Consolidated Kansas

[WichitaKidd]

David, I was just looking back over the pictures of your coop. Looks like you have a good lip over the nest box. Where exactly is it leaking?

The lid of the nest box overlaps every edge by at least an 1" & sits tight on the box. The only "gap" is where the hinge board meets the lid. My guess is this is where it is leaking. The entire nest box was soaked including the area inside the coop where the nest boxes are. It was almost like I had left the lid open or something. I was expecting a little wet, but not drenched. If it rains this weekend I'll have a chance to actually watch & see where it's leaking so I know what I need to fix.

Here is what one guy did to fix his leaky top lid: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/287668/water-leaking-into-nest-boxes
I took a heavy piece of rubber. I work with high voltage so I used what is called an insulated rubber blanket. It is used to cover power lines so a lineman can work in close proximity. Anyway I cut a strip about 6 inches wide and a few inches longer than the nest box lid hinge. I first ran a heavy bead of silicone caulk on the coop outside wall above the hinge. I Then screwed the rubber to the wall so it overlaps the hinge and the nest box lid. I then dressed the rubber piece up by putting a piece of wood trim over it but above the hinge point. Then I again ran a heavy bead of silicone caulk above the wood trim and finished with matching trim paint. The only part of the rubber flap you can see is the part that overlaps the hinge onto the nest box lid. Mine is positively 100% water tight. Hope this helps you.

Here is another one:
Hi we have had some wonderful weather lately in the northwest and I cant seam to get my nest box to stop leaking

What people said about : When i built my coop i had the same problem. Mine was running down the wall and through the piano hinge. I used a piece of rubber roofing i got from a friend. I used a piece of 1/2" plywood Cut 1" and a little longer than nest box so it will hang over some on both sides. Hold the rubber up over the hinge on the wall. Put a bead of caulk on the wall then lay the rubber then the strip of plywood . when you have it where you want it put some screws in it. The rubber should be hanging down over your hinge. I hope this helps i can do the work better than i can explain how to do it . Don't forget to paint the plywood and make sure the screws are not sticking through the inside of the coop.

And here is what someone did to fix their leak:

Thanks for the idea! I think I actually have something in the garage that would do the trick. At least good enough to test to make sure this is where the leak is coming from. I think part of the problem is too that the roof drains right off onto the nest box. May have to find a way to put a gutter or something on this side of the barn to reduce the amount of water falling on the nest box.

 

[chicken danz]

I hope you get your problem resolved David and they are wrong about all the rain we are going to be getting!
Just got home from seeing my Mom. It's so hard to watch her suffer but yet she tries to stay positive. She was gasping for air and couldn't swallow her lunch even after a dose of morphine. I hope if I am ever in a situation like that I can be as positive.

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Hi all,

My DS (homeschooled) and I had a very busy day. Went to Derby Atwoods to get more supplies -- lights were out! The employees had flashlights so we forged ahead but by the time we reached the chick bins the lights came back on and all was well. We got our chick and bunny supplies and booked out of there to eat. Then we dashed off to Trish44's to pick up our 2 mini rex bunnies. Then we scooted over to Oxford to show my SIL and her mom our new bunnies. Then we dashed off to pick up my DH in Wichita who was supposed to be out of town overnight but, thankfully got to fly home instead. Picked him up and then raced to the bus stop in SE Wichita to pick up the big girls (they prefer Wichita schools to Rose Hill). Then we smoked it on home and beat the next school bus home from Rose Hill -- half of the kids attend there. I had just got the bunnies settled into their new digs when the kids came running to see them. I'm almost ready to crash and burn but I have too many interesting chicks, ducks and bunnies to play with!

I sure enjoyed meeting you, Teresa. It was so much fun meeting your giant puppies, your chickens and your bunnies. My son said if you ever decide to sell your place, we should buy it! I agree -- love the woods, your coop, landscaping and cool house built into the hill!

Hope your birdies are continuing to improve, Pikeman.

Danz and Pikeman: You might watch them for mites also. Since our outbreak I've been Sevin-ing the brooder every 7 to 10 days and I haven't had to spray or powder the birds individually but if they had any eggs they would be hatching about now so watch them for itching.

Danz, your mom sounds like mine. She was always upbeat, never complained about her discomfort. Moms are amazing.

 

[tweetysvoice]

Well, It looks like we definitely have to re-home Quackers.

She full force was charging and attacking Goose and poor Goose just runs in fear of her when she gets close. She doesn't do this to ANY of the other ducks or the chicks at all. I don't know what is in her brain. Had to lock her up again till we find another home. I hate to do that to her, but nothing else I can do.

I have a question about weather and tornadoes and chicken coops. Do y'all think it's better to lock the chicks into their coop if a tornado warning is going off (and it's day - they aren't already locked in for the night) or if it's better to leave it open so they can escape if they needed to? What do you do? Just asking since there is supposed to be a severe band coming across KS tomorrow.

 

[Trish44]

KarenS, it was nice meeting you too, I'm glad the bunnies made the trip home OK & got settled in. They will have a little adjustment from being away from mom, but they will be fine, especially with two. I'll take you up on your offer to come by & see your chickies when I come over your way, I come to Derby quite a bit. It sounds like you had a pretty busy day today.

I had KarenS here this afternoon then right after my DH left for work I had an egg customer come & now I'm getting ready to meet a lady in Winfield at the McDonald's to buy egg cartons from her. She had an ad on CL for them cheap, so I'm getting a bunch. With those & some others I'm getting I should be good on cartons for quite some time. That's OK, I hope I don't ever have to pay full price for cartons or I will have to start charging for them.

