[Carolf]

 
We bought our coop just before we got our chooks (about 5 weeks ago) from Dobbies (aka flipping Tesco's!!) and I am seriously miffed.
We have had some pretty serious rain the past few days and this morning when I went out to clean the poop tray and it was almost swimming in water.  I opened the lid to the nesting box and the water had dripped down into one of the nests in the corner. Not soaking wet - most of it went into the poop tray - but still not a nice sight to see. 
I removed the wet bedding - admittedly only a handful but still, and dried as much as possible.  I have put a cover over the coop now (one specially made for the coop, and I am going to have to leave it on until I can figure out how to stop the flipping thing leaking).  I am not keen on leaving the cover on as it is still very mild and I don't want the chooks overheating so I will leave the flaps up. 
Why is it these days we get so many inferior flipping products from the huge shops  
I had a similar thing with a well known pet shop with a product we have been buying for ages (treat sausages for the dogs) and recently they have changed them to the point of them being really bleh 

I don't have time to look at changing the roofing on the coop as we are off on holiday this Saturday but when we get back I will have a better look and see if it can be repaired - should be a hoot as I know the square root of beggar all when it comes to joinery 

Anyway, I just wanted a good old bleat (I figure if I bleat enough hubby will feel sorry for me and the chooks and let us have an eglu  ok ok I can but dream hehe)

If anyone has a leaky coop similar to mine I would love to know how you sorted it - if it involves nails and a hammer things could get hairy though 

[kegs]

What type of coop have you got and is it the roof that's leaking?  Maybe you could just replace it with some Onduline which will be easier.

[Carolf]

What type of coop have you got and is it the roof that's leaking?  Maybe you could just replace it with some Onduline which will be easier.

I think it's the same type as you have Kegs 

I posted pics here  http://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=73179.90

I think I will probably have to get some Onduline and replace the whole lot.  The leak seems to be coming from the corner above the roosting box part - the nesting box only got water in it as the leak is right in the corner where roost meets nesting. 

[ANHBUC]

Looks like the overhang of the main roof is not enough to give protection to where the lid of the nest boxes joins the coop.  The rain will be dripping off the roof and seeping in through the joint.

A temporary solution would be to put some duck tape on the joint until you have time to sort out the bad design or complain to your supplier.  It is not fit for purpose if it lets in water.  Make sure you take photos if possible.

[Carolf]

Good idea ANHBUC, never thought of taking pics but I will do so.  At the moment I have a cover on the whole coop (specially designed for this type of coop apparently) but I shouldn't have to use it now. It is meant for winter to keep the cold and wind out  

[ANHBUC]

If it is wet and warm you could have a problem with mould which will not be good for the hens.  If it is just leaking on the nest box joint use the duck tape for now.

[Carolf]

I have just had a good look and taken pics (been trying to upload them but I'm having probs grrr) and it looks like the water came in on both sides above the roosting bit but the one side looks worse than the other - that's the bit where the water came into the nesting box. As we are off on Saturday I will ask my sister to take the cover off if the sun decides to come out again and hopefully it will dry out without leaving too much damage or mouldy bits

[ANHBUC]

Good luck and have a happy holiday.

[Carolf]

Good luck and have a happy holiday.

Thanks ANHBUC   I just know I'll worry about the chooks but I have my fighting boots on.  Going to write a strongly worded email to the suppliers.  I might not achieve anything other than making myself feel a wee bit better 

[ANHBUC]

Even if you get some compensation it will be worth it.  We bought our coop online and when it arrived it had some obvious faults.  We contacted the supplier who was prepared to send us a complete new coop.  We did not want this as the next one could have been the same.  We agreed to accept a 10% discount and do the necessary repairs ourselves.  They also sent us some new roosting perch supports as the ones in the coop were glued in the wrong place.  So it is always worth complaining as long as you are polite and know a bit about your rights.

We will construct our next coop ourselves but this one will do for now. 

[Carolf]

I have just sent an email to customer service (which my husband read, burst out laughing, then said it was fine - I am not the best at composing letters  ) so hopefully I will get something out of them - even if it is just advice on how to repair my coop.  If I had wanted a sauna for the chooks that is what I would have bought (luckily I didn't say that in my email) 

[ANHBUC]

They will just buy them from China so will not know if there are any problems with the design until customers let them know.  Once you have pointed out the problem they should give you a solution which does not cost you time or money without recompense.

[Carolf]

I had a scout about on the internet for the make that I purchased.  It appears loads of folk sell them but I suspect you are right about the 'made in China' bit as I can't find a website specifically for them. 

At the end of the day, it's the chooks home and it needs to be safe, warm and comfortable so I will fight my (our) corner and hope the issue gets sorted asap. A few warm, rainless days to get the roof sorted and we will be laughing 

[Carolf]

Just arrived home after a weeks holiday and as we walked in the back door the first thing I noticed was 2 flat pack boxes.  Seems my email landed on the right desk as they have replaced the chicken coop with a brand new one   
I then checked my emails and the company had sent one on the Tuesday company saying that their coops do not normally leak, they were very sorry to hear my of my problem and they would send me a new one asap.  So, from a customer service point of view, I can't fault them 

Not sure if we are going to use it or not as hubby and I were chatting on holiday (yes I know, sad folk thinking of our chooks whilst away on leave lol) and we discussed getting an eglu.  As my OH pointed out, we have pretty harsh winters here and the chooks do need to be warm and dry.

[hillfooter]

Just seen your post Carolf.  I must say I'm afraid the majority of cheep Chinese / Indonesian coops are very poorly designed and use flimsy materials which don't last long in our climate.  They do however fit together beautifully though as they are made from machined materials.  The usual place leaks occcur is the hinged joint between nestbox lid and house side wall.  Without a sloping overhang over the join it will certainly leak.  A solution will be to find an old thin rubber mat (a car mat would do) or similar and screw it tightly with a baton to the side of the house so it seals to the house wall and flaps down over the hinge joint with a good overhang.  Fix it far enough above the hinge so it doesn't prevent the nestbox lid opening.   Any water running down the wall or off the roof wll not then go through the hinge.  I use this design on my tree mounted wildbird nestboxes to keep them dry.

Just looking at this house is enough for an experienced keeper to know it wasn't designed by someone who understands the needs of chickens.  The roof is too flat with inadequate overhangs to shed rain.  The nestbox looks like it has felt on it , anyone with a modicum of knowledge knows felt is a red mite heaven and a real no no for poultry. Also chickens don't need windows and I could go on.  These coops are made cheaply in furniture factories as fill in work in slack periods using probably off cut materials from garden furniture.  They are manufactured on modern computer controller machinery so have lovely surface finish and fit together well.  However they aren't designed by experienced poultry keepers so have design mistakes as well as being flimsy.  After a few years the thin section tongue and groove boards will warp and let driving rain and wind in too.

I don't think your hubby should get you an eglu however maybe you should consider one for the chickens  Though I'd modify the two houses you now have and  in a few years time when they're falling apart and you have a bit more experience and knowledge use it to get a more suitable house.
HF