If you’ve been doing this long enough, you already know—April doesn’t care about your show schedule. One day it’s perfect, the next you’re standing in ankle-deep mud wondering how your hard work turned into a mess overnight. I’ve been there more times than I can count, and if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s this: keeping pens dry in the rain isn’t about one fix—it’s about doing the little things right every single day.
The biggest mistake I used to make was waiting until things got bad before I acted. By the time your bedding is soaked, your animal is already standing in it, laying in it, and it’s affecting everything—from hair to health to how they feel. Now, I stay ahead of it. The second rain is in the forecast, I’m adding fresh bedding before it even hits. I want a thick, dry base—whether that’s shavings, straw, or a blend—so moisture has somewhere to go instead of pooling on top. A deep pack is your best friend in the spring.
Another thing I had to learn the hard way is that drainage matters more than we think. If your pen is sitting flat, water is going to sit with it. Even a slight slope or building up your bedding higher in certain areas can make a huge difference. I always try to give my animals a “high and dry” spot to stand and lay, especially overnight. It doesn’t have to be fancy—it just has to keep them out of the worst of it.
And let’s talk about cleaning—because this is where a lot of people fall behind during rainy stretches. When it’s wet, you cannot get away with your normal routine. Manure and urine break down faster in moisture, and that’s when ammonia starts building up. And if you’ve ever walked into a pen and your eyes start burning or your throat feels it—you already know you’ve got a problem. Ammonia is more than just a smell—it’s an irritant that can affect your animal’s respiratory system, eyes, and overall health, especially with repeated exposure.
That’s why I stay aggressive about keeping pens clean during rainy weeks. I’m scraping, refreshing, and rotating bedding way more often than usual. But even with that, there’s only so much you can do when the weather won’t cooperate.
That’s where I started using SciZyme Concentrate, and I’ll be honest—it’s been a game changer in my barn. Instead of just covering up odor, it actually works at the source by helping break down the ammonia-causing buildup in your pens. So even when conditions aren’t ideal, you’re not fighting that harsh, eye-watering smell, and your animals aren’t standing in that environment day after day. It’s one of those things you don’t realize you needed until you use it—and then you won’t go back.
The biggest difference I’ve noticed isn’t just the smell—it’s how my animals act. They’re more comfortable, they settle better, and you can tell they’re not dealing with that constant irritation. And when your animals feel better, they look better. It all ties together.
At the end of the day, spring shows are tough because you’re battling things you can’t control—but your pen setup isn’t one of them. Stay ahead of the rain, bed deeper than you think you need to, clean more often than you want to, and don’t ignore ammonia buildup. It sneaks up fast this time of year.
Because nothing will set you back quicker than a wet, dirty pen—but nothing will give you an edge faster than a clean, dry one.
