ideas: whats caused the floor of my ark to be soaked

[tlck9]

i'm rehoming 3 chucks next week, i have the ark setup as a hospital bay at the moment, due to omlet, so have kept it clean, and ready to use

i went to clean it out for the new arrivals and the newspaper was sodden under the wood shavings, yet no obvious signs of leakage

is this down to condensation?

[RichmondHens]

Hmmm, unlikely if you've only had one chook in it. Are you sure the weather hasn't got in? If there has been a change of wind direction the rain may be blowing in from a different angle. And is it standing direct on the ground? In this wet/cold/damp weather, when a house isn't in use, it's best to raise it up on bricks or something to let the air circulate underneath. I would also empty it out completely of any bedding/newspaper etc.

If you have a garage or shed to stash it in when not in use, then do so. Otherwise try and keep it under cover best you can until you get more hens in it.

[Alice]

I don't know anything about keeping hens, but if I had damp newspapers on the floor of my shed I would put it down to condensation. Why would it not be .

[Suechooks]

I noticed the other morning that the Stalosan on the floor was damp from condensation in one of my huts and there's plenty of air circulating there (Onduline roof with overhang) and its raised 2' off the ground. The weather that night had been really cold and I think the wood floor and the chooks kept the internal temp up -> condensation.

[Eco-Chic]

Tick,
The walls and edges of the bottom of my coop were wet from water seeping in through the joins of timber holding the roofing felt on, then seeping under the felt through the joins where the sides cornered, if you get my drift.

Since I've overlayed plastic corrugated panels on the roof this seems to have sorted the problem. I haven't fixed the corrugated panels yet because I want to make sure the felting and plywood interior is completely dried out. Come spring I'll remove the felting completely.

How's Omlet getting along?

[lynda66]

at a guess the fact it's been p***ing down for 6 months might have summat to do with it

[tlck9]

I didnt realise that having the chucks in there would warm it sufficiently to keep it dry, but obviously it does.

I suppose really my question should have been more about what people are putting on the flooring of the coop, to avoid wet paper syndrome

Daft question really, but I was unwell when I posted, so perhaps not really thinking straight, the drugs must have got to me

[Eco-Chic]

I've given up newspaper on the flooring since it got damp even with my 3 chooks in there and just put in the shavings. Damp paper just made it easier for them to scratch and tear it into bits.

I shall go back to paper when (if) it ever becomes warm and dry again.