How do you keep your bedding dry in wet weather?

[Vincentville farm]

I'm finding that my bedding is getting moist as the weather is changing. I use wood shavings and deep bedding method. Under the roost, which is near the door, my bedding looks damp and has clumps. I have a wood floor so this is NOT desirable, nor is it aromatic. I have more ammonia smell. I use Sweet PDZ stall refresh and add bedding regularly. I have also removed and replaced all the bedding under the roost recently. Is there anything else that might be of help for keeping my bedding dry?
I have also put the old bedding in the run to keep my little flock from walking in mud as they have defoliated their run. Of course, this bedding is wet from rain. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Debbie292d]

I'm finding that my bedding is getting moist as the weather is changing. I use wood shavings and deep bedding method. Under the roost, which is near the door, my bedding looks damp and has clumps. I have a wood floor so this is NOT desirable, nor is it aromatic. I have more ammonia smell. I use Sweet PDZ stall refresh and add bedding regularly. I have also removed and replaced all the bedding under the roost recently. Is there anything else that might be of help for keeping my bedding dry?
I have also put the old bedding in the run to keep my little flock from walking in mud as they have defoliated their run. Of course, this bedding is wet from rain. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

I'm not so sure about adding horse bedding pellets to a deep bedding as I've never done that, but it's probably the most absorbant, all-natural thing you could use to dry it out. We use them solely in our coop and brooder.

 

[NatJ]

I'm not so sure about adding horse bedding pellets to a deep bedding as I've never done that, but it's probably the most absorbant, all-natural thing you could use to dry it out. We use them solely in our coop and brooder.

If you mean the kind of pellets that are compressed sawdust, that fall apart into loose sawdust when they get wet, I think adding them to deep bedding would work fine.

 

[Debbie292d]

If you mean the kind of pellets that are compressed sawdust, that fall apart into loose sawdust when they get wet, I think adding them to deep bedding would work fine.

100% compressed pine, which will turn to sawdust if/when they get wet.

For example, what we buy from TSC, but all farm stores have them.

 

[NatJ]

100% compressed pine, which will turn to sawdust if/when they get wet.

For example, what we buy from TSC, but all farm stores have them.

Yes, those should be fine to add to deep bedding.

 

[rosemarythyme]

When you say "moist" is it just slightly damp from wet birds tromping around, or is it actually getting wet because of water intrusion through vents, or a roof leak?

There really isn't anything you can add that'll keep it dry over an extended period of time. Fixing the issue of how water/moisture is getting in is the long term solution.

 

[Baker1181]

I use those pellets in the floor of coop mixed with some straw. Works great. Especially by the ventilation window. Scoop out poop and mixed it all around and smells good again. As for the boxes, I’m gonna re do my lid, but I have a mix of straw and pellets. Just wanna make sure I keep things dry so that’s what I do.

I use them in my enclosed run as well. Sparingly, mixed with hay in the covered/dry section of my run just mainly on the edges.

And a ton of them in the uncovered section. I lightly rake the poop out every few days to keep it clean for them and when you do that releases a refreshed pine smell.

The best part is, no water build up and no mud or dirt in that section. Grass still will pop thru it. The dry side of run is still dry dirt and they dig holes and take their baths in it. I just took this pic, raked a hour or so ago so there’s a few piles but looks nice and clean when done. Light rake with a plastic on a only the poop and some debris gets shoveled out and Regina is taking her dirt bath

The picture was taken through the chicken door, it’s still secure, safe, and enclosed

 

[aart]

Of course, this bedding is wet from rain.

How id rain getting into your coop?
Post pics of coop, all around inside and out.

 

[Vincentville farm]

I'm thinking that my chickens are bringing in the moisture. They don't stay inside when it rains. But it is only affecting the area under the roost. I'm attaching MULTIPLE shots of my coop.
There are no roof leaks and the ventilation under the eves are fully protected. One of the doors has a big draft problem. I solved it with stapling cardboard all over it. I want to build a leanto in the run so they will have more protection from the rain but my handyman is really busy. Considering putting a tarp across the top in the meantime, like the white one on the end of the smaller run.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Will be trying to add pine pellets as soon as I can purchase some.

 

[NatJ]

I'm thinking that my chickens are bringing in the moisture. They don't stay inside when it rains. But it is only affecting the area under the roost. I'm attaching MULTIPLE shots of my coop.
There are no roof leaks and the ventilation under the eves are fully protected. One of the doors has a big draft problem. I solved it with stapling cardboard all over it. I want to build a leanto in the run so they will have more protection from the rain but my handyman is really busy. Considering putting a tarp across the top in the meantime, like the white one on the end of the smaller run.
Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Will be trying to add pine pellets as soon as I can purchase some.

For chickens tracking in water, there is not much to be done other than keep replacing the wet bedding with dry (unless you arrange a roof or something to keep the run dry too.)

If the wet area is under the roost, not near a door or window, I wonder if it is really from the rain? Or maybe the chickens are just producing lots of wet droppings while they are sleeping at night? In dry weather the droppings would dry out pretty quickly, but in humid or wet weather they would stay wet longer.

It is common for bedding to get wet & dirty under the roost, even when it stays mostly clean in the rest of the coop. That is because chickens produce a lot of droppings during the night, and they all land right under the roost. The daytime droppings tend to get scattered around the run, which is a much bigger space, so they don't have such an obvious effect.