Help frostbite

[kent318]

wood and feathers is the second one to suggest a moisture problem so I will look into a roof vent or something tommorrow when I'm out I just worry about two much venting it's so cold.there has been a couple of night's before the heater was put in that the roof actually froze onto the coop so I think that may be a problem like I said as cold as it get's here I was afraid it would be to much but now I think that may be it. Thanks for the advice.

 

[Chooksaurus]

We have been sitting ~20 below zero (F) for the last few nights, and I am seriously contemplating popping another hole in the wall for more ventilation. The reason is that while 26 chooks have been able to keep the coop around freezing, they are putting so much moisture into the air that I needed to scrape nearly an inch of frost off of the inside of the windows. That means the moisture is not getting out and is endangering them.

Normally I open the door and let them have a little more ventilation during the day, but the last snowstorm left a mess of ice and such in their run that I haven't been able to clear out yet. Without that extra ventilation, the windows went from lightly frosted to what I mentioned. It was so thick that when you went inside during the day, you would have sworn it was dark outside.

That much moisture can lead to serious frostbite and lung problems. It goes against what you might think by suggesting you allow more ventilation, but all of that weatherstripping and caulking is stopping your air flow and could lead to moisture problems as bad as mine. Just because we caulk and weatherstrip our houses doesn't mean that it is the best thing for the coop. You actually want the air exchange without any major drafts. Little drafts through a crack under the door or along the roof line are not the dangerous ones that people warn about. Remember, moving air will take moisture with it, and the air that comes in from outside will be drier. Drier air, even at a lower temperature, will allow the chickens to stay warmer because they will not be dampened by humidity. Experiment for yourself...A wet hand in cool air feels colder than a dry hand in colder air. Moisture wicks heat away faster than does air.

To prevent water from freezing, use an electric model or put a heat lamp over the top of the water can and it should stay liquid. The temp inside the coop was 15-20 degrees today when I got home from work and the water was fine. They handle themselves overnight without any extra heat aside from the lamp over the water, and I know it gets colder in there at night. As a bonus, all of their poop freezes, and frozen poo doesn't stink!

Good luck!

 

[kent318]

Thanks buddy.Got a vent today going to mount on top of wall and get a digital thermometer/hygrometer.I was just worried about drafts arond that door it is just a cut out door right now so the gaps are pretty wide till I get a better door.I only have 5 golden comets and an allen setter rooster so they wont warm the box but I lined it inside with straw tonight and removed a light so far so good I keep the antibiotic ointment on him he hasen't lost to much of his comb but that could'nt have felt good.

 

[dlhunicorn]

you could put bales of straw on floor and stack against walls for isolation... if it were me I would cover that with cardboard so they wont peck at it out of boredom(including walls... just break open a cardboard box to get a "sheet" of cardboard ). (remember that you can get smaller "bales" sold for rabbits etc. if your coop is small) you can also cover the cardboard with shavings.
cardboard is a cheap quick source of insulation for the inside of your coop and also help in excess humidity as it will soak up excess moisture and keep things dry.
I feed my birds on my (cement) patio which is cover with snow/ice (packed mostly) underneath a table... I have lined that section with cardboard so they have a place to stand that is not ice or snow or freezing cement.