Water Placement

[Ridgerunner]

Thanks Pirate & Ridge. Not going to lie,  i do like the convenience of the auto waterer inside, but i might add a "TEE" and pipe drinker right outside the coop as well. I prolly will put a cutoff on the inside so that in the winter on those freezing nights i can shut off the outside part.. Does the hens spend more time inside the coop on cold winter days?. As far the moisture Pirate mention, i think the type system i have will not drip like the nipples i tried, they werent bad, but i dont like drips period. especially inside. I will clean the coop regularly to keep down poop,(Ammonia)  and sprinkle a lil DE to help with mites..Would you suggest putting a small heat device for winter? Thanks.

Where do you live? How cold does it actually get? And the big questions, how well is your coop ventilated? Is your coop a wind tunnel, built so the chickens cannot get out of a cold wind?

In a well-ventilated coop built so a cold wind is not blasting on the chickens, heat is probably not necessary, though if you get 30 or 40 degrees below zero, either F or C, it might be a bit different. I don’t have experience with those temperatures combined with chickens.

If your coop is so airtight that moisture cannot escape, then any time the temperature drops below freezing frostbite is a risk. You can prevent frostbite by heating, but hope you don’t get a power outage.

The coldest it gets here is single digits below freezing Fahrenheit. The coldest I remember is -8F. My coop is well ventilated and I don’t heat the coop or water. I have not had a frostbite problem.

 

[lazy gardener]

I did forget to ask a question.....Just so happens 1 of heat pumps condensate lines runs out right beside part of my run. Do you see any reason i cant do a lil piping and have the condensate water run over into a plastic tub, inside the run? Seems the condensate is nothing but humidity from the air, which is run through PVC pipe, and should be fairly clean. Thanks. PS. Thanks to ALL that replied...I just type slow, and by the time i replied, you guys had chimed in.

I would not use condensation water for your flock. It can harbor some nasty bacteria. Remember Legionairre's disease? That was from a condensation system, IIRC. You should not need heat in the coop. What is your general location, latitude, or planting zone? I am in zone 4, around 45th parallel. I did provide intermittent heat during the polar vortex winters when the temp stayed below 0*F for days and weeks on end. But, did not turn it on unless my birds were showing signs of hypothermia (not moving, not eating well)

 

[xcalibor67]

My coop is 6x10 with 7 ft ceiling. I have (3) 14" windows, 2 on the front you see and 1 on the left side a lil lower in placement. They all have flaps i can raise or lower to block the wind. Since i used the same metal roofing as my house, i put up 2" thick foam sheets on the ceiling...it really keeps the heat build up down. I thought about putting a small vent in the floor. covered with hardwire cloth, so cooler air from under the coop would pull up from under the coop? Its seems from reading that heat is going to be more of a problem for me. we have very few cold nights that drop below 20. and our summers do frequent upper 90's withj a few triples. I did get out there last eve and formed a lil 2x2 concrete basin about 4" deep to run the condensate into, i really dont think it will hurt my birds, and would serve as a waddling bowl to cool they're feet and legs in..

 

[xcalibor67]

Since the condensate is rather cool coming out i didnt think of Legionnaires disease. I know it will grow in tanks hot water heaters where temps are more stable. With the constant source of cool condensate coming in, i figured it would be ok....I think a small shallow 2x2 basin would be allot less prone than big plastic storage tanks people us for watering...Good topic though, as it never really crossed my mind..thanks. Would putting a bit of Chlorine in the water be ok, as they make tiny lil tablets for that you use in AC drain systems, or a teaspoon of clorox, ?

 

[lazy gardener]

I know that Chlorine is even used in emergency situations to purify water for drinking. But, I would have to be in dire straits in order to let it pass my lips. I even get grossed out if I get soda from a fast food restaurant and can taste the chlorine from the water. Very nice looking coop set up. I think the floor vent is a nice idea, and you could cover it in the winter. My lower vent is about 8" above the floor to accommodate the DL.

 

[xcalibor67]

Im like you, i think i will pass on putting chlorine in the lil bird bath condensate basin. like i said its not very big, and between the AC running about all summer, and rains, i dont think Legionnaires will be an issue, even if have to do a weekly/by-weekly wash out with a hose...I would be more concerned with large holding tanks, closed off, used for watering/// Not to mention how they breed mosquito larva. Thanks guys.