# my hen house leaks!!



## realsis

As you know my chicks are still inside my house until they feather out but last night we had some rain and I checked on the coop and it leaks! What to do? I should have never bought a pre made coop! Home made are much better! How would you fix this?? Is a tarp ok to use? I'm worried now. Any advice?


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## profwirick

realsis said:


> As you know my chicks are still inside my house until they feather out but last night we had some rain and I checked on the coop and it leaks! What to do? I should have never bought a pre made coop! Home made are much better! How would you fix this?? Is a tarp ok to use? I'm worried now. Any advice?


my "gift" of three chicks came a day before Sandy. We put tarps all over and glass and concrete blocks! tried desperately to keep them dry...too dumb to bring them in the house! it poured for days and their little run was a soup of mud despite my efforts. I had wet chickens.  if they had been established they might have stayed in the house. if I had not been a total novice, I would have done any number f things differently, staring with refusing the gift until I had read more. I learned, but at the expense of my poor chickens.


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## realsis

Yes I'm not going to let them outside until I'm certain I have the leak fixed! Good to know that tarps don't really do the trick, thanks for letting me know. Perhaps we can build another type of roof over the coop! I'm going to try to figure it out and pinpoint the leak! I don't want my chickens getting wet and cold! That's very important to me to try and keep them warm and dry! I'm just greatful I found out now before the chickens we're in the coop!!


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## rob

ive got all sorts of tarps and covering trying to keep mine dry.


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## jen3910

Can you shingle the roof? They are really cheap at home improvement stores and you just nail them on starting at the bottom. I didn't use anything underneath like tar paper and it keeps all the water out.


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## realsis

That's exactly what my husband said he will do! We will shingle it! I Hope I can find the shingles fairly cheap. It must be done either way because I want my girls to stay nice and dry!  sounds like a perfect weekend project! I'm going to have to wait till I get paid but at least they won't be in the coop until it's finished. I'm really kinda glad I found out now before the chickens we're in the coop! Right now they are in the spare bed room of my house. Until they feather out. Thanks for your help!


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## fuzziebutt

Tin is also inexpensive. If it is a small leak, that spray stuff that the commercial uses on a screen door in the bottom of a boat works GREAT!! But keep the chicks where you know they will be warm and dry. Tarps will be fine if they are bigger than the roof, where rain can't get under them. Just make sure they are tied down. And hug the chicks alot!!


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## rwilly

Depends on what your roof is made of. If you have a tin roof and you can locate the leak, plug it with silicone, or use silicone and a screw in the hole. If you look on Craigslist you might be able to find some scrap tin to go over the top of it. If it is 3 tab roofing it can easily be replaced.
For making a roof on our coop, I just used scrap tin and plugged the holes with roofing tar. 
Typically when I build a shed of some sort, I put plywood down, cover it in tar paper, then 3 tab roofing or tin.


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