New Themometer

[JimWWhite]

I went to Wally World the other day and came back with a Weather Channel Wireless Temperature Station for $24.95. I mounted the transmitter in my coop on the back wall above the Gals' heads. My coop is about 75 feet from the house but this unit transmits up to 300 feet. It uses two AA batteries in both the transmitter and the receiver. The receiver is mounted on a wall in the kitchen. It works great. We had temps down below 25 F on Sunday but the coop stayed above 35 F.

This weekend we're going to do some insulation with sheets of foil backed styrofoam from Lowes. They're about $10 a sheet and it'll take three 4x8 sheets that I can cut into any size I need with a razor. The sheets are an inch thick. The label on each one says it'll provide an R5 factor when it's installed. We'll put it in all the walls, ceiling, and underneath the floor. I'll use Liquid Nails to adhere it. We'll also do some molding with that sticky foam rubber stuff around the doors to seal off any drafts. When I built the coop my Wife did a great job of sealing up all the joints and openings with that expanding foam stuff.

Now if that doesn't keep them warm enough then I have one last trick up my sleeve. We have a bunch of river rock about the size of potatoes that I'll heat up in a 500 F oven and put them in a wooden box with a lid and vent holes. That'll go out to the coop over in the corner away from the roosts on those really cold nights when it's really needed. And if that's not enough, well I've already spent a small fortune on the coop and run so I might just go ahead and ship the gals off to Bermuda or somewhere warm.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

We had temps down below 25 F on Sunday but the coop stayed above 35 F.

If I had a coop that was maintaining a 10 degree temp differential, I wouldnt try to "fix" it.

If you seal it up too tight, you'll end up with moisture problems.​

 

[patandchickens]

I can't see anything whatsoever wrong with caulking (etc) and insulating, as long as you are not panelling over your vents. Air leaks don't make good cold-weather ventilation anyhow (you get drafts and condensation). And insulation is always a plus.

BTW it may not be worth the bother of insulating under the floor, when you could just as easily throw in a few more inches' depth of shavings bedding and get the same effect. It's not *bad* to insulate under there, if done in a way that doesn't become mouse habitat, just that adding bedding is often easier.

Keep an eye out with the foil-backed foamboard, some people have chickens peck through the foil and eat the insulation; chickens peck and eat that foam weatherstripping too so keep it away from anywhere the chickens can get.

GOod luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[joebryant]

If not wood paneling, at least cover the foam board with tarps.

" I might just go ahead and ship the gals off to Bermuda or somewhere warm." I volunteer to be sent with them; they'll need a guardian.

 

[ema.whte]

It is a great idea to use a wireless thermometer man, I find this forum inspiring. It probably wasn't an advice, but, I've never thought about such a solution so thanks.

Emma

 

[LynneP]

Yep, cover the insulation. I doubt you'll need the warmed river rocks and since at 500 they might be a fire hazard, I shouldn't bother.

Have been thinking about buying one of those weather stations and you've convinced me, plus they are on special at our hardware store.

Your chooks will be fine, just keep them separated from the insulation.

 

[rcentner]

Nice, I will have to add that to my wish list! So...if I cover the insulation with tarp they won't peck through the tarp right? That was my plan but I was worried that the sharp beaked ones would be able to break through.

oh, does it tell humidity too?

 

[B'villechicken]

I use a wireless weather station in my coop that reads both temp and humidity. Also, it consistently reads 6 to 10 degrees warmer than the outside temp. Coop is insulated.

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

That'll go out to the coop over in the corner away from the roosts on those really cold nights when it's really needed.

It never gets that cold in Statesville​

 

[JimWWhite]

Well, it does get cold in Statesville but it's not like we're in Minnesota or Colorado or Canada. We'll see a few mornings when we get up where it's down in the teens, but normal cold is low to mid twenties.

I don't believe the transmitter sends humidity readings to the receiver. The receiver shows humidity and barometric pressure but that's all from inside the house. The have a more expensive one that does report on temp and humidity from the remote and even monitors multiple remotes at the same time, but this one doesn't. I could have saved a few bucks with a less expensive one for about $15 but it had a range of only 100 feet. I wanted to make sure we were getting an accurate reading so I opted for the $25 one.

I'm going to pass on the river rocks for now and sending the Gals to Bermuda or Florida even though someone graciously volunteered to chaperone them all winter while they were away. I think with insulating the walls and ceiling plus putting in extra litter on the floor will have a positive effect on their well being.