Consolidated Kansas

[Hawkeye95]

Okay, going to put the windows on the East side and the North side. The South side will have the pop door and I plan on a large vent above it that I can close up, too. It will just be wire and then will be able to close up with a board in winter if necessary. I had no plans on anything being on the West side. Should I plan a vent on the west side???

chicken danz, I plan on doing my best to really fit it in well and caulk around it to prevent drafts when it is shut. I even thought about adding a strip of wood on the inside so when it's closed, it will sit in there better- like a seat. I could add foam if I needed to. The chickens shouldn't be able to get at anything since there will be wire over it from the inside. I'm so excited about these windows! They are so cute! Going to need to sand them down and re-paint. They are chipping and the caulk is coming out of them. But otherwise, they look cute! They are pretty big, though! Should give me enough opening for venting! Just going to use a piano hinge or something at the top and prop them open from the outside.

OKay, I was REALLY hoping I didn't need another window, so it sounds like you all agree it isn't necessary. Whew!

 

[sharol]

I have windows on the E, S, and W of my coop. The people door is on the North (because that is the side closest to the house. It was awful during the winter, but it was pre-built building and that is the way it fit on the lot. The windows all open, and I've used shade cloth over the plexiglass to shade the inside of the coop on the S and W windows. I want the breeze out of the south, so a window was necessary. The pop door is also on the south.

Things I would do differently: I'd put the run fence at the other end of the coop so that the whole west side was inside the run. That would have the added benefit of including a little tree that is now just outside the run.

I'd insulate the thing from the beginning. It is an 8x6 metal building, and the winter was brutal even with a heat lamp over the roost. I put OSD on the walls next to the roosts, but it was really cold in there. This summer, the west side of the building could fry an egg by 7 p.m. I just finished my insulation job. I used the pink 1" foam stuff (Foamular) under thin plywood. I just got the insulation on the ceiling (but not over the peak vents) today, and I can tell a difference in the coop already. Yesterday it was 10 degrees hotter than outside by 3, today it is the same temp as the outside temp. I'm hoping it doesn't hold the heat longer in the evening.

I'd do something different for the windows. I'm not sure what, but I'm not happy with the homemade ones we used.

This is taken from the door as it was delivered last fall.

This was after putting in roosts and flooring and nest boxes. No insulation (all winter, brrrr)

This is after insulating this summer.

 

[Hawkeye95]

Sharol, on the last picture- what is that box at the top? That looks kind of like a fan?? Is it? Where did you get that? Sounds like insulating is a must. I plan on doing that, too! BTW- your coop looks beautiful!! Love the inside!

I forget who asked me if I was doing feed inside or out... I don't know! Which is best?

And here is my temporary set up for Seymore (now teenaged turkey) under my deck. I'll have fun ripping that sucker down. You can see I put the mister on him all day long as it is too darned hot not to have it on! He does all right in there, but of course, I bring him in the house at night and he sleeps in his dog kennel. Then I put him back outside in the am. Sometimes I bring him in during the heat of the day too, if he starts to wilt a bit. He does NOT do good in the heat.

 

[sharol]

Hawkeye95 -- yes it is a little window fan we bought several years ago. We live in a berm (earth sheltered) house, so we only have windows on the south with a couple of tiny ones on the e and w. We were trying to get some air moving through the house. It was way too little for that and we ended up putting a "whole house" fan in the end of the garage. Now THAT moves the air.

I decided to try it for the girls, and it works great. It is a Holmes. http://www.amazon.com/Holmes-HAWF-2041-Twin-Window-Fan/dp/B00005CDPH is the current version of the fan. It has 3 speeds and a thermostat and will blow in or out. I sat it on a little wood shelf held in place with a couple of right angle brackets.

edit: I have 2 of those little misters, too. Aren't they great? One of mine is spraying onto shade cloth so that the breeze blows through it. They group behind it.

 

[Ivywoods]

Be very careful taking him in to the airconditioning and then back out into the heat. We actually killed a couple nice roosters that way before we knew better. We had them in an air conditioned car when we brought them home, then put them out in the run. Even though they had some shade it was one of those hot, hot days and they were dead one hour later when we went out to check on them.

 

[Hawkeye95]

thanks, Ivywoods! I'm trying to be careful. When he goes out in the morning, it's still pretty cool out. If I have to bring him in, he's in until the next morning usually unless it really cools off. Hopefully I don't hurt him. He's been so sick, it's tricky knowing what to do to make him worse. He's feeling so much better now.

Sharol- that fan is totally affordable! I love it! Did you make a hole in the side of your building and put it in? I'll see how things go before doing something like that. I saved that fan into my Wish List on Amazon so I can find it again easily. But what a great idea!!

 

[sharol]

The fan covers the east window. This picture shows my rigging to keep it in place.

I used scraps of plywood from another project for the shelf and brackets to keep it in place.

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[Hawkeye95]

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oh, so smart! That way, you don't have to cut a hole for it, you just mounted it in front of the window. Brilliant! I hope I don't need it, but now I know I have options. It looks pretty safe for chickens, too- like they can't really get into it. Some of the fans I've seen worry me unless you covered them with screen.

 

[sharol]

Of course you must always be aware of the problems of wood dust from the shavings. This one is 4' off the floor or so, and I usually have it blowing in, but if I were using it as an exhaust fan, I'd have to check for dust buildup. It does a good job of moving air. The roost in front of it is new, and the hens haven't started using it, yet, but when they do, I suspect there will be some jostling to get just the right distance from the fan for comfort.

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oh, so smart! That way, you don't have to cut a hole for it, you just mounted it in front of the window. Brilliant! I hope I don't need it, but now I know I have options. It looks pretty safe for chickens, too- like they can't really get into it. Some of the fans I've seen worry me unless you covered them with screen.

 

[ChooksChick]

If you all remember, I was telling about a program called Efficiency Kansas that will provide funds for the necessary work to homes to help utility bills be more manageable for folks who can't afford those improvements. This was some of the shovel-ready funding that has been helping citizens all over the state.

We were approved for insulation, new heater and AC, new hot water heater, and some new windows. Our house is 100+ and you can see the sky through the roof from inside and the curtains move when there's a breeze. We will repay the loan over 10 years through our energy savings. It's a great opportunity and we are thrilled that it's available for all Kansans.

Well, the Governor is taking $25million from the program to fund some special biofuel projects and is unapologetic that this takes away from thousands of folks who have no ability to make this huge change that will allow savings for years. It will force folks who could get into this program to continue having cruddy efficiency, which decreases the potential efficiency of our WHOLE STATE as far as how much fossil fuel must be consumed to heat/cool/etc.

I'm mad. This was one of the few things that was going on that helped the little guy be responsible and move forward in a cost effective way! I'll still get my improvements, but I'm really mad because the money will be shunted toward corporations now. You guys may not be able to use it. It's not right.

If you want a chance for any of it, call the heating/insulation/etc. company you like right now and ask them about it...quick!!!

Just my rant....sorry. As you were.