My hens seem to have gone on strike this week, at least some of them. I know two of them are trying to go broody & I'm trying to break that & I don't know what is wrong with the others. Do chickens just molt in the fall or is it at a certain age? Mine have never gone through a molt before, so I hope that's not what they're doing. I was hoping to have some new chickens here & laying before they did that, but whatever happens will.

Some of my little chickies I hatched will be going to new homes this weekend, I'll miss them, they're so much fun to watch. They're already getting wing feathers, gosh they get them fast!

 

[Deerfield Acres]

Tweety, I'm really sorry about Quackers. I think I will lock mine in, once they are in the coop. Right now our only basement (separate from the house) is full of 9 week old birds. I'll have to decide whether or not the family will need to join the birds in case of bad weather! Nothing says "crazy chicken lady" like a basement full of chickens! Of course, I'll have to pack in the bunnies, 4 dogs, 2 cats, 2 ducks ...

My husband said we're going to run a drill tonight to make sure we know how to do this just in case. You know kids, they'll think it's a hoot!

 

[tweetysvoice]

This is our first year in this house with a basement, so i'm not nearly as fearful of tornadoes as I was the past 12 living in a mobile home!! We used to get in the car and drive when the sirens went off. Now our dogs think we need to go to the car when they do. LOL. Nope, we get to head downstairs to the comfy rooms

 

[chicken danz]

I've got a basement but it's anything but comfy. Too much dust from having birds down there and tons of stuff I have no place else for.
Karen I moved the birds and several of my 6-8 week old pullets I've hatched to the big puppy house and pen. I had the Cayuga ducks there but moved all of them to the PVC pen. I never thought about mites. I've got some sevin and some diatomaceous earth I can treat both areas with.
I also set up another kennel today so I could put the goslings out to play in the grass during the day. I took Chopper outside and he stayed outside the kennel and talked to the geese all afternoon. He didn't even try to follow me. He had three of the geese in a kennel next to his for quite a while so I guess they are his buddies. He just wants to taste them and it worries me he will accidentally hurt them.
It looked like it was really going to storm here earlier but then it kind of cleared up. I could do without it for sure.
I had planned to attend a swap in the morning but because there is just so much going on I think I'll stay home and hope to sell some chicks here. I think my brother may be coming up from Texas this weekend to see my Mom so that will mean some more company and such.
I worked hard all afternoon moving birds around and I'm ready to chill.

 

[tweetysvoice]

Couple exciting notes - which is nice after being so depressed about having to get rid of Quackers -

1) Renee is going to hook me up with some silkies, probably next weekend! wooohoo!!

DH is all on board - his only negative comment is "does this mean I have to give up my computer room again?" I told him no, since they are just small chicks, i'll keep them in my sewing room this time. (last time we needed more room cuz of the ducks).

2) Tonight we were a bit late (about 20 minutes) getting the chickens locked up - lost track of time cuz of a late pizza delivery, anywho, - we went out there and all the chicks were already in their coop all snuggled up on the roost and the ducks (minus quackers, who is locked up again) were in the duck house snuggled up! yay!! They've finally learned the routine!


Danz, Sorry you have to see your brother in such horrible circumstances, but it's great that he's going to make it up here. That will mean so much to your mom!

 

[Trish44]

Well for those of you that have basements I envy you. Our house is built into the hill on three sides, so there is no basement. The front of the house is all windows, so not a good place to be. I always have figured it it got really bad I would go into the corner in the livingroom where two cement walls adjoin & hunker down there with pillows over my head. Of course I have to take my little dogs in there with me & any cats that will come. I guess the dogs outside would have to fend for themselves, I don't think I could get them to come in anyway & the little dogs & the big dogs don't get along. If you had a warning & you had to hurry into shelter, which usually is the case, you wouldn't have time to gather up the chickens & get them in. Mine usually go in anyway when it gets bad out, but I couldn't count on them all getting in. I have two that stay out a lot of the time & roost at night in the honeysuckle vine that grows over the end of the house on the north. It's pretty good cover there in the summer when the vine is all growing & full. I would feel bad for my rabbits outside & in the garage, but I sure wouldn't be able to get them all in anywhere in time. Let's hope none of us have to worry about all of that & we all stay safe & our animals too. We just got our new weather radio two days ago. The one we had just wasn't working well any more, but we have had it for quite a few years. It's nice to know we have one now that works better & we will get the warnings as soon as they're issued.

Well I went & got the egg cartons & I got a huge box & another box full that wouldn't fit in my trunk, so I ended up just putting them in without the box. Whenever I find a deal like that I grab it.

tweety, I'm sorry about quackers, I know that's hard to give up a pet. Congrats on the Silkies though, I'll bet you'll enjoy them.

I have 4 more eggs in the hatcher now & will add another one Sunday. Those are my last ones for awhile until the ones in the incubator cook for a couple more weeks. I'm so excited about the turkey eggs developing. I'm going to have to get another brooder set up for those since they will be bigger & I don't want to put them in with little chicks. I also have a rabbit that I think is getting ready to have babies, so I've got to get out tomorrow & come up with another nest box, a bigger one for her, she's a Chinchilla. My cutie little Mini Rex babies that I showed you all the pic of laying end to end in the nest box managed to jump out today while Karen was here. Now that they figured that out they have done it several times. They're so cute, they peek over the end of the box & pretty soon you see them hopping over it onto the wire bottom of the cage. Momma bunny didn't quite know what to do with them today when they did that, I think she wanted them back in the box. I put them back, but they will be back out probably the next time I go out.