Ammonia smell

[vfem]

There is a wonderful article on ventilation on someone's BYC Page. I know someone here remembers where it is? No matter how 'cold' or 'nasty' your weather gets, ventilation is a must. If you are really concerned about cold, definitely get something you can close up on super cold days or nights, but are able to open back up. Maybe cut out a window and cover it in the screen you saw suggested. Then add a hinge and latch door to cover it on cold days.

On my coop, our heavy winds come from the west, so I placed screened vents on the top north and bottom south part of the coop under an over hang. This allow some breeze in the summer, but won't let the cold winds in during the winter.

You have gotten a TON of great advice this is what will fix your issue, so I hope you found how you want to do this.

Just love those BYC'ers

 

[mdbokc]

The vent opening at the top of the coop or above the hens is very important according to the designs from state depts of agriculture that I looked at. You want to be able to draw air out through the coop slowly and out the top in the winter is what they showed. I put a plastic cover of the north gable vent opening (a strong north wind just would come blasting in) and leave the south open. Then use a little inflow (it takes very little) from the soffit vents (don't have all open in the winter).

During the winter, they also say it is important to protect the birds from drafts coming from vents right above the birds. So I use construction plastic right above the high roosts only to stop any cold downdrafts from the open gable end.



Then I take a few minutes and remove the plastic as soon as reasonable weather returns in the spring.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
mdbokc, I like your roost area but do you have those clamp-on lamps secured with some wire or cord? I'm just a bit leary of those clamps failing at the wrong time.

Something tells me the alpha hen has her spot reserved by the window.

Ed

 

[mdbokc]

Yes, clamps are held in place by screws and wire. They are 50w infrared. I only use them a few nights a year. I remove them when the plastic comes down.

There is plenty of roost space by windows as I have lower roosts by window openings on another wall that they use and sleep on during warm weather. So they are all by windows sleeping at night. They go for the breeze when it gets hot.

 

[Intheswamp]

Quote:
I tend to over-engineer when I do something, but that little ball that the clamp tightens onto to hold the lamp in a specific position is a weak link. There is a possibility of that if something frightened the chickens that one could fly into the lamp and dislodge that ball from it's clamped position thus causing the lamp to fall. My choice would be to use some tape and wire or nylon cord attached to the lamp cord just past where it exits the lamp assembly and secure the wire/cord to the rafter. That way you have the actual lamp secured rather than just the clamp.

Just some of my feeble thinking.

Ed

 

[mdbokc]

I thought the same thing about the swivel point. I did tighten them down hard so there is absolutely no movement there. Figured I would cross that bridge when necessary...so far so good after several years. The height is above their normal "flapping range" at 22 inches above the roost.

You can't tell it by the picture but these are small 60w fixtures, not the big reflector ones most would likely use. The reflector is held to the base by only 1-1/2 turns, can easily be dislodged if hit hard enough. My concern would then be the bulb breaking.

 

[lfoose]

Forgot about this one. Here is a pic of our coop last spring right after we planted our garden.

 

[lfoose]

Quote:
Let's try this again...

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a245/lfoose/May09011.jpg

 

[mdbokc]

Wow, that's the real deal. Lots of openings already in place for use. Just need to use them!

 

[lfoose]

Lol, no kidding.

Only about 1/2 of that is the actual coop, from the door to the right.