How to Keep Bedding Dry in Winter?

[chirpingstad]

This winter has been very wet and muddy, and no matter what I do, the inner coop bedding always seems to be getting damp and cold. I tried putting some straw bedding in the run to make it less muddy but that didn't work very well. Any tips?

 

[Bonkerelli]

Is the wetness being tracked in by you, chicken, or a leak in the coop. A covered run would help keep some weather out being tracked in the coop. If there is noticable water buildup by the run/coop could dig a drainage spot.

 

[neo71665]

You gonna have to address where the water is coming from first. Just throwing straw down only covers up the problem and over time will turn into a moldy rotting mess.

 

[linguini]

the inner coop bedding always seems to be getting damp and cold

In my first year and first coop, I was troubled by some wet spots after rain. Here
are the steps I went through for diagnosis:

Can you pinpoint the wet spots?
how are the wet spots related to the roofline?
Is there condensation in the "ceiling" of the coop?

the last one was most important to me - wanted to make sure it's not a ventilation issue.

 

[Sally PB]

I had a damp spot when it would rain. I could not find the source of the water. Everything on the walls and roof by that area was bone dry. Turns out, it was coming in one spot that was on a different wall, about 3 feet away, and just seeping along the floor. When I figured that out, it was easy to fix the issue.

 

[3KillerBs]

I agree, you have to figure out where the water is coming from.

If you provide photos of the coop, inside and out, we might be able to make some suggestions.

 

[Bryce Thomas]

Find the source of the water, it needs to be patched up whether its a leaky faucet or something else, then open all windows and doors for ventilation so it can dry out

 

[Wattson]

This winter has been very wet and muddy, and no matter what I do, the inner coop bedding always seems to be getting damp and cold. I tried putting some straw bedding in the run to make it less muddy but that didn't work very well. Any tips?

try a dich around it