Coop Troubles

May 27, 2019
683
1,113
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Smithville, MO
Forgive me if my brain doesn't make sense. I will try to keep my thoughts together. Forgive my spelling too.

Back story: My garden/run was originally made by the previous home owner and used for peacocks and guineas. It used to be twice as big and full of very poorly made open coops. The guy said they were fine, just a few frost bit combs. We took down half of the fencing and all the "coops".
We got our first chick in April of this year. The brooder is a wonderful brick commissary building so they are nice and safe, except for the flies. Dramatic eye roll.
We had a 7x12 metal coop built inside the garden/run. It has a very secure people door and chicken door. I covered the floor with vinyl tile. Nesting boxes with a roost bar in front but nothing to hold the nesting material in. Because the building is metal there are gaps every few inches along the floor letting in drafts. There is a 1/4" gap around the chicken door. The roof leaks if the wind is blowing hard when its raining. There are gaps around the windows too.
My goals: Eliminate drafts for this winter and have most of the hens lay through the winter.
My plans: Deep clean and start over
Poop boards with vinyl tile to start.
Once it gets cooler but up 6ml clear plastic around the main run to help block wind.
Put up interior walls or use spray foam in the gaps along the floor or both. Which would cover the gaps around the windows too.
Put up a board along the bottom of the nesting boxes to help hold the straw and eggs in.
Put sand and pdz on the poop board
Mix sweet pdz and pine shavings 2-4" on the floor.
Concerns: I don't know what to do about the roof to keep the snow from blowing in.
Do I put a new better fitting chicken door in or clear vinyl strips? Will the chickens go through the strips?
Will the interior walls be enough to keep my babies warm?
What do I do about the gap under the coop? I thought about surrounding the coop with hay bales.
 

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Sounds like you have a lot of winter preparation ahead...don't feel bad, I do too :hit I think I would leave the space under the coop open, then they can be outside, but protected well from the snow, and this time of year the sun and heat. As for the gaps, some sort of gap filler would work as long as it's not used where they can reach it...they will eat it :barnie
Also I'm curious about the strips myself, I've considered putting them over the chicken door of my coop, but I didn't know if they would still go through. If you try it definitely let me know how it goes!
 
Chickens have a built in blanket, what they need it proper ventilation in the winter so humid air from pooping and breathing can escape. Sealing off the metal building will make it very humid and frostbite will happen. You need plenty of draft free ventilation up high.

JT
I wasn’t going to seal off my vents just the major gaps that shouldn’t be there. We had one freezing rain and wind right after I moved them to the coop. It was terrible inside. The wind was blowing up through the floor like it was nothing.
 
Are the floor gaps just where the metal meets the wood along the edges?
Personally I would seal those with low expansion spray foam.

Is the roof leaking along the edges? The ridge? From where the screws go through the metal? From the seams?
Several of those issues can be solved with silicone sealant.

Condensation on the underside of the roof is a concern as it will drip into the coop and on the birds. Once the roof leaks are dealt with I would look at adding insulation board to the roof. It is sold in 4x8 sheets at most home improvement stores.

Baffles can be added to the vents to help keep wind/wet from blowing in.

How many birds? I think you will need more venting to help keep it dry.

Edited to add.....if the gaps along the floor edges are where the drafts are I would also add hardware cloth to help keep mice out. Those nasty buggers can be a real problem.
 
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Am looking at all your pics and info.
A lot to take in.
Curious why the run roof is slanted like that and how it meets the coop?

Where exactly are the floor 'drafts' coming from?
 
Hmmm...on the floor I'm imagining drafts where the wall meets the floor, right? First I'd cover it with 1/2 inch hardware cloth on the outside. Keep those mice and snakes! out!! Then I'd go inside and put wood strips, trim or whatever, to cover the entire perimeter of the floor blocking the gaps up.
 
Are the floor gaps just where the metal meets the wood along the edges?
Personally I would seal those with low expansion spray foam.

Is the roof leaking along the edges? The ridge? From where the screws go through the metal? From the seams?
Several of those issues can be solved with silicone sealant.

Condensation on the underside of the roof is a concern as it will drip into the coop and on the birds. Once the roof leaks are dealt with I would look at adding insulation board to the roof. It is sold in 4x8 sheets at most home improvement stores.

Baffles can be added to the vents to help keep wind/wet from blowing in.

How many birds? I think you will need more venting to help keep it dry.

Edited to add.....if the gaps along the floor edges are where the drafts are I would also add hardware cloth to help keep mice out. Those nasty buggers can be a real problem.
Yes the gaps are where the floor meets the metal. I already have steel wool shoved in the gaps so mice can’t get in.
The roof leaks at the ridge. I might just put up insulation panels and see how it goes this winter. If too much snow gets blown in I’ll deal with it at that time. I don’t want to prevent proper ventilation.
I have 10 pullets, 1 roo, 3 chicks 1 week old and as of Saturday 7-8 day old chicks. I will have a full house. No more room at the inn. Lol.
I still haven’t decided about the walls. Whether to put foam and interior walls or just interior walls. It’s going to be a pain to put interior walls behind the nesting boxes. That will make for a grumpy hubby. Lol
 

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