Moisture buildup inside of coop

[DreamingOfAFarm]

This morning I went out to check on my girls (and the surprise roo) and as I was putting in their fresh water I got dripped on. I looked qup I was thankful that it wasn't a chicken with a runny nose but was not excited to see condensation running down the inside of the roof. I'm located in SW Michigan and the roof is made of the wavy vinyl that you can find at Lowe's or another home store. I have venting right near the top so I'm trying to figure out why I have so much moisture buildup. The coop is 5x6 and 4' tall and 2' off the ground (so roof height is 6'). The walls are insulated but the roof isn't. We have 8 standard birds. We could have snow by the end of the week so I want to make sure they are cozy before the real cold sets in.

Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated.

 

[redhen]

MAybe add more ventilation? You dont want moisture in there when freezing weather hits..thats how they can get frostbite on their combs..
I need to winterize my coop too. its getting cold here...brrr!

 

[elmo]

Yes, that's usually a sign of inadequate ventilation for the degree of moisture in your coop. 8 birds produce a lot of moisture with their respiration. In addition to enlarging your vents, you could also consider other sources of moisture in your coop (other than your chickens), like cleaning out the poop board daily, checking for wet bedding (around the waterer), etc.

 

[patandchickens]

Mainly you need to INSULATE THAT CEILING. You can't have an exposed metal or thin-plastic roof in Michigan winters without getting condensation, because even with good ventilation, you *will* have warmer air in the coop than outside (or at least, you hope to

) and when that warmer more-moisture-containing air hits the uninsulated ceiling panel which is basically outdoor temp, bang, water condenses out.

It's the same thing that happens on windowpanes, but while it is tolerable on windows (to the extent you can't prevent it, tho bubblewrap on windows will help) it is a real problem on the ceiling. First, because the ceiling is so much larger than your window area, and secondly because (as yo have seen!) it ends up putting the moisture back in your bedding.

So, insulate that ceiling. Make sure not to block of ventilation openings. And secondly, it is worth making SURE you have plenty of ventilation. You may not leave all of it open all winter but you want to have it *available*.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat