Rain

[Russ Blair]

Is anybody else's pens a mess with all this rain lately? I have decided I need to raise the pens. The big question is yellow sand or small gravel to help keep them dryer??

[John W Blehm]

A few years ago my brother put stone (I think pea stone or some other small drainage type stone) in a few pheasant pens.  It didn't work out well.  I don't remember all the particulars, but I think he shoveled it out.
I've always gone with yellow sand.  Mound it high in the center of the pens so you don't have water setting after a big rain.  You can take a small rototiller in the pens and work it up a couple times a year. 
I know I've mentioned putting roofing over pens/outdoor runs and my goal is to have them all covered 100% this year.  I'll include some polycarbonate translucent panels because the heat and the sunlight reduces the [Bird flu] virus.  For years I've said when the birds get both cold and wet they get sick and I read a bird flu article that said hot, dry weather kills the virus.  Whether it is something new like bird flu, some type of CRD or other virus/disease it just seems to make sense.  I remember reading an article, years ago, about an area in Africa that they claimed had the ideal climate for chickens...both warm and dry for the most part.