Duck/chicken coop design help

[gazdkw82]

So I built a 15ftx5 enclosure for my chickens and ducks. They seem happy and I'm generally happy with it. However, it has 1 problem with the design and I need some help.

Everytime we get a day or 2 of rain it literally fills up with water. I believe most of it comes from rain blowing into the area and rain dripping off the canvas roof. I also believe the fact that the area is generally lower than the garden itself it may be rising water. I don't know much about ground design so.im a little stuck. Iv put 5 bags of sharp sand in which made the area look great but when I last filled with water you would never know I put anything in it at all.

The idea was to build a natural draining area that would require less cleaning. Maybe I just order a few tons of pew gravel and lift the entire area?

Some help would be great

 

[rapparee]

Elevate the floor of the pen so it is higher than the path way.

Also it looks like it is a concrete floor so there is no natural way the water can soak away.

The concrete blocks around it create a swimming pool filling up effect.

At least drill a hole in the lowest corner so the water can sweep out.

 

[gazdkw82]

It's not a concrete floor, it's a path all around it. I dug it out to the clay Level and filled it with sand/stones and other bits to help drain. Iv thought about drilling some feel drainage holes and then raising it with pea gravel and some sharp sand?

 

[rapparee]

It's not a concrete floor, it's a path all around it. I dug it out to the clay Level and filled it with sand/stones and other bits to help drain. Iv thought about drilling some feel drainage holes and then raising it with pea gravel and some sharp sand?

Yeah that's what I would do.

Raise the level so you're higher than the flagged pavement and have a few drainage hole at the back to allow seepage away.

 

[static zap]

The middle of our lawn was prone to flood.
(but never any real volume of water) It did not penetrated the soil , just hung within top inch !
--A drainage trench under the path filled with gravel-- Now gives the water somewhere lower to go. Did get carried away 0.5 -0.6m in places.

 

[FatAlan]

Swap the chickens for more ducks.

 

[ruston]

You also need to create some form of guttering on that tarpaulin .
That is a large catchment area for water and will wash the sub base away unless in is drained.

 

[Des 56]

The ducks will be fine,just buy a pair of wellies for the chickens

 

[gazdkw82]

The middle of our lawn was prone to flood.
(but never any real volume of water) It did not penetrated the soil , just hung within top inch !
--A drainage trench under the path filled with gravel-- Now gives the water somewhere lower to go. Did get carried away 0.5 -0.6m in places.

So how exactly did you create a drainage Trent?

 

[FatAlan]

So how exactly did you create a drainage Trent?

I think you’ll find the Trent is a name given to a large natural drainage channel know as a river in certain parts

 

[telectrix]

we have a similar (but not as posh ) coop for ducks. the whole thing is mounted on a rectangle of loose laid bricks with 1" spaces between the bricks. any water drains away.

 

[gazdkw82]

we have a similar (but not as posh ) coop for ducks. the whole thing is mounted on a rectangle of loose laid bricks with 1" spaces between the bricks. any water drains away.

That is a good idea. When you say mounted ontop of the bricks, is it a solid floor base sat on the bricks? Or something else?

 

[telectrix]

no. bricks are laid on patio slabs and the ducks have straw thrown in directly on the slabs. all the bricks do is elevate the coop and allow drainage of any water. i'll try and get a pic. a bit later after my liquid breakfast.

 

[static zap]

In my case path had been laid lazily on sand.
Lifted path - hid drainage in a narrow 1 ft slit following path for 3m in area getting soggy.
(If that doesn't suit situation..may be able to dig covered pit -nearby deeper. (fill-gravel/rubble)

(can get all fancy if soil is sandy nearby with membrane). Just make sure any pipe work part blocked with rocks to keep rodents out!

 

[PEG]

Did the last inmate of that pen,eat a load of hard-boiled eggs,and then keep shaking a bush?