.

In most of the places I've lived, it has not been terribly difficult to secure batches of chippings (although sometimes you have to buy the ones sold as mulch in order to avoid dangerous spikes, which is pricier), but you do need to be somewhat picky. If you are wondering whether a dumpload or three of shavings would substitute, the answer is "sort of, but it will cause you WAY more headache in the long run and I'd suggest avoiding it unless the situation is truly dire". Shavings break down into fine spongy humus *pretty fast* in most situations, so you have to be prepared with yer loader or blade on yer tractor to remove them pronto once things dry out and replace them with a more permanent solution.

Another useful temporary fix (that can play a permanent role too) is ditching, to lower the water table locally and/or to lead the water away elsewhere downhill. I say "and/or" because in many cases a sufficiently deep ditch around or alongside an area will dry it out *somewhat* even if there is nowhere else for the water to run to.

In terms of a more permanent solution, DO NOT JUST DUMP GRAVEL. Don't do it now, it will all disappear into the mud and be gone as if it had never existed; and don't do it when the ground is dry, as it will do the same thing albeit at a somewhat slower rate.

You need to do the following:

Wait til dry season. Remove any dark-colored topsoil-or-humusy layer using a bobcat or tractor blade. Get in as many loads of aggregate as it takes to make a layer 6-12" thick (thicker is much better) -- and you need to select your aggregate intelligently. Roadbase is definitely your most economical option, but you will get somewhat better results from a base of larger gravel topped with screenings or roadbase, or any of several other versions (but NOT just any random ol' thing you feel like doing -- research this!).

Then -- and here is the key thing on which your all-weather surface will succeed or fail -- you need to MACHINE COMPACT THE BEJEEBERS OUT OF IT. It is by far best to get someone with driveway-and-parkinglot constructing equipment to come over with a roller; you can *sort of* fake it by running a skidsteer or tractor over it a million times in all possible directions but it really does not end up nearly as durable.

Then top with a top layer of whatever you choose -- roadbase, screenings, sand, etc. Recommend adding a few inches and then leave it be for a season and see IF you want to add more.

I know this sounds expensive, and if done properly it tends to be not exactly cheap, but it is THE solution to mud. If you wanted to do a budget version, the best thing I could suggest is to remove the top layer of soil down to where it is no longer dark-colored, then get in at LEAST a foot (preferably more!) of roadbase and just let it settle itself over time. That will work "reasonably".

At the same time, make sure your barn (etc) has gutters and that the downspouts direct the roof water WELL AWAY from the paddocks; trench your mud if you need to let big puddles drain away; rake the mud in the worst areas flat and hoofprint-less before each large rain (seriously -- in addition to being good exercise, it encourages the water to drain off instead of sitting in hoofprints and soaking in).

And it is probably too late for you this year, but if you live in an area where the ground freezes pretty deep in winter, you can create a path or limited-size 'pad' of firm ground by waiting til the weather is starting to warm up and the snow melting in late winter, then laying down at least 4-6" (more is better) of used bedding over the area you wish to be firm. I do this as a path between my run-in shed and the higher, drier parts of the pasture (there is a wettish area of surface drainage between them). The insulating used bedding will keep that soil frozen longer -- I usually get an extra 3-4 wks out of it!! -- and by the time the 'shavings road' has started to get soggy, the adjacent exposed ground is generally drying out to a considerable extent. (I also have two separate gateways, so I can let one recover for a month or a season or two by just using the other one instead).

Good luck, have 'fun',

Pat, on very low ground and plenty acquainted with mud

 

[dianneS]

Thanks those are all really great suggestions. I'm not sure what I'm going to do any more this year. I'm facing so many big projects right now its overwhelming.

I'll have to really think it through and do my research and figure out what will work the best. By the looks of this mud, it seems as though someone may have dumped gravel in the past, and it has indeed nearly disappeared into the mud!

 

[goodhors]

I know a lot of folks use the wood chips, hogfuel, but there are issues with it later. Being organic material, it is almost always decomposing. Especially in warmer, wet times. A number of folks wrote warning how slippery it gets later on. Like it is greased when wet. So this is a cautionary voice about this particular material. Kind of like dumping manure to fill holes in winter wet places, just ends up WAY MORE slippery than it ever was before.

We have had fairly good luck with renting a machine, cleaning the wet place down to dirt. Then laying geotextile fabric and filling the hole with a rocky gravel mix or road base mix. Chunky limestone is EXCELLENT, if you can afford it. The fabric prevents the fill from "disappearing" into the wet base dirt and returning into mud.

We have filled the barnyard paddock after scraping mud off, and then with time entire GRAVEL TRAINS worth of good fill "disappeared into my base dirt. Just sucked it down after being well mixed by the horse hooves. This was before we discovered the geotextile fabric.

The fabric is a lightweight synthetic product, sold in wide rolls. Probably available from landscapers who lay driveways. Just keeps the dirt and rocks apart for stabilizing the layers. NO MORE boot sucking muck in the gates!!

We bought a whole roll and laid the fabric into our lowest drainage area that floods spring and fall. Put crushed asphault on top for a parking area to keep the semi trailer and tractor on. Has worked out VERY well, no more stuck truck!! Asphault layer is deep above fabric, but stays hard,drains well, no mixing layers from driving over it. Have done our gates, the lane going out into the big field so the spreader doesn't get stuck. Very happy with the results and it has been about 6 years of HEAVY use on all those "fabric'd" areas, still good, not black mucky again.

This is more labor intensive, more expensive, but the fix stays because rocks, gravel mix does not decompose. Can't make organic material quit breaking down, just what happens to to it. Husband HATES having to redo farm fixes, so this is nice for BOTH of us.

 

[dianneS]

I did read about the fabric and that does sound like it would work well. It makes sense. I may try that if I can't find a cheaper solution. The area in question is only muddy in the spring when it rains hard. Its also muddy because my horses have access to it 24/7. This is really not necessary and if I limit their access to the area I wouldn't have so much mud.

I posted this on my other thread regarding bedding but it pertains to the mud issue as well. I've found a solution that will address both problems at the same time.

I know it seems like a no-brainer, but I've only been on this farm for less than three years so its always trial and error with certain things. I'm still working out the over all best system for running things around here!

*From 'no bedding' thread* Now that the weather is getting warmer, I'm leaving my horses out 24/7. The stalls are closed up unless we have bad weather, then they come in for the night. The bedding is still intact.

My horses have always stayed out all night anyway unless the weather is terrible, like scorching winds. They hate wind. They just come in and out of the barn area because they can. This also adds to the use of the already high traffic areas, causing a lot of mud on wet and rainy days. By keeping them either out completely in the pasture, or locked in their stalls, this cuts down on the mud as well! So this is killing two birds with one stone!

At least I hope. We'll see how it works. I figure this is the best solution for the time being and the cheapest form of mud control. I'm going to sew grass seed in the currently muddy areas and keep the horses off of it as much as possible. I'm getting them used to not having access to the barn now before the flies are bad and the weather is hot. They have plenty of shade in the pasture, there is no need for them to come into the barn on summer days, unless its brutally hot and then we'll treat that like any other bad weather day and they'll get closed in their stalls.

At least this is the plan.