Need somenhelp with ventilation issues

[Bogtown Chick]

You bet. I think sometimes you folks out east with those "moist" cold temps have it worse than us with our dry frigidness. We all love where we live though--even though it is trying.

Sounds like you are doing what you can do. It's just hard...and I've said this a million times I'm sure but...Cold is Cold and as much as you try to keep moisture down....you certainly can't battle the atmosphere outside the coop.

That's a toughie.

 

[mithious]

You bet. I think sometimes you folks out east with those "moist" cold temps have it worse than us with our dry frigidness. We all love where we live though--even though it is trying.

Sounds like you are doing what you can do. It's just hard...and I've said this a million times I'm sure but...Cold is Cold and as much as you try to keep moisture down....you certainly can't battle the atmosphere outside the coop.

That's a toughie.

I lived in north central MN for quite a while. The winters ARE brutal, but I did notice, it didn't seem as cold...due to the dryness....yup, I got the lake affect snow and the ocean snow...humidity just went up to 110%.

and the dampness is sooo chilling!!!! The air is totally saturated! I moved home to help my Daddy...he passed 5 years ago, last month from pancreatic cancer.

I went out, looks like they are digging to China....gave them their scratch and shut all but the north side vent, my highest vent...that one had the most frozen condensation around it, so maybe it's the out one? IDK...I agree totally with you on the fighting a battle I don't think I will win...if I open up the coop, I let IN more humidity than is already in there, so just make matters worse.

I might have to do some more research and see if there is any way I can tap some of the ground heat...I forget what it's called...I can't afford nor do I dare, heat their coop any way electric. We've had near 100 degree drops in a few hours, this winter. One day it's about 40 above, then boom, it's 38 below...I guess that would be 80 degrees diff? Hay, what a few degree's when it's that cold!

Well, next time I am out am going to check the dollar store for rice and socks...and some seeds, to check first....I have some pretty curious birds, so anything new HAS to be pecked...I had one jump/fly on top of my head, yesterday when setting up the DIY WH....from the floor!!!! Maybe I can get a bunch of those socks with rice in them to soak up some of the moisture?????

Had EVERYTHING open all day....have even more "frost" in the coop than yesterday....so it HAS to be the air!!!

Thanks again, so much!!!! Anyone want to donate a dehumidifier? JK

 

[mithious]

Can you post pictures of your coop and your water heater?

How warm is the water with the heater working? Can you adjust the heater at all?

You could try making the water more closed off. Use a lid and maybe some water nipples.

No sorry, just a cell phone camera, takes awful pics....water is still cool, just not frozen..using a 40 watt bulb, inside a cement block, with a board at the bottom. I used an old lamp, took the cord with plug on it and bulb receptacle out, drilled a couple holes through two small blocks of wood, to run the cord under the cement block, with bigger board, under the cement block, and then a three sided, with a top, long boards kinda thing, to keep them away from said cord, plugged into a ground fault. I have a fount, no $$$ for the nipples nor something in a bucket to heat it with...have drooled over them...but no $$$ thus the DIY thingy. Was free to make out of things here.

 

[mithious]

Sorry, I got a bit confused as to you building a water heater, not coop heater. Do you have a slanted roof on your coop? If you have the vents open on both the lower side and the higher side, the air should enter the lower side and exit out the higher side. And unless your coop is really insulated well, no doubt it is the same humidity or close as the outside humidity as well.

Pics would help as stated above.

Oh, and I would lower the roost bar. Up high is where all that moisture is at and they will always be suseptible to frost bite being up so high. I know that keeping water unfrozen in those temps is difficult. And of course power outages probably happen frequently. You might check into the Alaska thread here and read what they are doing about keeping water from freezing. I know that it is a "hot" topic in that thread.

No Prob...Yes, the roof is slanted, that is why one vent is 6 1/2 feet up and one is 6 feet up....I think I will try taking off that top roost tonight and see if the buggers don't have a fit with me! Thanks for the explanation of the in and out air flow...I did not know which was which....we just hit 110% humidity...so my guess is it's the outside humidity...I had EVERYTHING open today, as we are up to 20 degrees, a heat wave...but kept the heater on, as everything is open...got TONS more "frost"...I think I have more frost from outside, than I do from them....I know that is backwards from what everyone says, but for real...the air feels frigid and damp...so closed up the windows and will take off the top roost, see what happens leaving just the top vents open...hopefully it cuts some of the outside moisture down????

Thanks for the ideas!!!!

