Is frostbite avoidable without electric heating? Should I add heat to my coop?

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

I am going to get a Humidity Meter so I can really know what I need to do.

 

[StinkyAcres]

I am going to get a Humidity Meter so I can really know what I need to do.

That's a good idea! And make sure there is one outside as well so you can compare.

 

[Debbie292d]

That's a good idea! And make sure there is one outside as well so you can compare.

We've had these since 2020. The display is in the house. One's in each of two coops, and one's outside. Tells the temp and humidity.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

That's a good idea! And make sure there is one outside as well so you can compare.

Well it comes with 2 so that is perfect!

 

[Anon112]

Ventilation is important, but in a way that they can escape being in the direct wind.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

My humidity readers arrived late last night and I have two of them, so my question is this: where in the coop do I place them? They will stick to the wall. @StinkyAcres said I should put one outside to compare %, so I will do that. Does it matter where outside I put it?

 

[saysfaa]

I would put the outside one on the shady side of the coop and at about halfway up the side of it. This is to get it in the same microclimate that the coop is in. Or maybe a fence post nearby.

Inside, pick somewhere as typical as you can - neither in a draft nor in a dead-air pocket if the rest of the coop has air movement. And/or near the roost or the level of the chickens' heads during the day. It is at least a semi-enclosed space so probably isn't too critical if it is a more or less typical spot.

Check the measurements under different conditions - at least several different conditions.

When I did it, the humidity was much higher inside than outside sometimes and it was much higher outside than inside sometimes. It depended on whether the temperatures were rising or falling and on whether the sun was shining. This in a very damp climate; I don't know if that matters or how much.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

I just put them up and this is what they read. I let them sit for about 10-15 mins to allow them to get an accurate reading. The weather reading is pretty accurate, according to the google weather. I have no way of knowing for sure whether the humidity % is correct, but these devices had good reviews on Amazon. For context, I am about a week into starting the Deep Litter Method for the first time.

Indoor at 12:00pm:

and here is where it is placed in the coop:

Outside at 12:00pm

And here is where it is placed on the coop:

Also, I don't know how I forgot about this when we were discussing airflow, but I do have some ventilation in the eaves. Here are what they look like on the outside (I have them on either side of the coop).

Now, I don't know if this really counts as "ventilation", since it is not open flat like a window, but here is what it looks like from inside the coop. It's hard to really tell what its like in these pictures, but I did the best I could! This picture below shows the view from the perches.

This picture below shows the view from straight at it, closer up. This one is super hard to tell what you are looking at, so I apologize!

 

[StinkyAcres]

I just put them up and this is what they read. I let them sit for about 10-15 mins to allow them to get an accurate reading. The weather reading is pretty accurate, according to the google weather. I have no way of knowing for sure whether the humidity % is correct, but these devices had good reviews on Amazon. For context, I am about a week into starting the Deep Litter Method for the first time.

Indoor at 12:00pm:
View attachment 4263859
and here is where it is placed in the coop:
View attachment 4263860

Outside at 12:00pm
View attachment 4263855
And here is where it is placed on the coop:
View attachment 4263858


Also, I don't know how I forgot about this when we were discussing airflow, but I do have some ventilation in the eaves. Here are what they look like on the outside (I have them on either side of the coop).
View attachment 4263864
Now, I don't know if this really counts as "ventilation", since it is not open flat like a window, but here is what it looks like from inside the coop. It's hard to really tell what its like in these pictures, but I did the best I could! This picture below shows the view from the perches.
View attachment 4263866
This picture below shows the view from straight at it, closer up. This one is super hard to tell what you are looking at, so I apologize!
View attachment 4263871

Soffit ventilation plus the cupola like you have is wonderful. You'll need to check the humidity when all the birds are closed in and roosting in there.

 

[ChickenShepherd_6116]

Just checked now that my girls have been sleeping for a while and the indoor humidity is 71% and outside it is 81%