Controlling Humidity question -

[vweers]

We have done all we can figure out to do to keep the humidity down in the coop. It has been resting around 70 to 80% for a couple of weeks now but that is because it is that outside too. We have ventilation holes in the coop but not sure it will matter if the humidity is high outside too. My husband put a temperature and humidity detector in the coop so I can monitor it. We have several chickens with black on their combs even with putting Vaseline on their combs almost daily. Not sure what else we can do. We could put a few more holes in the coop at the top to help with ventilation but not sure it will help until we get out humidity down outsdie. Typically Boise is a very dry climate but apparently when we get inversions (cold air trapped in the valley, if you don't know) the humidity stays high. Never realized this before as Southern ID tends to be more arid than humid. Any ideas? OH yeah, we don't have a safe way to get electricity out to the coop this year.

 

[TalkALittle]

Short of running a dehumidifier in the coop, the best you can hope for is to have the inside humidity match the outside humidity. More ventilation won't solve the problem. You'll just be exchanging humid air for equally humid air. Sorry, but besides Vaseline (which clearly isn't doing the trick), I've got nothing to offer.

 

[Folly's place]

Pictures would help a lot here. "Holes" sound too small to me; Big openings high up in the roof peaks are more like it. My coop is a walk-in building, with hardware cloth over big openings up top. The coop shouldn't be damper than ambient humidity levels, and it's always pretty humid here in Michigan! Rubbing those frostbitten combs will NOT help. I've limited myself to birds with smaller combs, except for my Marans cockbird, who did have frostbitten tips last winter. Chickens produce a lot of moisture, so ventilation is very important. aart has links to good articles on the subject. Mary

 

[vweers]

Pictures would help a lot here.  "Holes" sound too small to me;  Big openings high up in the roof peaks are more like it.  My coop is a walk-in building, with hardware cloth over big openings up top.  The coop shouldn't be damper than ambient humidity levels, and it's always pretty humid here in Michigan!  Rubbing those frostbitten combs will NOT help.  I've limited myself to birds with smaller combs, except for my Marans cockbird, who did have frostbitten tips last winter.  Chickens produce a lot of moisture, so ventilation is very important.  aart has links to good articles on the subject.  Mary

Unfortunately we don't have a big coop and short of tearing this coop apart to do that to the roof, it can't be done until spring. I have three with combs and the others are pea combs. My maran has tip damage. The australorp has it worse now. I semi cleaned the coop to get the poop out but it is cold and very frozen here. Thanks for the input. It isn't higher than ambient humidity just about matches it.

 

[TalkALittle]

It wouldn't hurt to look at pics, but thought the OP stated that inside humidity was the same as outside ambient humidity. That would lead me to believe inadequate ventilation is not the issue.

 

[TalkALittle]

Are your vents near roost height making the birds exposed to winds? Do your birds have wind breaks when outside? Wind chill can accellerate frostbite by chilling the surface of the skin faster than it can be warmed from within.

 

[aart]

Short of running a dehumidifier in the coop, the best you can hope for is to have the inside humidity match the outside humidity. More ventilation won't solve the problem. You'll just be exchanging humid air for equally humid air.

Ditto Dat^^^

 

[jimbob86]

If it's below freezing outside, how is the humidity so high?

When it gets below freezing, the moisture in the air forms frost, no?

 

[lynnehd]

We have done all we can figure out to do to keep the humidity down in the coop. It has been resting around 70 to 80% for a couple of weeks now but that is because it is that outside too. We have ventilation holes in the coop but not sure it will matter if the humidity is high outside too. My husband put a temperature and humidity detector in the coop so I can monitor it. We have several chickens with black on their combs even with putting Vaseline on their combs almost daily. Not sure what else we can do. We could put a few more holes in the coop at the top to help with ventilation but not sure it will help until we get out humidity down outsdie. Typically Boise is a very dry climate but apparently when we get inversions (cold air trapped in the valley, if you don't know) the humidity stays high. Never realized this before as Southern ID tends to be more arid than humid. Any ideas? OH yeah, we don't have a safe way to get electricity out to the coop this year.

I do think pics would help, along with
*how much ventilation (sq feet) that you have
*what bedding you are using
*size of coop
*number of chickens
*what you are using for bedding

We live in SW Washington, and had the wettest December on record, along with cold temps. My coop isn't big, and is dry, so it can be done.

 

[aart]

Quote: Is it drier inside than outside?