Home dryer vent 5 feet from chicken coop run

[alix321]

My chicken coop and run is about 5 feet from the house. I plan on making a wire box around where the vent is to prevent the chickens from eating lint, but will the vented fumes bother the chickens? Will it cause excess moisture in the coop?

 

[ChickAsThieves]

Hi Alix!

You don't say where you're from, but if you live in an area that has cold winters, then the excess moisture from a dryer vent can absolutely be a problem in your coop. The key to a healthy coop is good ventilation, in order to keep moisture from building up inside. Wet shavings will grow bacteria. Also, excess moisture in the air during the winter can cause your chickens to get frostbite.

Chickens also have sensitive respiratory systems and I would imagine the dust particles and scented fumes from the dryer wouldn't be great for their health. I would attempt to relocate the coop, if possible.

I'm sure other BYCers have more knowledge on the topic than I do, but that's my 2 cents!

I wish you the best!

 

[alix321]

I live in Seattle (very wet) and my bedding in the run is sand. I'm thinking that it will for sure be a problem in the winter, but will the dryer sheet scents be a problem in the summer? Do chickens get allergies like people and dogs? It seems to steam/fume right in the run.

 

[alix321]

This is my coop, I will be letting the chicks run around outside when I'm home.

 

[rosemarythyme]

Is it possible to move the coop closer to the wire fence in that photo, or anywhere else further from the house? Or could you maybe see about putting something over the vent to direct the output away from the coop (you'd have to check with a handyman if that's feasible or a good idea... I really don't know if that's something that should be done).

Birds are pretty famous for having sensitive respiratory systems. Between the steam and the dryer sheets, I wouldn't want to risk it.

 

[ChickAsThieves]

I wonder if you could just put up a little half fence or something between the coop and the vent to direct it away from the coop?

As far as the fumes from the vent, my understanding is that birds have different respiratory abilities than mammals, and are very sensitive to chemicals and odors in the air. I used to have parrots, and I remember that cooking with Teflon, scented candles, and air fresheners were definite no-nos!

 

[ChickAsThieves]

Oh, hi! Me again! Just a thought... I'm guessing the fenced in area is going to be a run? Could you possibly move the coop around the corner of your house and then have the run just come off the side of the coop rather than have the coop inside of the run? It may actually give them more space and it will give you some distance between the coop and the vent.

 

[ChickAsThieves]

This pic is my original coop. The coop itself was on the outside of the run, but we had the hardware cloth stapled to it so that there weren't any gaps for predators.

 

[EggSighted4Life]

Hi, welcome to BYC!

I would think since the moisture is a problem in the winter and you will need to make adjustments for that already, why not just leave it in place for summer? I don't mind the smell of fresh laundry, but it can be a bit much at times. We use a half dryer sheet for this reason. And it's my understanding that chickens have more sensitive respiratory system than humans. Also, you can go stand out there and see if it seems to strong for you or not. And you could always go with unscented detergent, though I prefer some smell. But I have to use softener to stop static electricity. SO I have gone to dryer sheets since I don't want the other stuff going into my septic and therefor my land... I guess I don't know if they make unscented dryer sheets.

Also, lint traps will need to be cleaned often and depending on the size of holes the chickens may find a way to eat it anyways. It's surprising how much they put out. Back in the day washing machines had a lint trap to...

Seeing your set up, I might just consider moving the coop a little farther away. Instead of doing any reconstructing or trying to spend on those expandable bendy tubes to extend it. Those will likely develop holes from wear and tear from the chickens doing daily activities and they have a greater chance of building debris on the inside and possible causing a fire. Solid tube pipes like a chimney vent style on would be more durable, less likely to build lint on the wrinkles, but also pricier.... Oh, but now I remember you have sand in that run not just the grass. That could be harder to move than I was originally thinking.

Chicken keeping has been a very dynamic and learning experience for me. So many things I thought would work really didn't. Other things I thought wouldn't, have... Good thing this is great helpful community with lots of people to share their experiences. And what works for one may not work for another. And that is OK, Just try to figure out what works best for you.

5 feet might be enough. We get pretty strong winds and there is often a breeze. You say they free range when you are home... maybe do laundry then. Also, when it raining it's about 100% humidity anyways (slight exaggeration) in the coop. It stays 75% in my house even with the heater running. Our low is 60 ish %. So I would expect it to be higher than indoors out there. Evaporation under my covered but not enclosed patio happens pretty good, so the dryer really shouldn't add too much to the humidity load.

What else is surprising... is the lengths some of us will go through to accommodate our beloved pets!

 

[rosemarythyme]

I used to have parrots, and I remember that cooking with Teflon, scented candles, and air fresheners were definite no-nos!

Same here. I didn't know about the Teflon thing until my last bird was several years old, after that I got rid of all Teflon pans and chose alternative "non stick" options. I no longer have pet birds inside the house but I've continued to avoid Teflon cookware.