rain proofing?

[abhaya]

I am building a coop from scratch no pattern really I know what I want but I am not a carpenter. I want my nest boxes attatched on the outside of the coop and have a lid on them that is hinged on top to collect eggs. How do I make the so water wont com in where it is hingrd when it rains I dont want to flood my silkies. This is a new coop for silkies only.

 

[7L Farm]

It shouldn't leak because the 2 boards will overlap where you install the hinge.

 

[patandchickens]

Yeah actually many people have a chronic problem with this, with exterior nestboxes. The most common solution is to take a strip of flexible rubber-type material and use it as a flexible flashing -- insert it behind the siding that is above the hinge, and let it overlap several inches down the roof of the nestbox so it covers the hinge and diverts rainwater over and past the hinge area.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[matimeo]

You can put a strip of bicycle inner-tube or something similar along the crack if rain is getting to it. I haven't had that problem yet with my coop because the roof of the coop comes out far enough that the rain can't get to the crack. The overhang is only about 5 or 6 inches, but that seems to be plenty.