Chickens for 10-20 years or more? Pull up a rockin' chair and lay some wisdom on us!

[Mountain Momma]

Don't believe it. You don't have to make up ways to make them stop...just wait awhile and it goes away like magic. Right about the time egg shells firm up again....

I have found that all problems relating to the chickens can be cured in a week or less if you keep the communication lines open. I had a broken egg shells in the nest every day for about 4 days. The innocent hens were hiding their eggs in the corners and burying them under the wood shavings to save them for me. After I had a serious talking to with the whole flock and told them that I didnt need to know who was doing it I just needed them to stop it- today, well they did. So none of them ratted on anyone but I havent had a broken egg since.
Lisa

 

[Beekissed]

Yeah..I get the same results after my yearly cull. The next day I swear even the rooster lays an egg....no failure to communicate there.

 

[MagicChicken]

Quote:
I'm wondering if condensation is not always solved by adding more "ventilation." My coop also has a condensation issue. It has a metal roof, and it is open on one side with windows in two of the other sides. Even the covered run drips condensation in the mornings, and it is enclosed in hardware cloth with a metal roof. Can't get much more ventilated than three fully open sides. Is it possible the slope of the roof has something to do with it? I'm wondering if a more sloped roof would allow more air movement as the heat rises and exits, whereas a flatter roof might trap the heat and exacerbate the condensation issues, even if the sides are completely open? My coop roof has a slight slope - just enough for rain to run off it - but it may not be enough slope for convection to carry the moisture up and out. Just speculating. On the other hand, I live in the desert and a little "rain" is probably good for them, since it's usually dried out by mid-morning.

(Edited to remove all the extra pictures that had nothing to do with this post!)

 

[Pozees]

First and foremost, kudos for rescuing from the shelter! (My hubby and I volunteer with our shelter, so I can't tell you how much I appreciate folks who love "mutts" from shelters!) Second, I agree with whoever said to let her run double duty. Though of course Bee is right---can't fight off the beasties from the sofa.

We accidentally trained our rescue, Isabella / Izzy Bizzy (who our vet swears is red doberman, lab and "some sort of hound") to heard the chickens up. She is a 100% couch potato that goes absolutely EVERYWHERE my husband and I go. She is happiest with her people, but she adores being outside with her chickens. We always say "Let's go get the chickies" when we have to round them up and she has learned to circle them up and bring them to us anytime we say that. She will even weave in and out of the woods to get them up without being asked is she thinks they have ventured too far. Who needs a rooster?!? We has a Bizzy!

OMG What a face!!! I see red dobe and border collie myself, but lab is so common it sure could be in there too. She is beautiful!

 

[Pozees]

I'm wondering if condensation is not always solved by adding more "ventilation." My coop also has a condensation issue. It has a metal roof, and it is open on one side with windows in two of the other sides. Even the covered run drips condensation in the mornings, and it is enclosed in hardware cloth with a metal roof. Can't get much more ventilated than three fully open sides. Is it possible the slope of the roof has something to do with it? I'm wondering if a more sloped roof would allow more air movement as the heat rises and exits, whereas a flatter roof might trap the heat and exacerbate the condensation issues, even if the sides are completely open? My coop roof has a slight slope - just enough for rain to run off it - but it may not be enough slope for convection to carry the moisture up and out. Just speculating. On the other hand, I live in the desert and a little "rain" is probably good for them, since it's usually dried out by mid-morning.

(Edited to remove all the extra pictures that had nothing to do with this post!)

I am far from an OT or expert of any kind, but to me the problem is the fact that the roofs are metal. That is not to say I dislike metal roofs, I don't, they hold up much better, although louder, in a hail storm, for example. I wonder if the problem might be solved by a cupola? We have a metal barn that was built before we bought the property, it has two 24x32 sections that make an "L" and one is completely open on a long side and a short end attaches perpendicular to the other section, with no wall/door where they come together, so it's pretty wide open, and there is a cupola with screening on each section. I just thought they were decorative at first, but once i realized they actually open a hole in the roof, I decided there had to be a functional reason for them.

 

[Gargoyle]

You could be right- the temperature difference of the metal and the ambient air could might the condensation to collect.

 

[Mskayladog]

This morning it's warmer out and not a drop of condensation on the roof.

 

[Kansas Prairie]

Good Morning! Here's a cute link.

http://images.businessweek.com/ss/05/11/egreetings/image/01.swf

 

[Back2MyRoots]

I'm wondering if condensation is not always solved by adding more "ventilation."

So how do you know if you have enough ventilation? And come this winter, don't you want to close all your windows/vents to help keep the heat in so the girls don't get frost bite?



So I have four windows/vents and kept them open most of the summer, but since the temps have dropped, I have closed all but one of the vents and have been contemplating closing it too.





Now, first thing in the morning, I open up the end of the coop under the roosts for several hours (as long as it's nor raining) to let the poop under the roosts dry out. Is that enough ventilation?

 

[Gargoyle]

So how do you know if you have enough ventilation? And come this winter, don't you want to close all your windows/vents to help keep the heat in so the girls don't get frost bite?



So I have four windows/vents and kept them open most of the summer, but since the temps have dropped, I have closed all but one of the vents and have been contemplating closing it too.

Closing all the windows/vents keeps the humidity in. 32 degrees and humid is much worse for them than 22 degrees and dry. It's the humidity that causes the real problems.

My daughter used to live in Auburn, I'll have to ask her how cold it gets there, but somehow I don't think you get too many nights below freezing. However, you do get a good bit of rain in the winter, and damp cold is worse then dry cold.

Bottom line, more important to keep the coop dry than to keep it warm.