Coop floor gets wet. Do chickens urinate ?

[Got13now]

My coop is new wood construction 8x10 and 6 feet tall. The roof is metal and floor has wire underneath the roost but floor covered with linoleum. The coop is set 2 feet off the ground. It is wrapped with sheathing and caulked well but we have a vent up top. Could the open area with wire cause the wetness ? I am about to cover the wire with removable trays , so I can clean them. Also thinking about removing the straw on the floor and putting in sand / pea gravel. Oh, the flock is free from 7 am til dusk the run area is grassy with good drainage and no standing water/ mud. Any suggestions are appreciated Thank you.

 

[cavemanrich]

How wet is the floor??? By your description,, your coop is pretty sealed up. Can the wetness/moisture be a result of condensation???
Chickens do express poo and some liquids as a result of defecation.
If you remove the straw, which is not very absorbent,,, replace with Pine wood shavings. I would not put gravel or sand onto a raised coop. May be too much weight from a construction point of view. ( No pictures of your coop, and I am only speculating at this pint.) To work effectively,,, you need a somewhat thick layer.
Elaborate on how much ventilation your coop has,, as well as number of chickens using it.
Post a pix of the floor, with the wire covering.

WISHING YOU BEST,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and

 

[igorsMistress]

My coop is new wood construction 8x10 and 6 feet tall. The roof is metal and floor has wire underneath the roost but floor covered with linoleum. The coop is set 2 feet off the ground. It is wrapped with sheathing and caulked well but we have a vent up top. Could the open area with wire cause the wetness ? I am about to cover the wire with removable trays , so I can clean them. Also thinking about removing the straw on the floor and putting in sand / pea gravel. Oh, the flock is free from 7 am til dusk the run area is grassy with good drainage and no standing water/ mud. Any suggestions are appreciated Thank you.

My first thought was condensation as well. Can we see some pics of your coop?

 

[Acre4Me]

I’d guess condensation (not enough upper ventilation) or blowing rain. With a metal roof, you could have active condensation occurring and dripping into the coop. If you have their waterer in the coop, this just adds to the available moisture that can condense on surfaces. Chickens produce a lot of moisture by breathing and pooping anyways.

Our coop is elevated 2.5 feet. It has good upper ventilation. Before we got more roof put up, extending over the run from the coop, we had some heavy blowing wind and it made that corner of the coop wet (we were a bit surprised actually). Now the coop is a bit more protected, but it could still happen with heavy rain and high winds, but it would really depend on wind direction at this point.

 

[aart]

How wet is the floor??? By your description,, your coop is pretty sealed up. Can the wetness/moisture be a result of condensation???

Can we see some pics of your coop?

Ditto Both Dos^^

 

[3KillerBs]

Welcome to BYC.

Without seeing photos of your coop and it's ventilation I have to agree with those who suspect condensation. I used to live up in the mountains in Boon NC so I know that it can be VERY humid there.

Here's my article on coop ventilation: https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/repecka-illustrates-coop-ventilation.77659/

 

[gtaus]

Also thinking about removing the straw on the floor and putting in sand / pea gravel.

Years ago, I used straw in the coop. But it seems to get and stay wet, and then becomes smelly. If you don't replace it soon, it will mold.

I live on a lake, and have all the free sand in the world. However, I found that sand will get wet and smell. I was contantly cleaning the sand and replacing it with fresh sand all the time. It was too much work.

I would think both sand and pea gravel would be pretty heavy in an elevated coop. I would not recommend either as coop bedding/litter.

I have used deep bedding wood chips with great success. When they get wet, they seem to dry out faster.

The last two winters I have been using paper shreds as dry deep bedding. That is my current favorite method because I make the paper shreds for free with my household paper products that otherwise be sent off to the recycle center. All my junk mail, office paper, newspapers, and light cardboard (i.e. cereal boxes, etc..) are converted to free paper shred for use in my coop. Later they get composted in my chicken run.

If you have a problem with water coming through your vent, then I would suggest either an overhang and/or some kind of blocker to prevent sideways rain from flooding your coop. I have my vents sitting under an overhang, but they also have louvres to keep out rain. I don't have any water problems in my coop.

Not my coop, but here's a picture of a vent with louvres that keep the rain out....