Deep bedding on concrete is damp

[SmiYa0126]

There one issue with wet bedding, if ammonia gets trapped it's going to reek horribly. I had issue in my run this spring, after I mucked it out I had to use lime to get the smell down. It took two weeks to dry it out and my run is open on all sides and gets sun 3/4 of the day.

 

[gtaus]

There one issue with wet bedding, if ammonia gets trapped it's going to reek horribly. I had issue in my run this spring, after I mucked it out I had to use lime to get the smell down. It took two weeks to dry it out and my run is open on all sides and gets sun 3/4 of the day.

Like many things with chickens, I think it depends on how many chickens in how big a space and how much litter you are using for deep bedding.

Because my chickens basically live in their chicken coop for almost 6 months of the year, I have almost 8 square feet per bird in the coop. With lots of deep bedding, I have managed to go 3+ years without ever having a smelly chicken coop. And, I have a pretty big chicken run for my 10 chickens providing about 45 square feet per bird. All that extra space helps keep down offensive smells compared to many chickens in a small run.

I keep the bedding in the coop dry, so I really don't know what would happen if there was a leak in the roof and the bedding was getting wet all the time. But, in general, wet anything will start to smell bad in short time. Even compost piles should be moist, not wet.

 

[Lilion]

Like many things with chickens, I think it depends on how many chickens in how big a space and how much litter you are using for deep bedding.

I have more than 10 sq ft per bird, so I at least have some time. Thanks for the info.

 

[BecksNesting]

Seriously, end your troubles with doing one bag fine hemp mixed with large bag 45-50lbs of potting soil. Our coop (6'x8') is decked and covered with a white polywall from Home Depot. The coop also sits on two large concrete pig slabs.

 

[3KillerBs]

I hate the metal roof on my pole barn as it leaks condensation on cold sunny mornings when there's NO rain... it's raining in the pole barn. And yet it is NOT leaking when it does rain. Proper installation perhaps would solve this,

No amount of ventilation will fix it.. the same thing happens under my covered runs that are completely open on the side and my back patio.

Best wishes!

This is where you hit the exception to the "don't bother to insulate a chicken coop" rule -- when you have a condensation problem and need a thermal break between the warm, moist air inside the coop and the cold metal roof/walls.

Certain areas are subject to the frequent occurrence of the temperature and humidity conditions that cause severe condensation problems beyond what the ventilation can cope with and thus insulating the roof so that the warm, moist air never touches the cold metal directly is necessary.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I'mn very late to this party, but I have a dumb question. How's the concrete floor in the rest of your shed, where its not being used as a coop, if you put a plastic bag or a cardboard box on it for a few hours???

VERY common for sheds NOT to have a vapor barrior placed before the floor is poured (no one will ever see it, adds time and cost). End result, the concrete wiciks moisture out of the ground underneath it...

The fix... is to start over. Meaning live with it. Which most do by painting with a sealant.

 

[Lilion]

I'mn very late to this party, but I have a dumb question. How's the concrete floor in the rest of your shed, where its not being used as a coop, if you put a plastic bag or a cardboard box on it for a few hours???

VERY common for sheds NOT to have a vapor barrior placed before the floor is poured (no one will ever see it, adds time and cost). End result, the concrete wiciks moisture out of the ground underneath it...

The fix... is to start over. Meaning live with it. Which most do by painting with a sealant.

We've never done that. It's used for lawn mowers and garden tools. But it does appear our attempt at sealing roof leaks seem to have helped.

 

[Honey Meadows]

I didn't either. Greenhouses last quite a few years, don't they? I wouldn't have thought it would be an issue. We really need light! The roof slant faces north and in summer trees shade the side of the shed the coop is on. That's why I chose that end. It keeps the metal shed from overheating. But we have discussed more windows as well. Still, skylights would be pretty awesome, light-wise.

I have almost the same setup with a coop in a barn. I started reading this bc I've also had damp spots on days when it seems like there isn't tons of rain. I use a shovel or poo rake and turn it all and move it around.

I wanted to add that the front half of our barn does have some of those "clear" panels for light but I'll tell you, though it can be dim in my barn, the heat on the side with the light panels is waay too much to bear during Summer.

I'd skip it and just add a little run so they can go outside using their chicken door.

I've raised many chicks in my barn and love it to pieces. I hope you come up with a good solution.

 

[Honey Meadows]

I'mn very late to this party, but I have a dumb question. How's the concrete floor in the rest of your shed, where its not being used as a coop, if you put a plastic bag or a cardboard box on it for a few hours???

VERY common for sheds NOT to have a vapor barrior placed before the floor is poured (no one will ever see it, adds time and cost). End result, the concrete wiciks moisture out of the ground underneath it...

The fix... is to start over. Meaning live with it. Which most do by painting with a sealant.

I have a question: if you seal the concrete, and the water is coming from the ground, will the sealant bubble up?
Thanks.

 

[U_Stormcrow]

I have a question: if you seal the concrete, and the water is coming from the ground, will the sealant bubble up?
Thanks.

Nothing lasts forever. And yes, the oil based sealants that are really painted coatings tend to do just that, just like water based latex floor paints over oil spots. there are some water based, soak in sealants which don't do that, though they tend to be a bit more expensive - likewise with the penetrating oil stain/sealants . and it means that all the concrete under the sealed layer is still high in moisture...