Major/Minor issue

[Sbr73]

First winter with my flock of 6. Today was the day I figured it would be a good idea to put my heat tape on and the deicer in the bucket. Also, I decided to clean the poop board and turn the hemp in the henhouse which I do weekly. Upon turning my hemp I found that is was completely frozen and wet underneath. I won’t receive new hemp until Tuesday and it was too late to clean the entire house out. Top layer about 3 inch thick is dry. Will they be ok and any suggestions on what to do tomorrow until my hemp comes.? Warm weather tomorrow it will thaw and be wet. It has corrugated roofing, I suppose that is my issue.

 

[aart]

Upon turning my hemp I found that is was completely frozen and wet underneath.

Need to find out where the wet is coming from.

Warm weather tomorrow it will thaw and be wet.

That's the time to get out and get the wet stuff out.

 

[CanadaEh]

your roof have enough overhang, I don't see how it being corrugated might be an issue.

with top 3 inches dry it seems the water runs along the floor than soaks into the bedding.

do you allow your chickens splash water inside or do you have a nipple waterer that may leak before freezing?

the wet bedding along the floor is not a problem for your chickens but for the floor that may rot out very quickly.

 

[tigger19687]

Could the waterer be leaking? Maybe rain coming in from that big hole in the upper right side of coop in your pic?
Wet floor, as stated above, will rot.
Get it out and get shavings, I think they will dry out faster which is why they are popular.
Use the hemp in the run area.
I would clean it out now, maybe keep the dry stuff and use it in the mean time, but get that wet stuff out... it will also smell

 

[aart]

That’s what I am wondering. If the waterer is leaking. It is a pvc nipple waterer.

Got pics?
Is it heated to keep from freezing?

Horizontal or Vertical nipples?
How much wet bedding was there, a cup or a gallon or more?

VN's can leak pretty easily.
HN's can have drips/splashes when they drink, enough to wet the bedding.

 

[Sbr73]

I don’t have pics of the water set up. I will try tomorrow. They are horizontal nipples, not a lot of water, but it did spread and it was mostly concentrated under where the nipples are but it is also where the corrugated panels overlap from the roof. For now we put a tarp over it in case it’s the panels from the snow melting. Thank you for your help.

 

[3KillerBs]

This is the bedding inside the enclosed area, not the run, right?

If the water is due to the roofing it is probably due to condensation from inadequate ventilation at roof level -- the warm moist air the chickens generate hitting the cold metal/plastic (just like a glass of iced tea sweating when you take it out onto the porch on a sticky summer day).

Do you have ventilation across both the top and bottom of the roof slope?

 

[Sbr73]

Could the waterer be leaking? Maybe rain coming in from that big hole in the upper right side of coop in your pic?
Wet floor, as stated above, will rot.
Get it out and get shavings, I think they will dry out faster which is why they are popular.
Use the hemp in the run area.
I would clean it out now, maybe keep the dry stuff and use it in the mean time, but get that wet stuff out... it will also smell

Thank you. That’s what I am wondering. If the waterer is leaking. It is a pvc nipple waterer. Took all the wet frozen bedding out and put pine shavings so they don’t slip all over the floor lining. No smell so it must not have been wet long or too frozen to mold and smell.

 

[Sbr73]

This is the bedding inside the enclosed area, not the run, right?

If the water is due to the roofing it is probably due to condensation from inadequate ventilation at roof level -- the warm moist air the chickens generate hitting the cold metal/plastic (just like a glass of iced tea sweating when you take it out onto the porch on a sticky summer day).

Do you have ventilation across both the top and bottom of the roof slope?

Thank you. Yes, inside the closed area. The hen house where they roost. Ventilation at the top but not the bottom. It is vented at the top on 3/4 sides but nothing on the bottom.

 

[Sbr73]

your roof have enough overhang, I don't see how it being corrugated might be an issue.

with top 3 inches dry it seems the water runs along the floor than soaks into the bedding.

do you allow your chickens splash water inside or do you have a nipple waterer that may leak before freezing?

the wet bedding along the floor is not a problem for your chickens but for the floor that may rot out very quickly.

Thank you. I have a nipple waterer inside with pvc and 5 gallon bucket attached to it from outside. Floor is covered with food grade plastic liner.