Black dots

[dawg53]

Yall need to put some flexible screen on your vents and entrance to coops. It's easy to do and a roll of screen isnt expensive. Lowe's and Home Depot sell it. It'll deter mosquitos, flies and gnats from getting at your birds. I have a fan under each coop blowing air to deter biting insects as well.

 

[EggWalrus]

Yall need to put some flexible screen on your vents and entrance to coops. It's easy to do and a roll of screen isnt expensive. Lowe's and Home Depot sell it. It'll deter mosquitos, flies and gnats from getting at your birds. I have a fan under each coop blowing air to deter biting insects as well.
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How long do those fans last on the ground and how often do you have to clean the blades to keep them blowing?

 

[MissChick@dee]

I had the same thing. I washed them off.
Found a peck wound on one hen put antibiotic ointment on it. The other specs were dried blood ... they shake their heads and fling it everywhere even on feathers.
Cleaning them up is a good place to start. Most specks just rubbed off with my fingers. Best wishes

 

[Wyorp Rock]

How long do those fans last on the ground and how often do you have to clean the blades to keep them blowing?

@dawg53 can give you his answer But I'll give you mine too.
I use fans, one in the coop window and a few more in the run. I hang my run fans in the rafters to blow down. I just clean the coop fan once/twice a year, but it does get a buildup of chicken dirt I've had mine in the window 3 yrs. The run ones I replaced this spring since I had old used fans from another project, so with them hanging, they probably will not need to be replaced for another 3-5yrs unless they just quit. I try to find "weather resistant" or similar wording when purchasing fans.

 

[Eggcessive]

After going through several box or pedestal fans in my coop, I finally bought one like this on sale at TSC one year that has an enclosed housing. It hangs high on a block of wood, blowing air out of my coop window, pulling air through the coop from the door. It is a dust magnate, but keeps on working after 4 years. The model in the picture is one from Home Depot, but similar:

 

[dawg53]

How long do those fans last on the ground and how often do you have to clean the blades to keep them blowing?

The box fan under my main coop is 2 years old. It runs from spring until the first cool front rolls through around late October. That's when I clean the blades as best as I can. I'll probably replace it October 2019.
The smaller fans last 1 to 2 years. When they start to slow down while running, or the medium and high speeds crap out, I replace them with new ones.
I also have fans inside the coops. I clean them around October and they last about 2 years.

 

[EggWalrus]

The box fan under my main coop is 2 years old. It runs from spring until the first cool front rolls through around late October. That's when I clean the blades as best as I can. I'll probably replace it October 2019.
The smaller fans last 1 to 2 years. When they start to slow down while running, or the medium and high speeds crap out, I replace them with new ones.
I also have fans inside the coops. I clean them around October and they last about 2 years.
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The reason I asked is because I have a couple of box fans just like the one under the coop, they stay inside and I have to clean the blades every month or two, otherwise the dust on them prevents it from blowing strong even on high. Once I clean them, it's like a hurricane even on low again.

 

[dawg53]

The reason I asked is because I have a couple of box fans just like the one under the coop, they stay inside and I have to clean the blades every month or two, otherwise the dust on them prevents it from blowing strong even on high. Once I clean them, it's like a hurricane even on low again.

What do you use for bedding? I use pine shavings inside my coops, but as you can see in the pics, the fans are mounted to the ceiling in 2 separate coops and a standup fan in the main coop. So, they dont get as dusty or dirty. I suppose if they were floor mounted, I'd probably have to clean them once a month.
As far as the box fan under the coop, I have sand in the pens and the fans dont get as dusty or dirty like they would if it were dirt in the pens.
Speaking of hurricanes, my coops have been through two of them recently lol.

 

[EggWalrus]

I use deep litter method. But I meant the fans are in my house, not in the chicken house.

You're not too far from me. I'm about an hour north of PCB, and just across the border!