Chicken Coops for Sale in Santa Rosa, California
Chicken Coops for Sale in Santa Rosa, California
How-To Monday: Successfully Ventilate the Cold Climate Chicken Coop
Being that we’re in the heart of winter, it’s likely you’ve come across an article or two pertaining to protecting your flock against the elements or at least on how to keep them comfortable. On my own blog I’ve discussed and the , and I’m back at it again today with a cold weather focused article, this time on how to add proper ventilation to the cold climate chicken coop. And it’s easier than you think.
Many fear that by adding ventilation they are putting their chickens in danger. After all, the vents will allow the warmest air to escape- how on earth will the flock survive without it? But the fact of the matter is, it’s that warm air that is the most dangerous to your birds. For in that warm air, the moisture is trapped- your worst enemy when it comes to frostbite not to mention exposing them to respiratory issues}. If proper ventilation is not in place, the moisture produced by your chickens will condense on available surfaces- ceilings, walls, windows, and of course frostbite-susceptible appendages such as combs, wattles, and feet. Add cold temperatures to the mix and you could be looking at frostbite. Think of it this way: have you ever gotten your hands wet while outside in the winter? Wet hands as opposed to dry} when exposed to cold air will freeze much faster and accelerate frostbite. The same applies to too much moisture in the coop.
Proper ventilation is key in aiding in the prevention of a frostbit flock.
So how and where do we add ventilation and how much? Let’s discuss that now.
1. How much ventilation is needed?
According to the book “Raising Poultry the Modern Way” by Leonard S. Mercia, one fifth of your coop wall space should be ventilated. You can go by the books or you can go by your nose which is what I would personally suggest}. If it smells stuffy or ammonia is present, you probably need some more ventilation. In fact, you probably need more ventilation than you think. The great thing is if you believe you’ve ended up with an excess of ventilation which generally the opposite is the case}, you can always cover it up or close it off. It’s more damaging to have too little ventilation than too much. Typically frostbite occurs from too much moisture and lack of ventilation than from the cold itself.
2. Where to place ventilation?
This is a really important question. In cold climates where sub-zero temperature winds are blowing, you don’t want that cold air passing through your chickens while they are roosting or in the nest boxes. You want that air exchange to happen above their heads, which means above the roosting area. Chickens do quite well in consistent cold, but not real great when exposed to drafts. So make sure that where you place your ventilation will not expose your flock to drafts. Additionally, placing your ventilation up high will ensure that the warmest air and with it the highest content of moisture}will makes its way up and out of the coop.
Ideally, add ventilation to the tops of all four coop walls. The reason for this is then in the extreme cold/blowing snow/blizzard weather, you can close off the vents most susceptible to those extremes. That way, you can keep the majority of your vents open, even in the worst of weather. Second best is cross ventilation through venting opposing walls. But if for whatever reason} you are unable to do multiple sides and perhaps can only ventilate one side}, your best bet is to add ventilation to the south side of your coop.
3. How to add ventilation?
If you’re not a carpenter, chances are the idea of altering a building in any way is a scary thing. I get it. But even the most green DIY-er can add ventilation to a chicken coop. You will need some basic tools, however:
-power drill I suggest an electric drill as you might need the extra muscle, depending on your coop walls}
-round drill bit, preferably 4″ or larger though 3″ will suffice in most cases}
-hardware cloth
-screws and washers
-optional: vent covers
We experienced a little bit of trial and error when adding this type of ventilation to our coop. I was really excited about vent covers, especially one that would open and close for easy vent management- and they were even backed with 1/16″ hardware cloth. But as it turns out, moisture escaping the coop combined with -20 temps brought about some issues.
Here is what to do and what not to do} when adding ventilation to your cold climate coop:
-The larger the hole, the less you will be fighting the frost. Smaller holes will quickly plug up as the exchange of moisture and cold air results in rapidly formed frost. Hence, the suggestion of a 4″ or larger round drill bit.
-I was planning on using metal vent covers with the 1/16″ hardware cloth backing. We drilled five holes the maximum number of holes that would fit under the vent cover}. I quickly discovered, however, that the hardware mesh with its tiny holes} plugged up with frost almost immediately. I’d chosen to add vents to both the north and south peaks of my coop. So I ended up removing the vent completely from the south side and covered it with 1/4″ hardware cloth secured with screws and washers to prevent predators from tearing the cloth off}. I would suggest two different things here: (1) place your hardware cloth over the holes on the outside of the building rather than the inside it’s easier for a predator to push in on the cloth than to pull it off}, and (2) if you do not have predators which can crawl through a 1/2″ hole like weasels}, go with 1/2″ hardware cloth. It won’t frost up quite as quickly as the 1/4″ stuff will.
