Too much rain and wet sand!

[EggsForIHOP]

So...with a weeks worth of near constant rain, even being on the highest ground available, the sand floor of the bottom of the coop is SOAKING wet, STINKY, NASTY, and I am at a loss! There was one day where the rain was so bad, the whole yard was inches deep in water (it went away as soon as it let up) but this is the day that I believe has left the coop soaked through!

Good news is the roof did it's job - all the roosts and poop boards and shavings were dry.

But HOW DO I FIX THE SAND ISSUE? Should I bother trying to put the fan on it in the morning in hopes of it drying out? Or just remove it all and start over? This weather is getting ridiculous! Even rained twice today - of course once when I was out feeding - wouldn't that figure? Is there a phone number to call the clouds and tell them to stop with the water already?

 

[verlaj]

I have the same problem now in a way. My coop has open sides all around and the constant blowing rain has soaked most of the sand floor. The sand is raised above ground level, and although the water drains the sand still stays wet. I have a box fan running constantly in the coop, but I don't think it does anything for the moisture, because the rain and humidity are constant. Today I sprayed the entire coop with Oxine - with particular attention to the wet, stinky parts, then a little while later I spread hydrated lime (which I had for horse stalls) over the wet areas and raked the surface a little. A half hour later - no smell. Hope this might help you.

 

[mgw]

If it was mine I would reove the top 2" and replace it it should cover the smell & it will dry out fine .If it ever stops raining .

 

[EggsForIHOP]

LOL - yes, that is a BIG IF - it feels like it isn't going to! I already scraped the worst layer of sand out, but it just kept getting wetter the further down I went - so I was highly discouraged when I saw that. It's frustrating because we picked this spot being the highest driest one just for this purpose!

I just went out and threw A LOT of shavings down right now (it struck me as a thought worth trying) - hopefully they soak up some of the moisture and in the morning I can just remove them and some of the wetness with them - then I stomped themn down really good before I locked up for the night - all the chickens were on the roosts watching me like "What is that dance shes doing?" I'm sure my husband was laughing as well...oh well...maybe tomorrow will bring some dryness with it...

 

[clothdiaperingmom]

Im there with you. Up in Sweetwater. The other day, the side of my yard that has my swing set coop/run was a few inches deep too. I felt bad for the chickens. They went in the coop while it was raining, but came out and walked in the water as soon as it stopped.
I cant stand the funk either. I dont have sand in my runs, but was thinking I sure might consider. THough if you have the same problem, Im not sure it would help.
But we usually dont get this much rain. Typically, what weve gotten this past week is what we get in a whole yr!!

 

[NonnasBabies]

We had this same problem over the winter where we got way above average rainfall. My run probably had about 2 to 3 inches of mud. First my husband dug a little drainage ditch out the side to try to get the excess water to flow and then we added dirt! Lots of dirt. We start with a big pile of mulch we had from having stumps ground up that composted to dirt. Then I bought about 30-40 bags of top soil and just filled it up and raked it level and eventually it was compacted. Even after doing all that we'll still get places that get all mucky but I always keep a few bags on hand and I just throw them in the spots that are soft.

Missi

 

[patandchickens]

It sounds to me like your problem is high groundwater and low coop floor. The only solution is going to be to raise the coop floor. Can you install 2x8 or 2x10" pressure-treated boards all around the edges, up on end so they are tall, FIRMLY CONNECTED to each other by heavily galvanized brackets or whatever, and then put about 6" more sand into your coop? That should help quite a lot.

Another possibility -- although how much it will help, or whether it'll help at all, depends a whole lot on the topography of your yard and its surroudnings -- is to ditch around the coop and lead the water off elsewhere (to a lower area) with an extension of that ditch. Don't put it RIGHT near the coop or run fence, because you don't want to destabilize the ground they're built on; but a yard or so away is safe in most soils. Dig the ditch and its leadoff addition deep enough, and give it a few days, and see if that doesn't help with your coop.

Or, relocate coop to distinctly higher ground, although for most people that'd be quite a Project

Good luck, have ufn,

Pat

 

[EggsForIHOP]

Well, things have dried out somewhat - though rain is STILL in the forecast!!!!

It's already in the highest spot, I think it just got SO wet SO FAST that nothing has been keeping up draining/drying out like it should and once that sand got wet, with the humidity, it REFUSED to dry out...being Texas, east Texas to boot...I get the feeling this will happen off and on...I shoulda known! I haven't felt dry enough since I moved here 9 years ago!

But I removed all the mucky shavings (which did soak up a LOT of water/muck) and have put the fan back on it and it is getting better...more dirt/sand in MY forecast as soon as the rain stops (nothing like a truck bed full of dirt to encourage Winnie the Poohs little black rain cloud to pop up!)

I didn't think then that the dryest spot in the yard would get icky like this, of course it didn't have a coop over the top of it and a roof blocking the sun from drying it out. If only I had known then what I know now right? Maybe I could sweet talk my husband and his best good friend into digging a drainage ditch...then I would be able to turn it into a predator proof moat! With an alligator...on second thought...maybe no 'gators....but it would be pretty cool to tell people "That's the moat!" when they ask what the ditch is for....I like that idea very much...plus it is actually going to serve a purpose....let's see if I can at least get a moat out of this ordeal!