davenmarj
In the Brooder
I have two issues with my coop that I could use some help with.
I built a nipple water system that runs both inside and outside the coop (pics attached), each with 5 nipples. All the nipples drip occasionally, and while outside this is no problem as it just drips onto the ground, inside I have noticed that the pine shavings under them have been damp to wet.
This last week when I was under the coop to wrap the outside pipe in insulation for winter, I noticed water staining on the underside of the coop floor, which would tell me that I need to get this addressed. Also, when we built the coop this past spring, we painted the entire inside of the coop with utility paint and put vinyl flooring down (not glued), which I thought would help provide a water barrier to the wood. - Issue #1
Now that the weather is getting colder, I have started to close the girls in their coop at night and open it up in the morning around sunrise (0730 ish). There is rope lighting in the coop that comes on at 0430 (since our sunset is now around 5pm). I have noticed that there is a stronger ammonia smell when I let them out in the morning, and it really doesn't dissipate until later in the day or I open up the clean-out doors. - Issue #2. The coop has 2 10"x 40" screened openings along the long side of the coop (directly above the chicken door) and a 12"x21" case window along an adjacent side which we tend to leave half way open (as pic shows)
Finally, I have notice the girls don't really use their roosting bars to sleep on, (2x3's with rounded edges). They tend to huddle along our north wall under the case window and in vicinity of nipple water and nesting boxes or by their door (opposite end from the cleanout doors). - Issue #3?
Here's some ideas that I came up with.
1) determine which nipples are leaking the most and remove them and plug the holes. I am reluctant to take out all the inside nipples as the girls are awake at least 3 hours before I let them out and they would have access to the outside water.
2) Strip or Channel Drain - cut a hole in the floor under the nipples and put in a strip or channel drain cover (4"x 24"-48") over and let water drip down to ground below. Other than the idea of cutting a hole in the floor, I think that this would increase the ventilation inside the coop, move the girls away from sleeping near the water system, and give the water somewhere to go.
3) Catch Basin/Trough - suspend a gutter or cut PVC pipe under the nipples halfway between the nipples and the shavings. It could be rigged with an outside drain, but I can see it getting filled with shavings and other matter as my girls like to toss the shavings around, thus would require cleaning out regularly (not that I am opposed to cleaning, the location just requires climbing in the coop)
4) ???
Thanks for the help
I built a nipple water system that runs both inside and outside the coop (pics attached), each with 5 nipples. All the nipples drip occasionally, and while outside this is no problem as it just drips onto the ground, inside I have noticed that the pine shavings under them have been damp to wet.
This last week when I was under the coop to wrap the outside pipe in insulation for winter, I noticed water staining on the underside of the coop floor, which would tell me that I need to get this addressed. Also, when we built the coop this past spring, we painted the entire inside of the coop with utility paint and put vinyl flooring down (not glued), which I thought would help provide a water barrier to the wood. - Issue #1
Now that the weather is getting colder, I have started to close the girls in their coop at night and open it up in the morning around sunrise (0730 ish). There is rope lighting in the coop that comes on at 0430 (since our sunset is now around 5pm). I have noticed that there is a stronger ammonia smell when I let them out in the morning, and it really doesn't dissipate until later in the day or I open up the clean-out doors. - Issue #2. The coop has 2 10"x 40" screened openings along the long side of the coop (directly above the chicken door) and a 12"x21" case window along an adjacent side which we tend to leave half way open (as pic shows)
Finally, I have notice the girls don't really use their roosting bars to sleep on, (2x3's with rounded edges). They tend to huddle along our north wall under the case window and in vicinity of nipple water and nesting boxes or by their door (opposite end from the cleanout doors). - Issue #3?
Here's some ideas that I came up with.
1) determine which nipples are leaking the most and remove them and plug the holes. I am reluctant to take out all the inside nipples as the girls are awake at least 3 hours before I let them out and they would have access to the outside water.
2) Strip or Channel Drain - cut a hole in the floor under the nipples and put in a strip or channel drain cover (4"x 24"-48") over and let water drip down to ground below. Other than the idea of cutting a hole in the floor, I think that this would increase the ventilation inside the coop, move the girls away from sleeping near the water system, and give the water somewhere to go.
3) Catch Basin/Trough - suspend a gutter or cut PVC pipe under the nipples halfway between the nipples and the shavings. It could be rigged with an outside drain, but I can see it getting filled with shavings and other matter as my girls like to toss the shavings around, thus would require cleaning out regularly (not that I am opposed to cleaning, the location just requires climbing in the coop)
4) ???
Thanks for the help
