Chicken Coops for Sale in Fort Bidwell, California
Chicken Coops for Sale in Fort Bidwell, California
Preparing Your Coop/Flock For Winter – Part 1: Roof Structure
Last week I posted a list of items that you may want to consider doing to make sure you and your flock are ready for the colder winter months. I’m going to try address one or two of these topics every Wednesday so that if you are going to work on them over the weekend you have time to plan.
Again I know it’s hard to even think of winter when the temperatures are in the 90’s in many parts of the country, but the cold weather will be on us before you know. Its much easier to take the time now to button up any issues, then trying to do it in the dead of winter. Many of you will not deal with snow and ice (lucky you!) but many of these topics effect all of us backyard chicken keepers and have a detrimental effect on the overall health of your coop…As I always say if what I post pertains to you and helps, great, if not just forget about it and move on…
Coop Roof Structure:
The roof of your coop is the first line of defense against the elements. A sound roof will not only prevent water penetration but will help in keeping your coop warm during the winter. As we all know heat rises (check our second floor of the house out in the summer!) and a solid roof can help trap some of this heat keeping the inside of the coop warmer. The important thing to remember is that you do not want to trap all of the heat by cutting off ventilation. Heat develops moisture and condensation so it’s important to have a balance. Ventilation is an important aspect of the coop, without it moisture builds, ammonia fumes become overpowering and your birds health will suffer. There is a huge difference between ventilation and a draft, we will be discussing “drafts” in a later post.
Having controllable ventilation at the peak of the roof structure will help to maintain a healthy coop. This can easily be accomplished with some screen covered holes on the side walls of the peak and using a piece of plywood to control how much of an opening you want. There are some much more elaborate systems out there but they all accomplish the same thing, controllable ventilation. If you don’t have ventilation at the peak you may want to consider it. There is a reason why so many homes have ventilation at the eves and peaks, it helps to control moisture in the home during the winter as well keeping the home cooler in the summer months.
Ensuring that your roof is leak free is also very important. That little leak you have been dealing with all summer may become a big issue during the winter when you get the “freeze/thaw effects”. During the day as snow and ice melt, water can leak into the the roof structure. At night this water freezes and expands resulting in a larger and larger leak as the days go by. There are many products out there that can help seal up these leaks but be careful some have toxic fumes that could be harmful to your flock. Sometimes just using a new shingle on asphalt roofs does the trick. Metal roofs typically leak at the seams or nail heads, a good quality sealer should handle these areas. Just remember most of the time the leak you see dripping on the underside of the roof came from a hole or crack above where you see the dripping. When water leaks in, gravity causes the water to run to the lowest point. It may take some investigation to find where the leak is actually coming from but a good starting point is to start above the spot you see the leak dripping.
If the wood on your coop roof is rotted it should be replaced. Rotted wood normally contains a large amount of moisture. The moisture in this wood adds moisture to the coop (remember, it’s a bad thing). “Freeze/Thaw” effects can take place on this rotted wood causing it to deteriorate even quicker. Snow loads can add significant weight to the top of the coop and a unstable structure runs the risk of collapse. I can only imagine how difficult it would be dealing with a roof collapse in the dead of winter! If the snow and ice get to heavy for the roof on your coop, you should remove it. When removing it be careful not to damage the roof shingles or other covering! Stand on a steady surface with both feet firmly planted on the ground or step when attempting to remove snow and ice.
A roof leak also adds unwanted moisture to you coop by letting water in and keeping the litter wet. The interior of a coop has enough moisture from bird droppings and the moisture a chicken itself gives off by breathing, you don’t need or want the added moisture from a leak. If the litter in the coop becomes wet from any source during the winter you should remove it and replace it with fresh as quickly as possible. Placing a bucket under the leak to catch the drip is not a good fix. When water drips into the bucket it can splash a fine mist a considerable distance. This mist keeps the litter wet and the air inside the coop too moist.
