Need help with rain running on coop floor

[anniejs]

First winter with chickens and hubby doesn't have coop done. Our chickens are in a covered dog kennel placed on the corner of an unused concrete basketball court. All is fine except when it rains the water is running into the kennel. Is there a way to divert the water or some type of dam to lay around the kennel to keep the water out without ruining the cement? What if I tried to raise the floor, maybe use a mat of some sort, maybe a horse barn floor mat? Would that work with chickens and cover it with straw or chips? Ideas?

 

[Judy]

I don't know how thick a mat like that is, but I suspect it would wet the pine chips from below. Maybe you need to dig a trench around the high sides of the pen and then a ditch for them to drain into, diverting the water around and away from the pen.

I do know of a member who's a lot more expert about such things than I, though:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-fix-a-muddy-run-chicken-coop

 

[3forfree]

sounds like the water is coming in from below the coop? You need to raise the coop off the cement. Maybe you and hubby can raise the doghouse enough to get some cement blocks under each corner that will keep it dry.

 

[DallasCriftins]

Go and buy a plastic Pallet and put the kennel on that
We can get them here in the UK for £5

I have my 6x4 duck house standing on four of them

 

[anniejs]

Go and buy a plastic Pallet and put the kennel on that
We can get them here in the UK for £5

I have my 6x4 duck house standing on four of them

Thank you, that may be the answer. Hadn't thought of that, now if I can just find them locally cheap.

 

[williamson218]

Try red clay around the sides or sand bags then wrap it with a tarp using zip ties and that will keep it dry

 

[Ashburnham]

A brick under each corner will do the job.

 

[williamson218]

It wouldnt hurt to get a wooden palet put the boards close enough to put wood chips but you still wanna put clay or sand bags around it to keep the water from setting under it water is a magnet for harboring diseases and rodents plus snakes i wiuld suggest raise the floor a few inches using a hard clay then some treated 2x4s for a frame to keep the wood chips in alot better then palets or a rubber mat and clay is easy found and 2x4s treated isnt much held together with 3 inch torque screws