How to keep water out of pen

[Pegmlee]

I recently converted a 10'x10' dog kennel into a chicken pen. I bought a prefab coop and put it inside. Fits good enough for my 3 hens. We just had our first gully washer and water is coming into the pen making it very wet and nasty. There is still some dry areas, but I'd like to keep it all dry. I thought it was on a good enough slope, but guess I was wrong. What can I put around the perimeter of the pen to keep the water from flowing in? Would sand bags work? What about boards with dirt pushed up against it? Looking for something not so expensive that a 60+yr old woman can do!

 

[aart]

Depending on the surrounding terrain, it might be easy to dig a swale or trench to redirect to the water around or away from the pen/run.

I have several swale trenches dug near and thru my run, the surrounding terrain doesn't offer the option of routing the water around the run, so it goes right thru it so it's like a river instead of a lake of water in the run. Have to dig it out once in a awhile because the chooks like to dig there and plug it up. My soil is pretty sandy so it does drain and dry up pretty quick, swale jsut keeps the 'flooding' and runoff from heavy rain in one smaller place until it can drain away.

If you can post a pic of your pen and the water in it and the surroundings area, might be able to help you figure it out.

 

[Judy]

Dig a small drainage ditch around the pen with anorger draining ditch going downhll from there, maybe?.

Here is a great article on fixing a muddy run; perhaps something will help.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/how-to-fix-a-muddy-run-chicken-coop

 

[Pegmlee]

I saw something called Quick Dam at Home Depot. Do you think something like this would work?

 

[Pegmlee]

To dig a trench, our dirt is extremely hard, plus it's close to the property line with lots of tree roots in the way.

 

[aart]

I saw something called Quick Dam at Home Depot. Do you think something like this would work?

Looks like it would work, but would depends on if there is a lower place in the area for the water to be diverted to.
Not sure what it contains and if it might hazardous to chickens...maybe call them and ask.

 

[Pegmlee]

Thank you all for your suggestions and the link to the article. It was very helpful. I'll think on it some more.