View of the south side peak} of our chicken coop from the outside. 1/4″ hardware cloth has been secured over and beyond the holes to supply a healthy amount of protection from possible predation. This photo was taken after two days of brutally cold -25 and colder air temp; -50 and colder windchill}. There was little frost buildup on the mesh over the holes, but as you can see there is a little bit of ice built up between.
-On the north side of our coop, I simply removed the 1/16″ hardware cloth backing that the vent came with and placed the vent back over the holes on the outside of the coop, secured with screws}. This way, when the cold north wind blows, it cannot as easily blast right into the coop, but it still allows that warm, moisture-laden air to escape. I still have had a little bit of frost form on the vent, but I simply brush it away in the morning. The vents will be a non-issue once we’re out of winter.
View of the north side peak} of our coop from the outside.
It really is that easy.
This is just one simple way to add ventilation to your coop. There are endless options out there for other ways if you do some research, but I hope I was able to provide a relatively easy fix to those DIY’ers lacking in carpentry confidence and/or experience.
Thanks for coming by
Sources:
Raising Poultry the Modern Way Revised & Updated Version} by Leonard S. Mercia
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Baby Chickens For Sale in Santa Rosa, California
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Santa Rosa 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 Santa Rosa California chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Santa Rosa, California With the substantial boost in poultry keeping there has been a similarly big increase in the array of poultry paraphernalia for sale. Chicken real estate is an instance in factor. It's additionally a timeless instance of the great old bandwagon being jumped on as various potential fowl housing professionals peddle an array of cottage declaring to be the perfect remedy to your chicken real estate requirements. Typically the cost looks eye-catching, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks attractive, hell even the clean-cut family standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Certainly they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several cheap and awful coops swamping the market. I know this as I've checked a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run straight with one when the feed bucket showed up. The result was just a costly stack of fire wood as well as a small flock of bemused as well as now homeless bantams.
Baby Chick Incubator in Santa Rosa, California
More often than not these mass produced designs are created of quick grown timber - come the first drop of rainfall they swell, leaving you either fortifying a doorway that will not shut, or ripping the door furnishings off in a vain effort to release the squawking inhabitants. The first cozy day indicates the wood dries as well as fractures, the felt roof covering bubbles as well as boils, and come nightfall the chickens refuse to enter. This is not as a result of their dissatisfaction at the decline of their when attractive property however because the hovel is currently a haven for, and probably crawling with, the fowl caretaker's bane, red mite. Add the fact that it claimed on the blurb that it would fit four huge chickens when that equipping thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and just what are you entrusted? A couple of joints and also some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you around ₤ 300 though this can rely on whether you elect for a free standing house or one with a run attached. Presuming you are varying your birds in a large area as well as the pop hole doorway is big sufficient for the breed you maintain, after that the main requirements of real estate boil down to three factors which will specify the variety of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and also air flow. Many types of chicken will perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off edges so the foot rests pleasantly on it. The perch should be above the nest box entry as chickens will certainly additionally normally look for the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they create one of the most poo) resulting in soiled eggs the following day. They should not nonetheless be so high off the floor of your home that leg injuries can occur when the bird gets down in the early morning. Chickens need regarding 20cm of perch each (in small breeds this is obviously much less), plus if more than one perch is installed in your house they should be greater than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their next-door neighbors yet are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably your home ought to have a the very least one nest box for every three birds as well as these need to be off the ground and also in the darkest location of your house. Your home ought to have sufficient air flow: without it then condensation will certainly accumulate every night, also in the coldest of climate. Know, ventilation works on the concept of warm and comfortable air leaving through a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower void - it's not a collection of openings on contrary walls of your house and at the exact same level, this is what's known as a draft. If you have a house with a run attached after that the factors above are still true, however you ought to also take into consideration the run dimension. The EU optimum legal equipping density for a totally free array bird is (and also let's encounter it, among the inspirations for keeping some chickens in your home is perhaps enhanced or far better welfare) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m squared. Take a close look at several of the bargain houses - it could well be the house has the ideal perches, right ventilation and also adequate nest boxes for an affordable number of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? And so as the stating goes, "you get what you pay for". You could assume you've got hold of a deal, yet you as well as your group can rue the day you did. Acquisition the best house as well as it will certainly last for a few years, if not longer offered the appropriate therapy. In the long run your poultry and also your fowl keeping encounter will be much the much better for it.chicken chick
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