Humidity-sometimes ya just can't beat it.

[Soon2BChixMom]

Ok guys, now I'm scared. NJ warm rain today with a freeze coming in tomorrow. Small coop of 4 chooks hatched approximately October first. I use pine shavings. No power/heat. No garage/bathroom to bring them inside. Food and water can't e inside the small coop. So all I can think to do is totally change out pine chips for totally dry just before the freeze begins. Any thoughts/help?

Your weather is a day behind ours. What I did was make sure the coop bedding was dry.
I didn't change out the pine shavings because they have areas that are dry where I closed it off. So, I mixed them in and then threw a layer of dry on top.
They still had plenty of dry areas to retreat to.
This morning, there was snow on top of the freezing rain. Only one brave chicken decided to come out to eat. So, I threw a layer of dry shavings over the snow that got in - they all came out. They then retreated to the other dry areas.
Their coop was in decent shape this morning - just one area was wet. I closed that off knowing it would get wet from the direction the wind and rain was blowing last night.

 

[Howard E]

aart.........

That is what I would expect with an exposed metal roof (I get the same thing in my horse barn). But not something you normally see with a conventional roof. What is the roof schedule above the boards?

BTW, although we can't see it, such a thing is always possible in the attic of our homes, assuming things are not done right. Key to prevent it there is also adequate ventilation. A big problem for those with bathroom exhaust fans that vent directly into the attic. That extra moisture then condenses on anything below the dew point of the enhanced humidity levels of the air. Our birds act like the bathroom exhaust fans, pumping extra humidity in the air. Only real way to remedy that is ventilation to move extra moisture out, and perhaps extra heat to lower relative humidity levels in the air. A dark colored roof does wonders in winter to heat the attic up enough to dry it out. At least during the daytime hours.

BTW, the same thing happened to me with the cement floor of the horse barn. We had 10 days of temps below 32F, with lows approaching -10F. So the first day it really warms up to +50F with humidity in the air, the floor starts sweating......slip and slide level of wet. It happens.

The one area that didn't was an enclosed shop area that was kept above freezing during that cold spell. Being warmer than the rest of the floor, it remained dry.

 

[Ruralhideaway]

@aart Watch for a kids snow disk, add a rope and at least you'll only fall alone rather than with 50 extra pounds.

 

[aart]

That is what I would expect with an exposed metal roof (I get the same thing in my horse barn). But not something you normally see with a conventional roof. What is the roof schedule above the boards?

Tar paper and asphalt shingles. Lower part of roof has foam insulation on bottom of rafters, knee to screwy to go up on ladder and peek under there too see if same affect occurred.

BTW, the same thing happened to me with the cement floor

My under house garage floor was a bit slick, not too bad as it stays fairly warm in there, garaged van had some condensation on it too. I really see the slick floor thing more in spring when garage doors are opened.

 

[Hamiam]

Good Luck! Same weather here, ice and then snow last night. I fell on the ice this morning getting out of my truck!

Yikes! Hope your ok. When it's icy, I try to remember to have my cell phone in my pocket, just in case I fall & cant get up. I'd like to think if I fell in the chicken area, they would cuddle with me & keep me warm until help arrived. Yea, right!

 

[KettermanHillCoop]

aart.........

That is what I would expect with an exposed metal roof (I get the same thing in my horse barn). But not something you normally see with a conventional roof. What is the roof schedule above the boards?

BTW, although we can't see it, such a thing is always possible in the attic of our homes, assuming things are not done right. Key to prevent it there is also adequate ventilation. A big problem for those with bathroom exhaust fans that vent directly into the attic. That extra moisture then condenses on anything below the dew point of the enhanced humidity levels of the air. Our birds act like the bathroom exhaust fans, pumping extra humidity in the air. Only real way to remedy that is ventilation to move extra moisture out, and perhaps extra heat to lower relative humidity levels in the air. A dark colored roof does wonders in winter to heat the attic up enough to dry it out. At least during the daytime hours.

BTW, the same thing happened to me with the cement floor of the horse barn. We had 10 days of temps below 32F, with lows approaching -10F. So the first day it really warms up to +50F with humidity in the air, the floor starts sweating......slip and slide level of wet. It happens.

The one area that didn't was an enclosed shop area that was kept above freezing during that cold spell. Being warmer than the rest of the floor, it remained dry.

I'm going through the maddening temperature swing too...62 F high to 28 F low. Pouring rain. Snow is steaming. My roof of my coop is plywood with corrugated metal roof panels. I didn't notice any "rain" inside the coop this morning, but will check later for it. The run, although covered, was all wet. The snow fog was just soaking everything. Should there be something I need to do (not now of course, but in spring) to my roof when using metal?

With the temps dropping so drastically, will I be facing some frostbite issues?

Mother Nature needs a b*tch slap....

@aart , I'm so sorry for your loss.

 

[HenOnAJuneBug]

No horrible frostbite happened overnight.

What temp did you have bad frostbite at?

 

[aart]

What temp did you have bad frostbite at?

Frostbite can happen in very cold temps -F's,
and also happens at very close to 32F
(most common and when my worst happened that I've noticed),
and also when they drag their wattles in the snow on a below freezing day SMH.

 

[JMotuzick]

same weather here, run is a mess! i finally got them to go out too! kept adding shavings from in the coop to put on top of the snow! i'll add shavings tomorrow some of the birds are wet tonight at roosting time. calling for 33F till about 10 tomorrow when it slowly drops to 4F over night into Sunday. I did notice a bit of frostbite on some of the bigger combed hens over the real cold last week. wondering if we should bag-balm tonight? should I do anything for the wet ones? i'm guessing they will dry out as they sleep.

 

[PetesChicks]

Sorry for your loss, aart. We had weather in the low 60s today, crazy. Just about all the snow is gone, and what is left is evaporating into fog more than melting.

Hope you got your feed to the coop without falling! You should check out YakTrax, they go on your shoes to give extra traction on ice.