Icky mucky coop woes

[Relleoms]

For an immediate bandaid, perhaps you could cover the outside of the window with heavy gauge plastic and a staple gun, then make the changes others have suggested.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

I would flip that vent/window cover around so hinges are at the top.
Nest lid is of bad design, would take more to 'fix' that.
How handy are you?
Are those the only 2 places water is getting into coop?

Yeah, pretty much. I haven’t noticed any leaking other than that area. I do usually seal it off in the winter with plastic. I’m pretty handy, not so much as others though haha. Best thing I did was create a coop run door.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

I would flip that vent/window cover around so hinges are at the top.
Nest lid is of bad design, would take more to 'fix' that.
How handy are you?
Are those the only 2 places water is getting into coop?

Good idea btw. Worth trying! I’m going out to do some serious cleaning right now, maybe seal off the window temporarily until I can fix it long term. I got more sand too.

 

[Relleoms]

Maybe pick up a bag of stall refresher & mix that with the sand. It may help dry it out a bit, and help with the smell. And turn, turn, turn! Add a fan, too, if possible.
https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/sweet-pdz-stall-refresher-25-lb

 

[Cryss]

The rain leaking in due to poor vent install/location is the problem here, not the choice of litter. Until you fix the problem with water getting in, no litter choice is going to work well, because there's simply no place for the water to go. Scooping and sifting sand only works when it's dry, and shavings or hay/wood/other similar litters are only absorbent when dry.

Photos of the inside of coop along with problem areas would help a lot.

Yup. Stop the leak and your shavings will be fine.

I would flip that vent/window cover around so hinges are at the top.
Nest lid is of bad design, would take more to 'fix' that.
How handy are you?
Are those the only 2 places water is getting into coop?

Yes! That door on the window is installed upside down.

Good idea btw. Worth trying! I’m going out to do some serious cleaning right now, maybe seal off the window temporarily until I can fix it long term. I got more sand too.

Looks like you're on the right track. Good luck! Let us know how the sand works. I've thought about this but pine shavings have worked for me for a year so I don't know if I should change.

 

[aart]

I’m going out to do some serious cleaning right now, maybe seal off the window temporarily until I can fix it long term.

'Sealing' the window will close off much needed ventilation.

 

[rosemarythyme]

x3 on the window, flip it so the hinges go on top. It'll need to be propped open but this way at least the water will sheet away over the window, instead of some going right into the opening and the rest pooling on the door hanging there. You really need a solution other than just covering it up because that appears to be a good source of ventilation.

My nest box is completely internal so not sure how to fix a bad lid on an external box. It's likely leaking where the hinges attach to the wall, as there needs to be a gap for the lid to open an close, but either the roof overhang over it is insufficient or the nest box is pointed directly towards the winds, which is causing water to go down the wall and then straight into that gap.

 

[aart]

Quick fix for nest hinge would be to tack a piece of flexible rubber on wall of coop and let it drape down well over edge of metal lid material. EDPM pond liner of roofing membrane would work best, but might be hard to find.
Red is rubber, blue is 1x2 screwed down tight.

 

[dunnmom]

I also had a sand run. I loved it, except it turned to dirt so fast. Unless I amend twice a year, we get mudded when it rains. I’ve started throwing shavings and leaves and stuff like that down to get them up out of the mud, but what I know I’ll end up doing is covering the run completely so less rain gets in.

 

[GldnValleyHens]

'Sealing' the window will close off much needed ventilation.

That’s true, but the ramp is open during the day and there is a screened slider glass window on the left side I could open. If sealing keeps the water out for the winter, I think it’ll be ok