Help! Coop is wet 😩

[Shugercube]

after spending so much time finding the perfect place for my coop… we had an exorbitant amount of rain yesterday and now my coop and run may as well be a swamp!! I have bare floor coop and run, a thin layer of sand in the actual coop, covered by bedding, and about 6” of litter (mostly pine straw, with some grass clippings, and dead leaves, etc) in the run.

What can I do to dry it out?? That area has never flooded but today it’s all about 1/4-1/2” of standing water The top layer of pine straw in the run is dry, but the second any weight is applied the water squishes out. And the coop is just plain soaked. I can rake out all the bedding, but is there a better way that doesn’t involve having to redo the whole thing? I don’t want my chickens to get sick, so I will do what it takes but I’m currently experiencing neck and back issues requiring prescription medications, so the heavy duty work of completely cleaning out a ton of wet bedding isn’t exactly my top choice lol.

What can I do to prevent this in the future? I honestly have never seen that part of our yard full of water like this!

 

[DobieLover]

Can you please post pictures of your setup?

It sounds like it is not setup on high ground. That needs to be fixed for a permanent solution.
If one side is draining into the coop/run, you can enlist a friend or relative to help you dig out a trench on the uphill side and use the material removed from making the trench to form a swale. Then line the trench with landscape fabric, put in a drain pipe and fill with gravel.

 

[Aunt Angus]

When my run flooded the day we got 14 inches of rain, pelletized pine bedding fixed it! Yes, moving your run would probably help in the long term, but I'd say for now, pelletized pine will save you. It turns to sawdust when wet and absorbs a crazy amount of wet.

 

[SourRoses]

If it weren't for your back I would suggest digging a trench around the inner perimeter with either an outlet that runs downhill, or a sump pump in the trench.
I did the (running downhill version) at a campground around our tent area on clay soil when it decided to pour all weekend, and it worked. But I was a teen and didn't think to ask permission, so everyone was mad at me (oops!).

I really feel for you, dealing with soggy ground is the worst.
Is there any chance you could move your birds somewhere safe and dry (like a garage or temporary pen) until things dry out? It's likely to take awhile and meantime mold could be growing.
You could try posting an add on craigslist or FB for someone to come dig it out for you. Or drive by a home improvement store at the crack of dawn and see if there are any guys out there waiting for work, something contractors often do when they need extra hands, only you will likely have to drive him there and back again.

 

[3KillerBs]

Wet straw is very likely to mold if not gotten out of there.

If this was a rare event, changing out the bedding may be adequate. If it's something that is likely to occur several times a year you'll need to do something to fix the drainage for next time.

Possible sources of free or low-cost labor to assist you since you're currently incapacitated:

Church youth groups/men's ministries
Scout troops
Volunteer fire departments
Civic service clubs
Veterans' clubs

 

[Aunt Angus]

Wet straw is very likely to mold if not gotten out of there.

If this was a rare event, changing out the bedding may be adequate. If it's something that is likely to occur several times a year you'll need to do something to fix the drainage for next time.

Possible sources of free or low-cost labor to assist you since you're currently incapacitated:

Church youth groups/men's ministries
Scout troops
Volunteer fire departments
Civic service clubs
Veterans' clubs

Or post on Facebook in a local group. a friend did this here, and the response was overwhelming! Shocked me because so many people who responded were just kind strangers. She got her coop rebuilt after a storm destroyed it. Folks even donated materials.

 

[NatJ]

What can I do to dry it out?? That area has never flooded but today it’s all about 1/4-1/2” of standing water The top layer of pine straw in the run is dry, but the second any weight is applied the water squishes out. And the coop is just plain soaked.

I would try to dig a trench so the water can run away to somewhere lower, and dump in a bunch of absorbent material.

Whether to remove the wet material would depend on how much new material is available. The more dry matter you add, the less wet each bit will be.

 

[Aunt Angus]

I would try to dig a trench so the water can run away to somewhere lower, and dump in a bunch of absorbent material.

Whether to remove the wet material would depend on how much new material is available. The more dry matter you add, the less wet each bit will be.

Another benefit to the pelletized pine bedding. When my run flooded (we're talking inches of water), I threw pellets on the puddles. Once those had absorbed the puddles, I threw more pellets all over and mixed them into the wet material with a rake. The stuff expanded like crazy, but it was tolerably dry again.

But I think a trench would be good to prevent problems in the future. For now, try the pelletized bedding, if you can. I think you'll be happy with the immediate results.

 

[Idaho Chicken Bungalow]

Wet straw is very likely to mold if not gotten out of there.

If this was a rare event, changing out the bedding may be adequate. If it's something that is likely to occur several times a year you'll need to do something to fix the drainage for next time.

Possible sources of free or low-cost labor to assist you since you're currently incapacitated:

Church youth groups/men's ministries
Scout troops
Volunteer fire departments
Civic service clubs
Veterans' clubs

Also HS aged students needing money to pay their sports costs. School websites close are on Facebook. PS grass mold too

 

[Zoologist]

Your coop is flooded? Probably need to elevate the coop so it doesn’t get water in it and check for leaks. I would take out the wet bedding in the coop.. as for the run I cannot give you any advise as mine is concrete and I’ve never had to deal with this issue yet. Best of luck that you can figure this out