Sefi's Shoop Progress

[Penpal]

The temporary coop looks pretty good, it should just be taller to get the girls away from the doorway. Probably fine for summer or autumn weather. You could even put a little wall a couple of feet in front of it to break the wind.

My connection is a bit slow when it has to download lots of pictures, so I didn't see all the photos. The new coop should be pretty protected by the shed. Yesterday I put my hoop coop behind a shed to block the prevailing wind. I'm sure they will be fine in their down jackets, but, you know.

 

[Sefirothe]

It rained and rained and rained and rained some more yesterday/lastnight/today. Everything is a soggy wet mess. No progress, just a photo of the run door and the trial repurposing of floor boards as furring strips.

I have to haul some more mulch down and fill inside the run now too. I wish my little garden cart were bigger. Or maybe not, it'd probably run me over coming down the hill to the shoop.

 

[aart]

You can learn a lot about your site during a heavy rain.
Bummer to have puddles inside a roofed run!
Hopefully they drain away quickly.

 

[Sefirothe]

You can learn a lot about your site during a heavy rain.
Bummer to have puddles inside a roofed run!
Hopefully they drain away quickly.

Truth!!

I'm hoping its a case of the mulch on the outside being at a higher level is making the water drain inside the pen. Its also quite windy up here, and very possible it was raining sideways last night.

Eventually I plan on building the mulch up inside the pen higher than the outside. If we ever get nice weather and I can make about a dozen trips with my garden cart!

 

[aart]

Truth!!

I'm hoping its a case of the mulch on the outside being at a higher level is making the water drain inside the pen. Its also quite windy up here, and very possible it was raining sideways last night.

Eventually I plan on building the mulch up inside the pen higher than the outside. If we ever get nice weather and I can make about a dozen trips with my garden cart!

That might help....but good to know how fast it drains before you add more mulch.
Will let you know if you need some drainage trenches under the 'camouflage'(mulch).

 

[thecatumbrella]

Truth!!

I'm hoping its a case of the mulch on the outside being at a higher level is making the water drain inside the pen. Its also quite windy up here, and very possible it was raining sideways last night.

Eventually I plan on building the mulch up inside the pen higher than the outside. If we ever get nice weather and I can make about a dozen trips with my garden cart!

I'm also using mulch in our covered run at the moment. I can tell you that it wicks in any runoff from the outside, even if you build it up higher. So it doesn't puddle, but it's never dry. One solution we came up with was to build a shallow garden box right against the offending side. The roof dumps into it, the plants soak up a least some of the water, and less ends up wicking inside. With your structure, you probably have the luxury of a gutter though!

Also, thanks for documenting your build. I really enjoyed reading through this and will continue following along!

 

[Sefirothe]

I'm also using mulch in our covered run at the moment. I can tell you that it wicks in any runoff from the outside, even if you build it up higher. So it doesn't puddle, but it's never dry. One solution we came up with was to build a shallow garden box right against the offending side. The roof dumps into it, the plants soak up a least some of the water, and less ends up wicking inside. With your structure, you probably have the luxury of a gutter though!

Also, thanks for documenting your build. I really enjoyed reading through this and will continue following along!

We have some gutters saved (Dad saves everything!) that were ripped off our house when we replaced all our gutters last year. Dad thinks he can piece together two good lengths to add to the bottom of the roof slope.

Your idea is also a good one! I have a raised flower bed that I saved (I am my father's daughter after all!) when we had to relocate it to put the fence up in the front yard. I might put that in until we can get a gutter up.

 

[Sefirothe]

That might help....but good to know how fast it drains before you add more mulch.
Will let you know if you need some drainage trenches under the 'camouflage'(mulch).

24 hours or less and the puddles were gone. I don't think I'll be doing much remediation at this point other than adding mulch to the inside of the pen and eventually a gutter probably.

I'm waffling on adding the raised flower bed where the roof run off currently hits. I don't want to put it close enough to the pen that I can't walk between the pen and the bed. And if I put it far enough from the wall, the roof overhang isn't long enough for the water coming off the roof to hit the flower bed.

 

[aart]

24 hours or less and the puddles were gone. I don't think I'll be doing much remediation at this point other than adding mulch to the inside of the pen and eventually a gutter probably.

A gutter would be good....tho I hate gutters, much prefer a large roof overhang.
When I had to reshingle the shed that my coop was eventually in, I extended all the roof overhangs.

I'm waffling on adding the raised flower bed where the roof run off currently hits. I don't want to put it close enough to the pen that I can't walk between the pen and the bed.

Agrees, plus most likely the runoff would beat the bed, and any plants in it, to death.

And if I put it far enough from the wall, the roof overhang isn't long enough for the water coming off the roof to hit the flower bed.

Now that I think about it, I'm betting that the roof run off is where the puddles came from.

 

[thecatumbrella]

I'm waffling on adding the raised flower bed where the roof run off currently hits. I don't want to put it close enough to the pen that I can't walk between the pen and the bed. And if I put it far enough from the wall, the roof overhang isn't long enough for the water coming off the roof to hit the flower bed.

I don't know if this will help, but here's a picture of our setup. The flower bed is only 16" deep and 6" tall. We end it right before the entry door.