She said/He said Who's right? Who's wrong? No one!

[chicapee]

My tomatoes are almost done for the year as it is so hot. I have taken some cuttings to root for fall when it starts to cool down.
Lockdown for the bcms last night in coolerbator. Don't know if they will do any thing as not able to see inside. Temp and humidity are remaining stable 98.5 to 99 and 65%. I dropped the temp a bit for hatching. I am using a paper towel tube cut up to stand them up as it doesn't cover as much of the egg as the cartons.

 

[WalnutHill]

I need your help people. Everything I have read and seen says that ventalation is the key to keeping from having missing toes and frostbite on your chickens in the northcountry. I need someone(s) to look at my venting above my door and tell me if that is too much. (I do plan to add a little door later on that can be closed if it needed to.) I have that area as well as a slightly smaller area at the back, (pic there too). Is this too much or too open?? Remember I live in upstate NY where we do get 30 below days.

We get cold weather here too, and I have plenty of layers with missing toes or partial toes, but that was a result of being left in crates in a trailer in the coldest weather of the year before we picked them up. Here at home our coops have wire sides on three sides, with only polyethylene fabric (think heavy tarp) covering. The only way you could get more airflow is to free range them. We have never had frostbite in these coops. The birds all roost off the ground. The sides get rolled down on the coldest days but it's comparable to being under a tarp shelter...never warm, just a few degrees above outside temp. None of our native birds are missing any digits.

Since you don't have many birds, I would use more moderate ventilation like you are doing. The best design is to have an air intake down low on one end (where prevailing summer breezes blow in) and the exhaust high on the opposite end. Just don't put an intake on the north side if that is where your winter winds come from.

 

[lazy gardener]

No. I'd want even more than that. In my 10 x 12 I have under eave venting the whole length on the south, 8' on the north. There are 3 windows ?24 x 36" (hinged at the top) and an E and W gable vent 8 x 16". Even that was not enough last winter. I left the people door open as much as possible (during the day). And will be putting in a low vent below the roosting area. Bee is convinced that having a low vent is crucial for venting ammonia up and out of the coop. What ever you do, be sure to cover all of your vents with hardware cloth to keep out predators.

 

[cppeace]

I'm glad you got a day to work on it. I love building things and especially coops.

You folks have had a LOT of rain!

Easy Bake!

I didn't realize you were making them.

We have been eating elk burger for quite a while now from our blessed hunts and it's delicious.




How long was it at 108?

No clue. I don't believe it was at 108, I think that thermometer is overly sensative. It fluctuates very very easily. I work nights and sleep afternoons and early evening so occassionally the living room gets a little warmer than normal since we don't have central AC but the other two thermometers said 100 and 104. All 8 of the eggs still have good movement and I'm expecting my first pipper tomorrow

 

[scflock]

No. I'd want even more than that. In my 10 x 12 I have under eave venting the whole length on the south, 8' on the north. There are 3 windows ?24 x 36" (hinged at the top) and an E and W gable vent 8 x 16". Even that was not enough last winter. I left the people door open as much as possible (during the day). And will be putting in a low vent below the roosting area. Bee is convinced that having a low vent is crucial for venting ammonia up and out of the coop. What ever you do, be sure to cover all of your vents with hardware cloth to keep out predators.

Totally off topic, but what kind of rooster is that in your avatar? My EE is starting to look exactly like him

 

[AmyLynn2374]

We get cold weather here too, and I have plenty of layers with missing toes or partial toes, but that was a result of being left in crates in a trailer in the coldest weather of the year before we picked them up. Here at home our coops have wire sides on three sides, with only polyethylene fabric (think heavy tarp) covering. The only way you could get more airflow is to free range them. We have never had frostbite in these coops. The birds all roost off the ground. The sides get rolled down on the coldest days but it's comparable to being under a tarp shelter...never warm, just a few degrees above outside temp. None of our native birds are missing any digits.

Since you don't have many birds, I would use more moderate ventilation like you are doing. The best design is to have an air intake down low on one end (where prevailing summer breezes blow in) and the exhaust high on the opposite end. Just don't put an intake on the north side if that is where your winter winds come from.

No. I'd want even more than that. In my 10 x 12 I have under eave venting the whole length on the south, 8' on the north. There are 3 windows ?24 x 36" (hinged at the top) and an E and W gable vent 8 x 16". Even that was not enough last winter. I left the people door open as much as possible (during the day). And will be putting in a low vent below the roosting area. Bee is convinced that having a low vent is crucial for venting ammonia up and out of the coop. What ever you do, be sure to cover all of your vents with hardware cloth to keep out predators.

Now, I thought, from what I have read that venting should be done above roost height???


The reason that I am posting this question is my idiot landlord who has been helping me refuses to help anymore because I won't close in the ventalition. He swears because my coop isn't closed tight (like the Amish told him they do-mind you he's never owned a chicken in his life,) 'my birds' feet are all going to fall off and he's not going to be part of that and I can finish the roof support myself". Oh and I shouldn't be listening to the "computer". He's seen it happen.

 

[WalnutHill]

19th century coops, Amish and otherwise, built wooden chimneys in each coop room that went from just above the floor through the roof. Those are the most effective because they pull stale air from all sides of the room and pull it out without a direct draft. Fans in the walls are used on production houses. The key is not to have the most bitter winter winds blowing through. You could make him happy by putting a shutter on the ventilation, and open it as soon as he's done helping.

 

[scflock]

.

I'm sorry, that was so funny I have to get in on it...

 

[WalnutHill]

http://www.yellowbirchhobbyfarm.com...ully-ventilate-the-cold-climate-chicken-coop/

Don't listen to the computer!

 

[AmyLynn2374]

19th century coops, Amish and otherwise, built wooden chimneys in each coop room that went from just above the floor through the roof. Those are the most effective because they pull stale air from all sides of the room and pull it out without a direct draft. Fans in the walls are used on production houses. The key is not to have the most bitter winter winds blowing through. You could make him happy by putting a shutter on the ventilation, and open it as soon as he's done helping.

I plan on making a "shutter" or door for it, later on. But he thinks it should be sealed tight and insulated. I keep telling him you have to have the ventalation, especially if I am using teh deep litter method. I just packed his **** in his truck and told him thank you for the help, you can go, I'll finish it myself. Honestly, I'd rather do it myself. He doesn't do anything by plan, he cobb jobs EVERYTHING. He uses no logic. Do you know how many times we had to redo something and do it the way I told him to do it in the first place??? I'm happy to be rid of him, just ticked that he thought he was going to give me the ultimatium that if I didn't do it his way he wasn't helping.