Coops and Rain..HELP!

[ChickensRollHard]

Florida has been getting slammed with rain and the ground that I chose for my coop is getting saturated. How do I manage this and what effect will this have on my chicks. ....Note* my chicks are 6 to 12 weeks. Im new so its hard for me to tell the ages really and some seem to be younger than others.

 

[Howard E]

If they are standing in water and mud, in the short run, you can pile in a bunch of deep litter to get them up out of it. My preference is old grass hay, but pine needles, leaves, some mulches, etc. will work if that is all you have. Goal is elevate them well above the yuck. Like 6 to 8 inches to start. With that, the surface will be high and dry. As it packs down, double it again.

Long term, you need to find a naturally elevated site. An inverted bowl where water runs away from the coop and run vs. into it. Find one or build one.

 

[leslielbk]

Try putting horse pellet bedding down. I used it during hurricane season to suck up the water that got into the coop, and it works great. I'm using it in my new brooder I like it so much.
When you say "ground", what do you mean? Literally the ground, or concrete or something else? That would help me offer you advice. I live in central Florida and feel your pain - last season was brutal. I feel like all I did was coop waterproofing. I'm building on, and have a lot more ideas on how to keep them dry.

 

[LittleMissCountry]

I am having the same rain in Virginia! I had just posted about it, because I had standing water in my run as well, although it has drained now. I have had to change their feed multiple times a day because the rain is coming in sideways and drenching the hanging feed container. I had pvc feeders but they kept digging out the food and ruining it on the soggy ground.

 

[TwistedSteel]

Maybe throw some pallets down in there. That will keep em up out of the water and still let the ground drain and dry out when the breeze blows thru.

 

[webbysmeme]

Try putting horse pellet bedding down. I used it during hurricane season to suck up the water that got into the coop, and it works great. I'm using it in my new brooder I like it so much.
When you say "ground", what do you mean? Literally the ground, or concrete or something else? That would help me offer you advice. I live in central Florida and feel your pain - last season was brutal. I feel like all I did was coop waterproofing. I'm building on, and have a lot more ideas on how to keep them dry.

Hi Lesie, about what does that pellet bedding run? And how is it sold? lbs. per bag?

 

[ChickensRollHard]

Maybe throw some pallets down in there. That will keep em up out of the water and still let the ground drain and dry out when the breeze blows thru.

Should I leave some area without pallets?

 

[ChickensRollHard]

Try putting horse pellet bedding down. I used it during hurricane season to suck up the water that got into the coop, and it works great. I'm using it in my new brooder I like it so much.
When you say "ground", what do you mean? Literally the ground, or concrete or something else? That would help me offer you advice. I live in central Florida and feel your pain - last season was brutal. I feel like all I did was coop waterproofing. I'm building on, and have a lot more ideas on how to keep them dry.

I also live in central Florida, and by ground I mean it was grass and now it isn't. Its currently very wet post-grass ground.

 

[abraga]

Bad thing bout muddy coops in the heat is cocci.I've built my pens up with wood mulch..pine bark..grass clippings.the chickens love it! When we cut grass..i rake it up and toss that in..and fall leaves. The bedding will break down>compost..it grows all sorts of good microbes and bugs...the chickens love digging through it searching for goodies...i also toss a bit if oyster shell..grit..and millet seed

 

[leslielbk]

Hi Lesie, about what does that pellet bedding run? And how is it sold? lbs. per bag?

It comes in bags, maybe 20-30 pounds or so? I paid about $6. Normally you get it wet, let it expand, and put it down, but because my coop was so wet (it's on concrete) the pellets soaked up the water and expanded from the rain water. It was sideways, slam-down rain and I was desperate for solutions. Get the pellets at Tractor Supply or wherever you get your chicken supplies from.