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

[aart]

Quote: AhHAH!! Now I know why you are doing this

it's hard not to apply that training and experiences to everything, eh?!
You'll get over it with chickens...mostly.

 

[mobius]

Really the WHY you seem to think you know (ascribing motivation much?) has to do with concern over my flock in inclement weather. And nothing wrong with using the skills I have. I am simply trained to be a curious problem-solver. So far, the findings are interesting, and possibly important.

 

[Beekissed]

I agree! Experiments done in a backyard lab, if one is to view it practically, are not going to be according to Hoyle. Since there are no studies done on such a thing...anywhere..these little experiments done as best as one can, even without controls set up, are just as informative in their own way. It shows a person is trying to learn their own coop and flock conditions and assessing, changing and improving according to those findings.

It's advisable for each person to do their own experiments on their own management practices so that they can have the optimal conditions for their own flock. Consider the alternative, as Mobius has stated...a lot of posts filled with "woe is me" topics but no one pushing up their sleeves and getting down to the business of solving their own flock's issues by exploring the seasonal conditions, the adaptability of their coop and ventilation setup, and the results experienced.

I applaud this experiment....I'm very fond of experiments conducted on the homefront~as one can tell by my own many experiments documented on this forum, particularly those undertaken despite no good information to be found elsewhere.

 

[lazy gardener]

IMO, this is one of the most important threads on the BYC site. Agreed with Bee, the woe is me attitude, often stating a problem without the desire to actually implement the necessary changes to actually fix the problem gets old fast. I want to run to town to pick up a hygrometer, and at least one more outdoor thermometer, so I can have a better idea what is going on in my coop as it relates to temp/humidity/frost bite/and egg laying. I did an exhaustive search, and found nothing in the commercial arena that even vaguely relates to the issues that we as back yard flock keepers encounter with our small coops and flocks in a frigid winter.

 

[aart]

Really the WHY you seem to think you know (ascribing motivation much?) has to do with concern over my flock in inclement weather. And nothing wrong with using the skills I have. I am simply trained to be a curious problem-solver. So far, the findings are interesting, and possibly important.

Me too!
No offense intended whatsoever.

I've tons of detailed data collected the first year or two.
It's fun and I learned a lot.
Have just relaxed it...... somewhat...tho never stop thinking of the details and variables.

 

[MollySunshine]

Hygrometer! Brilliant idea and one I didn't really think about! My humidity control measuring stick to date.....is there condensation on the windows. Nope, all must be good then. I quickly went on Amazon and purchased one for the pullet coop and one for the bachelor pad.

 

[Beekissed]

I use the rooster's comb as my humidity guage!

If he starts showing dark tips or spots on the tips, I know to open up more ventilation. When those go away, I've got the levels right.

Also the DL...if it's too moist after heavy rains or snow falls, I cover with dry and open up more ventilation. Too dry, add moisture and close up ventilation.

 

[mobius]

Hygrometer! Brilliant idea and one I didn't really think about! My humidity control measuring stick to date.....is there condensation on the windows. Nope, all must be good then. I quickly went on Amazon and purchased one for the pullet coop and one for the bachelor pad.

And nothing wrong with the window or @Beekissed 's comb solution! I just wanted a little more precision myself (and don't have Beekissed's rooster ( or any rooster

)). I wanted more precision because it is my first winter with chickens, and the weather outside is frightful! I mean I had no idea what -12F would bring in terms of humidity! Now I do know. Better.

Incidentally, and I welcome response to THIS finding, I just googled ideal humidity winter chickens on the internet. I looked and looked, similar to what @lazy gardener did, only for small flocks. I DID NOT FIND anything! definitive except for people quoting much lower levels of humidity than I have found, or quoting humidity levels used by large scale chicken producers. I did not find a test case on backyard flocks. Not one!

I did find a lot of folks and some chicken bloggers randomly stating what is best, or talking about humidity tips while avoiding discussing specific levels of humidity.

Guys, we can't just "make it up" or take everything we read on the internet to be the case. If it were, my last few nights would have been over the top for humidity.Turns out @patandchickens advice at beginning of this thread may be the best we have.

As Beekissed mentions, and to supply another datapoint, these humidity levels I am reporting (try to keep it under 75%, 85% would be absolute max) include observing chicken's combs. All chicken combs to date are just fine!

 

[Beekissed]

I agree. I think any levels noted should also be considered with how they affect the chickens themselves. If it doesn't seem to affect them in any way at X % of humidity, how then can that be considered a bad level of humidity?

Then one has to consider that one is not able to measure humidity level right at each chicken's head...that humidity would change according to how much heat she/he is generating at any given time, how many other chickens are sleeping on either side, their position on the roosts compared to where ventilation spots may be, changes from any changes in flock number, their proximity to the roof...or not, even the humidity levels outside and how those affect changes in the coop humidity hour by hour, etc.

It's all relative, thus has to be a case by case "study" on how things are in each coop...that's why there's truly no studies done on it, whereas commercial poultry housing being more or less standard in size, stocking and practices can have more absolute findings.

It's all interesting and a learning process about how things change in our own coops and how we can affect change there through our own management practices to gain more comfort for our own flocks.

 

[WesleyBeal]

Side note: if someone finds a hygrometer they like, that once calibrated seems to be accurate, works outside at low sub-zero temperatures, etc., could they report back?

Everything out there seems to be so cheaply made. So often they don't work.

Heck, I'd like to know people's thoughts on thermometers too. Got one that seems to work now. First one I ordered off of amazon would never measure a temp below 27 degrees.

I realize there's another thread on what weather instruments people are using, but so far it seems focused on weather stations, and less specific things like a hygrometer.