A wet coop? How to deal??

[ChickenFajita6]

So we just got our coop & run up. We still have to pretty it up, but functionality wise it's done. Or supposed to be.
Our coop sits on a concrete slab. We've had nasty rain the past few days, and it seems water is coming up under the walls! The slab inside the coop is wet. I expected it near the windows from rain blowing in, but even in corners with no windows it's wet. I scraped back the wood shavings and the ground is just saturated.
That's not good, right? We just dealt with major flooding back in August (lost our house) so wetness and mold are major panic buttons for me right now.

I went in and shoveled out all the wet & damp shavings and tossed them into the run, and just have the wet concrete inside the coop exposed right now with a fan running to help air flow. But we get rain almost daily in the summer, sometimes just quick little showers, sometimes systems that pour for a week. How bad is all this for my chickens?? I know that rain isn't going to hurt them, but wet concrete under their bedding in the coop. That can't be good.

 

[Kiki]

Not good.

Are you able to place a larger "over hang" in the roof to prevent the water from coming in the window?

 

[ChickenFajita6]

Not good.

Are you able to place a larger "over hang" in the roof to prevent the water from coming in the window?

I suppose we could but I think it will have to be pretty big....I think our issue is a design flaw in having a building on a concrete pad, and it's smaller than the pad. So the water is hitting the concrete then seeping under the wall. Hmmm....

 

[Kiki]

Oh....I get it now..with you saying that the coop is smaller then the pad.
Post a pic..maybe we can help think of something besides a roof.

 

[blackdog043]

Are your walls sitting right on the concrete pad? If they are, they may rot prematurely, from the water going underneath and not being able to dry out. I was going to suggest making a sub floor, that sits on concrete blocks, to put your bedding on. Can you post pictures of your set up? It will help a lot with suggestions.

 

[ChickenFajita6]

Are your walls sitting right on the concrete pad? If they are, they may rot prematurely, from the water going underneath and not being able to dry out. I was going to suggest making a sub floor, that sits on concrete blocks, to put your bedding on. Can you post pictures of your set up? It will help a lot with suggestions.

The walls do go down to the concrete, but we used treated wood. My husband suggested the sub floor, but my concern is that there would still be moisture and nastiness under it - probably more because it would just be trapped down there.

 

[ChickenFajita6]

Construction photos, but you can see how it sits in these.

 

[MyISAbrownhens]

You may be able to hang a tarp over the coop to block out most of your rain.

 

[ChickenFajita6]

 

[mobius]

OK. Is there a way you can seal around the outside and the inside of the base of the coop (where it meets the concrete) with a quality outdoor sealant? I am thinking of something like "silicone caulk" or maybe a product called Blackjack (rubberized I think). Just my two cents.

Additionally, some guttering might help...not sure you need to go that far, I would try to seal the foundation area once it is quite dry...I know it will be hard to dry this out...

Also consider using deep litter system if there is still a little water coming in...it works well with a little moisture and provides compost.

Nice build...I hope it can work for you.