A well ventilated, leak free, structurally sound roof on your coop is a extremely important part in maintaining the overall health of your coop. This is not an area that you want to just “make do” and cut corners. There are many materials that you can use for a roof. Some, like scrap metal roofing or end cut pieces of tar paper and shingles can be found at a local building site (ask first, you don’t want the end up in jail!) or a recycling center. I would avoid using a tarp, although these are good in an emergency should you find a leak. And never use pressure treated wood which can give off toxic fumes in a enclosed area like a coop. If your roof membrane is water tight there is no need for pressure treated plywood or lumber as a deck surface.
By addressing the coops roof now you can prevent dealing with the effects of a wet environment in the dead cold of the winter months…Hope this helps….
FrankThe Chicken Fountain™
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Chicken Coop Kits For Sale in Fort Bidwell, California
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Fort Bidwell California" into any one of the numerous search engines and a wealth of information will pop up. This information will provide links to other websites that will be informative and will provide the right direction for finding Fort Bidwell California chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Fort Bidwell, California With the substantial boost in chicken maintaining there has actually been a just as huge surge in the array of poultry paraphernalia on sale. Fowl real estate is a proceedings in point. It's also a timeless example of the good old bandwagon being got on as numerous potential poultry real estate professionals pitch a selection of lodging asserting to be the perfect remedy to your chicken housing demands. Frequently the rate looks appealing, your house looks eye-catching, hell also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Surely they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several inexpensive and awful coops swamping the marketplace. I understand this as I've tested a number of them in the field, and also seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed bucket appeared. The result was just a pricey pile of firewood and a tiny group of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Near Me in Fort Bidwell, California
Typically these standardized versions are constructed of quick grown lumber - come the very first decrease of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a door that will not shut, or tearing the door furniture off in a vain attempt to release the squawking occupants. The very first warm day suggests the timber dries and cracks, the felt roof bubbles as well as boils, and also come nightfall the hens refuse to enter. This is not as a result of their frustration at the decrease of their once desirable home yet considering that the hovel is currently a sanctuary for, and most likely crawling with, the poultry keeper's bane, red mite. Add the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly fit 4 big hens when that stocking density was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and what are you left with? A couple of joints and some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to four birds need to cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this could rely on whether you elect for a free standing house or one with a run affixed. Presuming you are ranging your birds in a large area as well as the pop opening doorway is big sufficient for the breed you keep, after that the main demands of housing boil down to three points which will certainly specify the number of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. Most breeds of chicken will certainly perch when they go to roost at night, this perch ought to ideally be 5-8cm broad with smoothed off edges so the foot rests easily on it. The perch needs to be more than the nest box entrance as chickens will certainly additionally normally seek the highest point to perch. A perch below that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is incidentally when they produce the most poo) causing stained eggs the list below day. They should not nevertheless be so high off the flooring of your home that leg injuries might take place when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in small breeds this is certainly less), plus if more than one perch is installed in the house they ought to be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally the house ought to have a the very least one nest box for each three birds as well as these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your house. Your house must have appropriate air flow: without it then condensation will build up every night, also in the coldest of weather. Understand, ventilation works on the principle of warm and comfortable air leaving with a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a set of openings on opposite walls of your house and at the same level, this is just what's known as a draught. If you have a house with a run affixed then the factors above are still true, however you ought to additionally think about the run size. The EU optimum lawful equipping thickness for a cost-free range bird is (as well as let's face it, one of the inspirations for maintaining some hens in your home is perhaps boosted or better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m squared. Take a close take a look at a few of the bargain residences - it could well be your home has the ideal perches, proper ventilation and also enough nest boxes for a practical number of birds, however will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you obtain just what you spend for". You might believe you've got hold of a deal, yet you as well as your group can rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house and it will certainly last for a couple of decades, if not longer offered the right treatment. In the end your fowl and also your poultry keeping encounter will certainly be a lot the better for it.chick plans
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