Coop Run on concrete - drainage / rain help

[BougieChicken]

Hi all! My husband and I built our coop on the side of our patio. We live in the city and that was the best place to keep it tucked away and not close to any of our neighbors.

it’s on our existing concrete and we originally poured dirt in there for the ground material. Rain kept getting in the coop on the sides and the coop became a muddy, flooded mess.

I recently switched out the ground material for hay and straw (Koop clean because the smell was terrible after being a mud pit for a week), and after two days of rain it is once again a wet nasty run.

does anyone have advice on how to hopefully fix this problem? I was thinking of cleaning the coop out, once again, and putting Pea gravel down first then wood boards and then doing the ground material. I’m thinking water is not only getting in from the side but it’s also running underneath the base of the coop. Any tips? Help?

thanks!

 

[svh]

Dig a French drain around the pad, and cover the top. Bout all you can do. Gravel is a bad choice, IMO, as I have gravel in my coop and it's a mess.

 

[addctd2plnts]

You built it near the edge of the concrete, right? The concrete pad is probably graded so that the water runs off of it. That means all the water that lands on the concrete is running towards your coop. Best suggestion is to find another place for the coop, away from the concrete pad. Or put your coop on legs with a wooden bottom. It was a good idea but bad spot on the concrete I suspect. On new location, pick a spot that is high and dry in the yard, dig out maybe 8 inches. Put a layer of woven landscape fabric, then put maybe 10" of crushed rock, in layers and tamp it down each layer really well. You need the coop and run higher and wider than surrounding soil by a few inches at least.

 

[perkolator]

Does water collect on the concrete or on the ground adjacent? Is it flooding because the ground can’t drain fast enough?

I would probably try simple things first - such as sandbags or similar to direct water so it doesn’t want to flow in from behind it on the concrete or the ground; a roof structure (even a tarp) over the run should keep a lot of water from raining directly into it; the 2x4 bottom perimeter may be tight-ish against the ground creating a sort of “dam” - perhaps make it so water would drain out better if it got in

 

[linguini]

Hi all! My husband and I built our coop on the side of our patio. We live in the city and that was the best place to keep it tucked away and not close to any of our neighbors.

it’s on our existing concrete and we originally poured dirt in there for the ground material. Rain kept getting in the coop on the sides and the coop became a muddy, flooded mess.

I recently switched out the ground material for hay and straw (Koop clean because the smell was terrible after being a mud pit for a week), and after two days of rain it is once again a wet nasty run.

does anyone have advice on how to hopefully fix this problem? I was thinking of cleaning the coop out, once again, and putting Pea gravel down first then wood boards and then doing the ground material. I’m thinking water is not only getting in from the side but it’s also running underneath the base of the coop. Any tips? Help?

thanks! View attachment 2766880View attachment 2766882View attachment 2766883

You may want to consider covering up the run with plastic roof panels and extend the cover to provide overhang on all sides. And if you can figure out which side the run water enters from underneath, perhaps you can using calking material to seal the edge? The roof of the coop also has no overhang.

 

[BougieChicken]

Oof, I just realized the photo did not include the tin we added to the run. The run does have a roof! Sorry about that . thanks for all the initial feedback!!

 

[BougieChicken]

You built it near the edge of the concrete, right? The concrete pad is probably graded so that the water runs off of it. That means all the water that lands on the concrete is running towards your coop. Best suggestion is to find another place for the coop, away from the concrete pad. Or put your coop on legs with a wooden bottom. It was a good idea but bad spot on the concrete I suspect. On new location, pick a spot that is high and dry in the yard, dig out maybe 8 inches. Put a layer of woven landscape fabric, then put maybe 10" of crushed rock, in layers and tamp it down each layer really well. You need the coop and run higher and wider than surrounding soil by a few inches at least.

Thanks for this, this is very helpful! We are actually moving soon and I’m hoping to do some of what you said here. We can pick out a place on our property that’s high and then you mentioned digging out 8inches? Can you help me with this? The coop will be sitting on all rock?
Could we dig down a bit and build the coop on blocks to elevate it (and also help keep predators from digging in)? See attached

 

[3KillerBs]

Fixing the drainage and/or relocating the coop so that water doesn't run in is the best you can do for the current situation. Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree-trimming service, are often considered the gold standard for keeping a run dry and pleasant, but there is no bedding on earth that will compensate for a serious drainage problem.

I absolutely advise against using gravel or rock in any form inside your coop and run.

The poop WILL wash down into the spaces between the gravel where it will rot and REEK.

Organic material is superior because it will compost with the poop -- neutralizing it so that the run stays fresh and pleasant.

 

[BougieChicken]

Fixing the drainage and/or relocating the coop so that water doesn't run in is the best you can do for the current situation. Coarse wood chips, the sort you get from a tree-trimming service, are often considered the gold standard for keeping a run dry and pleasant, but there is no bedding on earth that will compensate for a serious drainage problem.

I absolutely advise against using gravel or rock in any form inside your coop and run.

The poop WILL wash down into the spaces between the gravel where it will rot and REEK.

Organic material is superior because it will compost with the poop -- neutralizing it so that the run stays fresh and pleasant.

Thanks for this! I completely agree. While we can’t relocate the coop now where we are - this is all helpful for the future coop coming in October!
In the mean time, I’ll see about getting some wood chips!

 

[Sally PB]

I absolutely advise against using gravel or rock in any form inside your coop and run.

It's also very hard on the birds' feet. They need something softer to land on and walk on.