ETA, no insulation, just double walls, double floors...with tar paper and shingles on outside, but for one wall, which will be shingled in the spring...too cold now. Yeah, I read the AK thread all the time, was my dream to run the Iditarod...went to AK once and loved it! They mainly use DIY water heaters and heated dog bowls...but they have very dry cold....here it is very wet cold...it's the moisture that is the problem...so their venting is different.

 

[mithious]

Duluth Homestead: I was thinking the same thing....if there's a higher watt bulb in that tin heater it's increasing the evaporation and putting more moisture in the air. Good call.

It's not a tin heater....I looked for a lower bulb...the lowest I could find was 40 watts...we don't have much to choose from here, shopping wise. I am on a mountain, in far northern NH...North of the White Mountiansm closer to Canada...the humidity just went up to 110%.

The water is not warm, just not frozen....the fount is not warm either...I am thinking it is from OUTSIDE and not inside....since I opened everything up, thinking the water heater would raise the moisture content in the coop air....I think I let IN the moisture???? I get double wammied here...lake affect and ocean air...so too much humidity.

I never really paid attention to the humidity before. Now that I have gotten back into chickens, I am....I think I am going to have to do some renovating next spring...some more research too...maybe a deeper coop???? For instance, instead of 8 by 8, add on and make it 8 by12 or14 feet? Anyone think that would help?

 

[mithious]

How much actual sq.ft. of ventilation/openings do you have? But from the sound of it, even if you have enough ventilation, with that high humidity going on, with those very cold temps, it could be hard to control. Talk about a 'FoggyFreeze', you have it.

Exactly!!!! I couldn't think of a word to use to describe it...that is it, a " FoggyFreeze". Kinda like when you throw boiling water in sub zero air and it turns to vapor instead of falling to the ground. The air going IN my coop, is hitting the colder walls and turning to instant frost. Literally. I had NO frost, until I opened up the coop to "compensate" for the water heater....opened it up today and now have MORE frost...poor chickens!!!! I left the highest vent I have, open, hoping it would suck some of the moisture out, yet keep more from coming in, by closing the lower vent...no clue if that will really work...am trying everything I can think of!



Is there ANY way to combat this???? Short of heating the coop? We lose electric too much for a heated coop with our temps!

 

[mithious]

Gonna use the double post to update...although I KNOW I don't have the problem solved, it seems to be working some. The walls are clearing a bit...I have less frost, since closing up the coop and leaving that one, higher vent, open. I also took out the top roost...they now have 2 eight foot ones instead of 3. They weren't too happy about that though...will keep checking them until dark! I hope none of them try to jump up to that top roost at dusk, cause it aint there.....oh dear...hadn't thought of that!

Still looking for ANY ideas on how to combat outside issues of high humidity....if anyone else faces this, would greatly appreciate hearing how you deal with it!

 

[Bogtown Chick]

Mithious. I know you said the bedding changing would be tough...but do you think you could take $5 and go get some pine shavings. I think the shavings I get are from kiln dried lumber ....I mean they are super dry. and I just really think those things could make a difference for you inside the coop drawing up the moisture. I like your sock and rice idea too. Hang a bunch of those puppies up and see what it does. Darn weather.

 

[mithious]

Ok, now I have another issue...I had turned off the water heater, when I removed the top roost...when I went back out to check them, after closing all but the north vent, I saw some water on their poop board...wasn't sure who, or what that was from...I wear a hat...well looked up at the ceiling, AND....the ceiling frost was melting

the cement block is cold, so no heat coming from it...the water doesn't get warm either just doesn't freeze, so no heat from that...it HAS to be them...the heat from their bodies, plus the moisture being sucked out from that higher vent, is causing the evaporation from the walls...they are mostly dry and free of frost bout 2/3rds the way up...and the ceiling frost is melting....

The ONLY heat in their coop is them! I did get an old towel I found and sopped off the ceiling, as it's melting over their roosts...

By Jiminey...I think we figured it out!!!!!! or atleast have a handle on it...when the temps drop back down...it will be all different...I need to study up on water, air, temperature ect...


Thank you all...each of you have added something, that has helped me figure this out and possibly find a solution!

Thank you all soooo much!!!!

PS I am so high, our fog is really clouds!

 

[TwoCrows]

Wow....I wish I had an answer for you! Well, keep us posted as I am now really curious as to how this type of situation can be fixed. You are never the only one out there with this type of thing going on. Good luck with this!