How to cover metal roost.

[Fentonchicken]

My chickens' coop is a fence built around an old aluminum shed. It has been insulated with plastic and they had an old wooden baby gate they would roost on. However, since we added EEs to the flock, they've decided they weren't roosting high enough off of the ground, and now everyone is roosting in the rafters that are part of the shed. Problem is... the rafters are aluminum and winter is upon us. Any ideas of what I can cover the aluminum with? I thought first of the foam you wrap around pipes indoors but quickly realized they would probably peck at it and ingest it.

 

[iwiw60]

My chickens' coop is a fence built around an old aluminum shed. It has been insulated with plastic and they had an old wooden baby gate they would roost on. However, since we added EEs to the flock, they've decided they weren't roosting high enough off of the ground, and now everyone is roosting in the rafters that are part of the shed. Problem is... the rafters are aluminum and winter is upon us. Any ideas of what I can cover the aluminum with? I thought first of the foam you wrap around pipes indoors but quickly realized they would probably peck at it and ingest it.

Sounds like a bit of readjusting and rebuilding is in order here! You are correct in your assumption about putting those foam wrap-pipes around those rafters...no! If they ingest that stuff it can kill them.

Can you please post some pictures of your entire setup...coop, run, interior shots? That way myself or someone else here at BYC can give you some good pointers, etc., to help.

 

[Fentonchicken]

 

[Fentonchicken]

 

[Fentonchicken]

The building the coop butts up against is actually the back room of our greenhouse.

 

[Fentonchicken]

In the summer the grapevines grow over the back of the coop and the chickens get treats!

 

[iwiw60]

Thanks for the pics....yes, you DO have a bit of a dilemma going on there for sure. Quite frankly, I don't know how to advise you on those aluminum rafters, except to say they need blocking off for sure.

I noticed just now that you started this thread in the wrong area. Your thread is in:

Raising BackYard Chickens › Local Chicken Laws & Ordinances (and how to change them)

Please re-post to this thread instead...lots of great people will chime in and help you with those rafters for sure:

COOP & RUN DESIGN, CONSTRUCTION, MAINTENANCE
https://www.backyardchickens.com/f/9/coop-run-design-construction-maintenance

I wish I could be more help, but by posting your pics to the correct thread you'll get some feedback!

 

[duluthralphie]

Hmmm
After looking at your pictures, I wonder if you could wrap the metal in foam and wrap the foam in DUCK tape. I am not sure the chickens could peck through two layers of duck tape.

Duck tape fixes everything!


If you did not want foam maybe newspapers wrapped around them for insulation then duck tape to hold it in place. It might get you through the winter.

 

[Fentonchicken]

How do I move my thread? Or should I create a new one and delete this one somehow? Sorry.

 

[matt44644]

Hmmm
After looking at your pictures, I wonder if you could wrap the metal in foam and wrap the foam in DUCK tape. I am not sure the chickens could peck through two layers of duck tape.

Duck tape fixes everything!


If you did not want foam maybe newspapers wrapped around them for insulation then duck tape to hold it in place. It might get you through the winter.

They will peck through it.I used foam insulation that has metal outer wrap on it on an outside pipe,and they pecked through it.