Damp, yucky coop :(

[jettgirl24]

This winter has just been one long strech of rain and wet so far and my coop is definitely reflecting that... I feel terrible for my birds and I feel like I'm a bad chicken mom becuase my coop is just horrible! I have given up on DLM for the front half of the coop and pretty much strip it every week or every other week. It's just damp and disgusting within days of changing out the bedding. The run isn't muddy thanks to the footing I put in but it kind of smells even though I clean it regularly. I'm really at my wits end with it right now. I picked up a couple of supplies this weekend that I really hope will help. First I grabbed a huge tarp from my parents place that will cover most, if not all of my run. I am REALLY hoping this will cut down on the amount of moisture that makes it in the coop door. I also bought some Stall-Dri that I'm going to put down on the floor underneath the new shavings when I strip it this week. I'm also going to sprinkle it in the run once it's covered and I'm praying it takes care of the odor. I intended to by DE but they didn't have any in. The stall-dri was only $12 which was less than half of what I expected to spend on DE so I hope that will work becuase it's so much more affordable!

Anyone else have ideas on keeping the run and coop dry and comfortable in these horrible wet months?

 

[ARose4Heaven]

Dig a moat around it? No seriously, It sounds like you are on the right track. Stall-Dri, DE, cover the run and fresh bedding. Oh, and prayer....we need a January thaw to let us all do some mid-winter clean up!

 

[cobrien]

you are on the right track. i'm in the SF bay area and have been through crazy wet winters and the resulting stinky messy run. I now have a covered run and life is much better. I add stall dri and/or DE on occasion. with the tarp on the run and the stall dri things should get better for you!

 

[Judy]

When I had that problem in the old coop, I found that stall-dri did a lot more good than DE. Another good choice is sand.

 

[Chicken.Lytle]

Your plan seems sound. I followed the plan described by patandchickens. I have been putting hay and leaves in my run and then taking it out once it is composted.

 

[duckking]

I hear ya! We're out in the Cascade Foothills and it has been WET! We covered our run as well. It does help, but after a few days of constant rain, it still gets yucky and we have sand and pea gravel as a base. We also have ducks which doesn't help either. We put down straw and hay when it really gets wet and then muck it out when it looks like it's going to be dry for a couple of days. Our coop is a huge old doghouse we converted, but it seems waterproof, thank goodness, and is always dry no matter how bad the rain gets. Is there water getting into the coop? Do you have a leak somewhere?

 

[jettgirl24]

My coop is water tight fortunately... The problem is that there is only a human sized door for me and the chickens to go in and out. I think with such a large opening instead of a little pop door the rain just blows right in. I also think they're tracking it in when they run in and out. It's just so frustrating! And of course I woke up feeling horribly sick so that last thing I want to do right now is go out and deal with it today as I had planned

Hopefully that can wait another couple of days.

 

[renart]

I am still in the planning stages of the coop and run, but, with all the reading and questions I have been asking, I am thinking a solid roof on the run and possibly 3/4 walls as least on the sides of the prevailing winds if not all the way round. Mayhaps screens or removable windows for the upper areas, at least for us peeps in the rainy regions, and during the rainy seasons.

 

[ARose4Heaven]

Have you considered installing a pop door in your people door?