Wet coop!

[Badhbh]

We have some sort of deluge going on right now.. it's time to build an ark. The barn has never been wet before, but now the floor is wet all over. There's no *standing* water in the coop, but the shavings are soaked. I've temporarily put boards and 2x4s on the floor so the girls can get up on something dry, but is this going to be an emergency? I have no place else to move them. I'll obviously have to shovel out all the wet shavings when the rain stops, but i'm more worried about now.

 

[patandchickens]

Oy, we're probably going to have that here soon -- we have SOOOO much snow on the ground and it's gotta melt SOMEday (in fact we're expecting 1/2"+ of rain tonight and tomorrow, don't know think that will be the definitive spring thaw tho). You certainly have my sympathy

First, is there anything you can do to route the water elsewhere -- run downspout outflow thru drainpipes or etc, dig shallow trenches leading off to lower ground, etc. Make sure a gutter or downspout hasn't come down (fix it of course if it has).

Second, see if you can score some pallets. Businesses often give 'em away for free, do some phoning around. You can stack pallets as much as several layers high if necessary, put old carpeting on top of them (or a tarp over top of opened-out cardboard boxes, if you're really desperate), bedding on top of the carpeting, and your chickens are up out of the flood.

As SOON as the flood is over, remove the soggy litter. You can spread it out to dry in the sun and depending on how nasty it was before it got wet and how fast you can get it to dry out you might even be able to reuse some or all of it, esp. if it can go in a covered outdoors area. You don't want to leave it in the coop any longer than avoidable, tho, since it can be a mold farm and will encourage the wood of your coop to begin rotting. For now, though, it is a good thing, as it will sop the water up and keep the water from going even LESS desirable places.

GOod luck,

Pat

 

[Dixiedoodle]

Do you have some old pallets around that you could stack up to get them off the ground, until the rain stops? what type of floor do you have in your coop? Is it heavy rains or has the rains made a new 'path' to travel? IF they rains have made new paths, you might can redirect the water by digging ditches around the coop, to push the water away. Sorry for you trouble. Hope it's fixed soon..Dixie

Pat, great minds must think alike!

 

[Badhbh]

It's a concrete floor.... the barn never really gets wet, but we've had 2" of rain today, with 4 more expected tonight and tomorrow. They're staying dry for now. I'll definately have to dig a drainage ditch after it's all over though.

 

[patandchickens]

My experience, courtesy of a very low property with various buildings and outbuildings that flood periodically (tho not as often as they did when we first moved here, *hah!* <pumps fist>) is that it is actually worthwhile digging diversion trenches NOW, while it is still actively raining/melting/flooding/whatever. Even here in Canada, if the ground is wet enough to be carrying rain- or meltwater, it is thawed enough that you can hack at least a shallow channel into it. I recommend a regular ol' pointed (not square) shovel, applied with a lot of English behind it at an oblique angle to the ground. Over and over and over.

It really does work. And the less water gets into your coop, the less rot and drying-out problems you'll have to contend with.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[StoneBridge Farm]

Badhbh:

If you build an ark...send it my way!!! It has been duck city all winter. The snow is finally gone, but now rain rain RAIN!!! The only happy critters I got are the duckies! I am having standing water where I have never had it. The chickie pens are a big muddy mess, and the water is flowing right threw their coop! I never thought of pallets! They have been taking refuge on their boxes and bowls. I WANT SOME SUN NOW!

SBF

 

[Badhbh]

The schools were closed today due to flooding! I'm on a hill tho. yay me. The water is still pooling up next to the barn, but it's not getting any wetter inside- it's all just rolling out the other side.
Poor girls. They finally figured out that standing on the boards keeps their feet dry.