winterized my girls home

[pamonarch]

I am attaching a few photos of my girls home. I have put up plastic sheets where the chicken wire left it open. The roof of their home is steel and slants down, so there is a gap between the roof and walls about two inches. The ceiling above their roost had some frost on it, but im thinking thats because its steel. There was no frost on the sheets of plastic on the front walls and side wall near the large run door. I have deep bedding started under the roosts, made of some straw, some hay and pine chips and leaves from our yard. Ive been reading about deep bedding and hoping it helps keep the coop warmer this winter. It was 30 degrees in the coop this morning, and was 24 outside. Does anyone have any other suggestions. I have 15 birds, 8 Buff Orphingtons, 4 barred rocks and 3 red stars. They seem to be happy and are not huddling on the roosts when i check them at night.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Frost on the ceiling means not enough ventilation. You may have closed it up too much. Chickens need fresh air and protection from the elements, they don't necessarily need to be warm, they keep themselves warm. A build up of moisture will cause respiratory infections, and frostbite.

 

[lazy gardener]

You will have frost on that ceiling any time there is any moisture in the air and temp is below freezing. It will condense on the ceiling b/c the outside temp is lower. Then, as it melts, it will rain back down on the birds. With a metal roof, I don't know that it's possible to keep that from happening, unless you insulate the roof. Increasing your ventilation will help, but it may not solve the issue completely. Many winter days here in NE are humid enough to result in "indoor rain" with a metal roof.

 

[blackdog043]

What kind of ventilation do you have in the coop? It looks like you covered everything up. I would cut some of the panels shorter, so there is ventilation at the top.

Metal without a plywood base for a coop roof, is not the best choice. As you have found out they will sweat or frost up then drip in the coop, making the bedding wet, creating humidity. The chickens are breathing and putting out warm air which goes up to a cold piece of metal, making it sweat also.

 

[pamonarch]

What kind of ventilation do you have in the coop? It looks like you covered everything up. I would cut some of the panels shorter, so there is ventilation at the top.

Metal without a plywood base for a coop roof, is not the best choice. As you have found out they will sweat or frost up then drip in the coop, making the bedding wet, creating humidity. The chickens are breathing and putting out warm air which goes up to a cold piece of metal, making it sweat also.

There is about a 2 inch gap all around the top where the roof meets the walls, is that enough ventilation, plus there is 7 inch by 16 inch vents along the one wall near the top that I did put plastic on over the hardware wire..maybe i could remove that plastic for more ventilation..these 4 vents are above where they roost..and only one side of this coop is wood walls,the other sides are steel..this used to be a manger for sheep..we turned it into a coop for my girls. I sure hope I'm doing things right...

 

[pamonarch]

You will have frost on that ceiling any time there is any moisture in the air and temp is below freezing. It will condense on the ceiling b/c the outside temp is lower. Then, as it melts, it will rain back down on the birds. With a metal roof, I don't know that it's possible to keep that from happening, unless you insulate the roof. Increasing your ventilation will help, but it may not solve the issue completely. Many winter days here in NE are humid enough to result in "indoor rain" with a metal roof.

How would I insulate the roof?

 

[blackdog043]

The 2 inch gap all around, is not enough. On your exit door pic, I would remove the top half of plastic all the way across. Leave the piece on the bottom, next to the door. I would also take down the plastic in front of your roost. That will restrict ventilation, where it is needed.

How would I insulate the roof?

You might be able to use the reflective foil bubble. I'm not sure how you would keep it up there. You could search, how to insulate a metal shed roof.

 

[pamonarch]

Thank you! I'll look into it all!