Building New Coop/Barn...Phase 5 Great Barn Build, OCCUPIED! 3/6/16

[aart]

It is a tough decision.

The vapor barrier might be a really good idea...or it might not be needed at all...
.....and how the heck do you tell without putting up a wall and leaving it in on one side and not the other?

If you do need the vapor barrier, you've got to protect it from punctures, which adds great expense to the project(don't think you ever planned on wooden floors?)

Are your existing coops dirt or wooden floored?
That might tell you what the amount of moisture that might rise from the soil?

 

[speckledhen]

It is a tough decision.

The vapor barrier might be a really good idea...or it might not be needed at all...
.....and how the heck do you tell without putting up a wall and leaving it in on one side and not the other?

If you do need the vapor barrier, you've got to protect it from punctures, which adds great expense to the project(don't think you ever planned on wooden floors?)

Are your existing coops dirt or wooden floored?
That might tell you what the amount of moisture that might rise from the soil?

Every building was built off the ground with floor joists and wooden floors, usually tongue 'n groove 1/2" OSB. We put black plastic on the ground under 2 of the four buildings, mainly to keep stuff from growing up under there so badly, wasn't thinking of a vapor barrier. Only one coop is really close to the ground, no plastic underneath and no issues with dampness. It's a few inches off the ground, but not directly on it.

I didn't plan on wood floors only because of the expense added to an already expensive building, but it may end up having to be that way unless I can come up with a suitable plan otherwise.


On this map, we are in extreme northern central GA, between the 10 and 20" lines. If you look at where TN, NC and GA come together and go just east of that in GA, that's us, south of that dip in the white line. I guess we have a 10-12" frost line depth.

 

[1muttsfan]

You might look into radient heaters too - instead of heating the air they heat objects, such as floors, walls (and bodies), and can be more efficient for larger areas.

 

[speckledhen]

You might look into radient heaters too - instead of heating the air they heat objects, such as floors, walls (and bodies), and can be more efficient for larger areas.

I thought of the flat panel heaters for each area since they are enclosed and use very little electricity, safer than heat lamps, like this one:

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

I was looking at those in the local fleet farm, I was intrigued but didn't bite, but I was considering it for brooding chicks.

 

[speckledhen]

I was looking at those in the local fleet farm, I was intrigued but didn't bite, but I was considering it for brooding chicks.

I've seen them on Amazon for as low as $40, using about 150 watts. Might be great for low on the wall, especially near poor Amanda who has to lay on the floor since she can't use one leg.

Here's one:
http://www.amazon.com/Cozy-Products...=1447384602&sr=8-3&keywords=flat+panel+heater

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

You really are running an old chickens home.

 

[speckledhen]

You really are running an old chickens home.

Yes, I am. The downside to healthy chickens is that they live long past their productive years, which is also an upside if they're beloved pets, as most of these are. But, Amanda at almost 9 is still popping out eggs in spurts. She's laid five or six eggs over the past two weeks right. Can't keep that old gal down, but one day I'll just go out and find her expired, I bet. Same with Caroline who will be 9 in January.

Now, I have way more elderlies than youngsters, but of the three laying, only one is what I'd consider in her prime. The other two are Amanda and my 5 1/2 yr old black Rock, also with leg issues, Emily. Crazy around here. But they won't live forever. Snow is so frail, she has to use her wings to go over uneven ground. I suspect some serious arthritis in her joints but she's still on her feet and very vocal at almost 8. Gypsy is 8 this month, was recently laying, too. The slackers around here ought to be ashamed! (Lizzie, this means YOU, 35 weeks old and no egg).

 

[aart]

Do you have young productive birds too....or just pets?

 

[speckledhen]

Do you have young productive birds too....or just pets?

Does that tell you anything? I have Lizzie, 35 weeks, no eggs. I have Tessa, 19 weeks, not looking close yet. Other than those two, I have two hens who are the last Rex's daughters, Ro and Wendy, both 1 1/2 yrs old. Ro is one who is laying currently, Wendy was until her first big molt so I imagine she'll be back into production as soon as that is completely over.

Other than those four gals, the next one in age is Druscilla, daughter of one of the Stukel Rock hens. She is 4 years old and I honestly cannot remember if she's ever laid an egg, certainly not for the past year. She has a weird abdomen, something sticks out like a growth, not normal shaped, so I have no idea what's going on there. She appears healthy otherwise. The Stukels have not laid in quite some time from when they all began their molts. They'll be 5 years old in April and they ought to be laying by now. My EE hen, Maretta, is 4 1/2, hasn't laid in awhile.

I have no 2 year olds, none between Ro and Wendy and Druscilla so I guess the answer is no, I have no young productive hens. The reason is that I cannot afford to feed a new group in addition to the ones I have now. I'm waiting for them to leave us, or I have been. I think this spring, I'll be forced to hatch something.

The Belgian D'Anver hens just don't lay, period. The last egg I got was from Aimee, who will be 5 in April, and her three sons I just rehomed are about 20 weeks old now. No others have laid before or since that hatch, not in a very, very long time. They will not be replaced because they just are useless as layers. I don't even count them.

I have 24 large fowl hens and pullets and only 5 are under 5 years old. Some are old but lay in spurts every few months. They do lay but not so as you could count on it. Some haven't laid in years like Caroline and my BR, Becca, who is almost 9 (Amanda's sister). Snow laid about a year ago, just 3-4 eggs. My almost 8 yr old EE hen, June, laid one egg in the last eight months. Just one. This is a year of multiple molts. No one can keep laying with that going on.