ChrisEllis Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 I'm coming across a big problem - the rain, this question is more for conventional chicken keepers - i have a woden coop and im finding that the rain is directing through the flap that is always down during the day so the chickens can go in and out of the coop and its making all the wood shavings wet and the inside wet and i dont know how to stop it? Does rain ony ever fall one way if so would i need to change the way my coop is facing - does anyone know what direction the front face of a coop should be facing - south-side north-side etc. Also i have a small chicken feeder atm - im getting a bigger one soon, but i find that the minute it rains all the food gets wet then no more food comes out once they chickens have eaten whats in the little sections because its wet and stodgy? I was thinking of building a little woden shelter - like a small 3 sided box so to speak with a roof and then putting the food under it and also some space they can sit if its raining as they are making the coop wet going in and out. Can anyone give me some tips? Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plum Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 The wind and rain often come from south - south west so try and face your coop away from there. You could put up a windbreak as well or a porch type thing. While you have your saw and hammer out your idea of a feeding station is good. They really need dry clean food to eat or you will get nasty bacteria and mould growing in it, so some shelter would solve that problem. Good luck you have a busy sunday ahead. Post us some pics when you are done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisEllis Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 Sounds pretty easy - get two piec es of wood and nail them either side of the door and just above and then some sort of waterproof material over the top and then pegged in the ground - and then like you said make a small station Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 What about erecting a makeshift "porch" area? Hubby is doing something similar over our eglu for our christmas chicken guests - some wood fence posts for pillars and baton with perspex sheets on the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisEllis Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 Thats another idea, i'll have a think, we have got quite a lot of wooden posts we could use, and where can you get perspex sheets from - is that the clear plastci waterproof sheets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 We got ours from Wickes - plasted corrugated sheeting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocktail_chick Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 I've hammered down my summer beach wind breaker, you know the ones made from brightly coloured plastic with intermittent posts, in the direction of the wind - it looks rather crazy, but works a treat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisEllis Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 haha sounds gd - im trying t make it look conventional - lke wooden and home made sort of thing, so i will probably go for wooden posts and plywood or something maybe not plywood its probably not very water resistant but u know something that is country-like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocktail_chick Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Absolutely understand! I only put mine up when the weather's rubbish like today, wind howling down the river I live on, but normally just leave them without. It's not so good for the lawn though, leaves great big holes all over the place! What about some of that willow or similar screening you can get from good garden centres? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisEllis Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 yes that could be an idea - i might make them a porch for their house but i would suspend the wood coming out from the coop otherwise i cant open the clenaing tray up and then drap some sort of sheet - but noing drastic as i dont want it to look ugly, or i might even make a felt roof so it ties in with the coop, and then im gonna make a 1m x 1m little cube with one end open and put their food in it and make the ground of it rubber chippings and about 10 cm of gravel dug under it so its easy to drain so i can hose down their poo keeping it hygeienic thanks for the ideas guys anymore jus post i'd be grateful Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jools Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 (edited) Living 500ft up a wet and windy hillside I do understand your problem Chris. I have a couple of houses that suffer that problem and, if you'll excuse the pun, kill two birds with one stone. Think of your three sided feeding station / shelter. Well, make it two sided and put it in front of the chicken house so you have a porch, feeding station and shelter all in one. My Boughton arks (Forsham) are the best as the "pophole" is in the floor and accessed by a ladder, so even up here the wind hasn't worked out a way to blow the rain in yet. Edited November 29, 2009 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocktail_chick Posted November 29, 2009 Share Posted November 29, 2009 Can I move in Chris, sounds like it's going to be amazing!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisEllis Posted November 29, 2009 Author Share Posted November 29, 2009 Living 500ft up a wet and windy hillside I do understand your problem Chris. I have a couple of houses that suffer that problem and, if you'll excuse the pun, kill two birds with one stone. Think of your three sided feeding station / shelter. Well, make it two sided and put it in front of the chicken house so you have a porch, feeding station and shelter all in one. My Boughton arks (Forsham) are the best as the "pophole" is in the floor and accessed by a ladder, so even up here the wind hasn't worked out a way to blow the rain in yet. I see where your coming from, I quite like the though f having seperate places though - call it OCD if you must But if i have a seperate feeding station it means its more accessible and the chickens approximately over 100sqm2 to run around so everything bunched up by the coop might make it look a bit bare elsewhere. Thanks for the idea though Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
