Tractor Supply 18 chicken coop - how to seal the bare wood? Plus a few other ???

One of my flocks would definitely either try to eat wetherstripping and/or peel off anything they couldn't eat just for funsies.

I had a door with big gaps like that on one prefab and used strips of 1/4in thick wood to make a little rim to overlap on the inside, just stapled it on. Blocks the wind well enough, is less easy to chew through for rodents, and not something the chickens can pick at. I'm about to be doing the same type of solution on another door for a different, non-prefab coop.

We're on the same wavelength! Using wood strips on the outside was my latest idea after thinking the girls would like nothing better than to munch on some weatherstripping while they hang out. Plus all those products suggest at least 40 degrees for application. A little late for that, it's 28 and snowing.

Maybe the wooden furring strips would work. My idea after that was really redneck - cutting a bicycle inner tube in strips and tacking it on to the door to overlap the opening. Have I lived in the country TOO long?? LOL! Hey, I'm from the South and proud of it!
 
We used automotive stick-on seal as weather stripping. (Found next to the door seals). It seems to work better. I do like the idea of making it out of wood for sturdiness, but our application under a hinged roof wouldn't have worked.
We got the dog house made by the same brand and modded it into a brooder (It was a slightly broken return for half price). Sprayed all sides 2x with UV resistant polyurethane.
Added upper ventilation, under the roof.
That's one thing it seems you haven't worked on yet. You really need some ventilation right under the roof. On the run side would work well, where the roof is highest, especially if your run roof will cover against the elements. Otherwise you'd need a small awning over it.
Moisture and ammonia travel up, and where it gets very cold you especially don't want a humid coop for frostbite reasons. On the coldest days you could cover that existing vent which seems too close to the roost for draft purposes.
I'll check out the auto parts store for another alternative. Thanks for the idea! It should be much wider than they sell at Lowe's.

You know, I have read many times about needing ventilation. The corrugated roof panels do overlap the coop roof as you noted. I was thinking how to open it up without freezing the birds. You are correct, the sliding rear door is right there even with the roosts. The automatic door is vented so that will let some fresh air in. What do you suggest? The house is right at 5' across. I don't know how to calculate the size or shape to pull the stale air up and out. PS. just so y'all know, all my friends will think I've lost it - taking a saw to my chicken
Taj Mahal... I'm going to look at your posts to see what you did. TX!
 

New posts New threads Active threads

Back
Top Bottom