Pro - Does anyone else's nest boxes get soaked in rain?

[Henergy]

I've just been outside to clean the cube and was shocked to discover that under the pull out poo trays I have a large water puddle. It rained here yesterday so I guess that it has leaked ! Is this normal ? All the aubiose was soaking in the trays too.

 

Feeling quite glum now !!! Any ideas anyone ?

[karlotta]

Is it level? I notice from the lovely pics that it looks like it's leaning to one side (either that or your fence leans!) Might be worth whipping out the spirit level just to check?

[Henergy]

Hmmm - its not quite level as the ground does dip. We didn't think that that would cause it to leak though. We thought the cube would be ideal to cope with the dip as the run is forgiving & can be screwed in.

 

I will get DH to look tomorrow & see if he can twiddle with the fittings. I don't want to undertake major excavations though - thats why we decided against a wooden WIR !

[Henergy]

While i'm thinking about it - can anyone tell me (if you've recently bought a new cube) whether it is normal for the plastic to look rough in parts. When it arrived there were a couple of s"Ooops, word censored!"es on it too - so now its leaking I'm getting paranoid that its one that someone else had & returned due to leakage !!!! (Must go to bed - feeling depressed & allowing mind to wander - which is not good !!!)

 

Will get hose out tomorrow & test it I think, but would be interested in the condition of the plastic on a new cube if anyone can help

[Chicken shack]

The right hand tray has water under mine when I pull it out. I know it tilts slighty as when I wash it out the water stays at one end and I have to brush is out. I also had a few scuffs on my cube when it arrived last year but to be honest I probably wouldn't know where they were now. The scuffs are probably made when they emerge from the mould. I hope to be moving soon and when I re-site the cube I will ensure it is level with a sprit level. Please don't worry I am sure you will sort it out.

[Chucky Mama]

There have been reports on leaky cubes before on the forum. I would contact Omlet direct to discuss it. My cube gets moved around and is never level and I have never had a problem in the wet weather.

[Patricia W]

Check the gutters are clear. That plus the cube not being quite level can result in a leak I've found. But it is easily fixed

[Henergy]

Thank you everyone - we've been out for a family day today so tomorrow we will investigate further. I have also emailed Omlet to let them know & ask for advice. Hopefully we can sort ourselves - DH was distraught at the thought of having to swap it for another !!!

[Henergy]

Just watching the pouring rain we have here in Plymouth !!! Will definately know extent of any leak tomorrow I suspect

[Henergy]

Well we spent an afternoon dismantling & reassembling the cube. But I have to say we feel we've put it back in exactly the same way !! It did rain overnight but there is no leak today (although I don't know how much rain we had, it wasn't a downpour).

 

I contacted Omlet & they have asked me to send some photos that they can show the design guys if it happens again, which is fair enough. So I think we are on a wait & see....I could use a hose but I think thats not really a good representaion of weather & maybe a bit unfair , so waiting for mother nature

[fluffy chick]

I hope you get it sorted. Let us know how you get on it must be really annoying.

 

Just so you know mine is currently wonky as it's in a temporary position but it doesn't leak.

[Plum]

Mine did a bit when I'd moved it and taken it to bits but was fixed by slipping some gravel under the front end of the stands.

[Henergy]

Well its terrible weather tonight, thunder & everything, so a real test if ever there was one !

[Sam]

Hope it's dry

 

Your cube looks great btw - I saw the photos on your flickr

[Kirstie]

My cube leaks too, under the trays after heavy rain there is always great puddles of water, plus the nesting box gets wet - i dont mind the water under the trays so much but a wet nesting box isn't nice as it means the girls get wet when laying

 

Mine is in a field so it can't say it is super level, it's def not obviously off but it's not like it would be on a level surface! and I kind of think it shouldn't matter (as long as it's not really wonky! ) as omlet didn't sell it as a chicken house that needs to be on a flat level ground, nor just for back gardens (i didnt read any where not for fields ) But I think it is 3 years old and it prob needs a "service" so I will take it apart and put it back together again - when I have a spare few hours and a sunny day.

 

I do love my cube though and I recently had a chance to change it but omlet has some great features that no other houses do - so I wouldn't change it for anything (but if someone offered me a lovely new one for free I would accept it )

 

Do you think the water got into yours by being blown under the trays? If it was blowing in the wrong direction could it have got in?

 

Really hope you get it sorted xx and your girls get a lovely dry house again x

[Henergy]

Following on I have worked out where the water is entering. Its coming in through the poop hole air vents. Omlet have basically said that it must be due to the position of the cube & said that it shouldn't cause any problems.

 

Does anyone else have water coming in there ? The problem is that it mixes with the Aubiose & smells awful !

[Chucky Mama]

My cube is rarely flat or level and I have never had a drop of water in it whatever the weather. It's an awful shame Lisa as I remember your threads where you were undecided as to which coop to go for

[izzys-hens]

we dont have a cube but do have a classic, our classic is on a slight hill, and we always get water under the cleaning tray when it rains, but it never gets the newspaper or the nestbox wet.

[Sam]

It's an awful shame Lisa as I remember your threads where you were undecided as to which coop to go for

 

I agree, seems strange that some leak and some dont... could you swap it for another one? I doubt I'd be happy if I paid that much money and got a coop that leaked

[UKMARCH]

Earlier in the week when we had torrential rain I had some wetness in the middle tray but haven't ruled anything out yet as I suppose it could be from some particularly wet poo and a softee which had fallen through so will keep an eye out when it next rains, it has been fine with the other rain we've had. What do you mean by the poop hole air vent? I know what a poop hole is do you mean the gap above the poo trays the rain would have to come in at a strange angle to get in there I would have thought.

[rosy20]

My cube leaks in under the right side tray. The problem seems to be the right side drainage from the roof drains onto the

top of the tray, not draining clear of the cube like the left side. We have fitted an extreme weather kit but it makes no difference. Although I still prefare my cube to the wooden coop we replaced it with, I am bothered about this with winter approaching. It doesn't help being out of Omlets area living in the north-west. They did say they would look at sending replacement pieces, but I do not see how this will help, I'm hoping to put the cube inside a covered WIR. if I can find a second hand one at a reasonable price, this seems the only solution to me.

[Henergy]

I think I'll contact them again, as it does gall to pay nigh on a thousand pounds to then have it leak !

 

The thing is, we even have an Omlet clear plastic rain cover on but because it has to hook with the bugees onto the frame, it seems impossible to get it to go completely up to the edge of the cube.

[fluffy chick]

I would. I hope you get somewhere.

[malcolm]

Mine was delivered on Thursday and errected by the omlet delivery man. Leaks quite badly. Coming in around the poo trays and where the roof meets the back. Seems to be a excessive gap there. So will be on the phone Monday.

A lot of £ss for a coup that leaks..

[Henergy]

Let me know how you get on.