The Great Winter Coop Humidity/Ventilation Experiment! Post Your Results Here!

[Beekissed]

Some valid points! Not many roosters are going out in subzero windchills for very long without seeking shelter from the wind now and again. I'd also note that the comb and wattles of a rooster have WAY more vascular flow than do the surface of the skin of a human's nose, cheeks, etc. Even the type of skin they have on those areas differ from the skin of a human's face, being much less vulnerable to exposure to weather.

While observing my own flock out foraging around in weather that is -1 according to the windchill, I didn't note any shriveling or contracting of the rooster's comb and wattles, nor in the hens that are currently laying. They seem to have more blood flow simply due to their hormone activity compared to other members of the flock, so their combs and wattles are loose, deeply red and fleshy compared to the hens not currently laying, which show decreased size, color and an increase in dry looking skin at the surface. Pretty much the same way they look even when it's not that cold when some are laying and others are not.

 

[mobius]

Daily Report;

5 pm

Outside: 35F RF 54% (sudden drop in RF here, it was about 83% all day)
Coop: 37F RF 83% (no chickens)

8 pm

Outside: 36F RF 67%
Coop: 37F RF 83% (with chickens)

10 pm

Outside: 31F RF 66%
Coop: 37F RF 83%

Morning:

7:30 am

Outside: 28F RF 74%
Coop: 35F RF 78%

Good news is it looks like the chickens and coop still stabilize a fair amount after about three hours. Admittedly I don't have a 3 am reading

. I might have min/max on hygrometer, will have to read instructions

One possible observation: Perhaps much harder to get RH down in coop or lower than outside as temps hover in the thirties. Will continue to monitor!

Further observation: I am glad it is above freezing in the coop! We shall see what the day will bring! High is supposed to be about 34F.

Chickens now really enjoying some suet in the last day, and are coming in to be closed up with a bit of scratch thrown down...we are getting a true routine on this now!

Hope all of you out there AND your chickens are warm and healthy!

 

[centrarchid]

If you feel proficient using spread sheet software, then I suggest you generate a graph with time on the x-axis and two y-axis, one showing temperature and second showing relative humidity. What I think you will find is that the relationship between the temperature and relative humidity will vary as a function of ambient temperature. In my setting, when temperature is higher I need more ventilation to prevent humidity from saturating. When temperatures are lower, heat produced by birds more effectively then causes slight increase in coop temperature causing a decline in RH. Measuring would be more difficult but I bet the heat input from chickens also promotes more airflow if structure allows hot air to go out top and cool air to come in below. Chicken heat is the engine.

 

[mobius]

Daily Report:

5pm: No chickens in coop

Outside: 33F RH 61
Coop: 35F RH 77

8pm: Chickens in coop 3 hours

Outside: 29F RH 74
Coop: 34F RH 69

9 pm

Outside: 22F RH 81
Coop: 33F RH 74

7;30 am

Outside: 16F RH 87
Coop: 26F RH 75

All good so far, I am still pleased that with temps ranging at freezing point, and high outside humidity, the coop is warmer and RH lower than outside after chicken addition stabilizes the coop. Can I say that? Could it be that natural with proper ventilation tweaks? Hoping and fingers crossed!

@centrarchid "Chicken heat is the engine"! Bears repeating! I would never have thought this...love that statement!

 

[mobius]

OMG everyone! I.Have.A.Graph!

Here is the link:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet...aquyyrIF6WlyctL9dUSYJrbmtg/edit#gid=544183475

If it is just the spreadsheet that shows up, look at bottom right and click on "Chart".


How cool is this, and it may continue to populate as I add data over time. Just flipping amazing.

I cobbled the spreadsheet together and then! @WesleyBeal put it into a chart for me! Many thanks and big shout out to Wes!

 

[centrarchid]

Soon you will have enough data to generate a chart where you can relate relative humidity in coop as a function of temperature and outside relative humidity.

 

[Molpet]

cool graph

 

[bullets]

Data is beautiful

 

[mobius]

Soon you will have enough data to generate a chart where you can relate relative humidity in coop as a function of temperature and outside relative humidity.

Yes! I want me an algorithm. That would be the ideal outcome. I would add in # of chickens (banties would vary) so corrected by maybe total weight of chicken on average, perhaps cubic footage, and vent area, to try to narrow it. At least I can for mine. If others were to do this a bit (I'm a dreamer I know) we could further test coop area/#chickens/vent area variance. So far N=6.

 

[mobius]

Daily Report:

5 pm No chickens in coop

Outside: 23F RH 82
Coop: 28F RH 77

10 pm chickens in coop for 5 hours

Outside: 18F RH 91
Coop 26F RH 72

11:30 pm

Outside: 20F RH 91
Coop: 24F RH 72

7 am

Outside 16F RH 87
Coop: 24F RH 74

So in teens and low twenties, below freezing and even with outside humidity quite high, the coop continues to stabilize in the late evening and the RH is lower than outside and within tolerance.