Chicken Coops for Sale in Point Of Rocks, Maryland
Chicken Coops for Sale in Point Of Rocks, Maryland
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 Supplies in Point Of Rocks, Maryland
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Point Of Rocks Maryland" 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 Point Of Rocks Maryland chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Point Of Rocks, Maryland With the massive increase in poultry keeping there has been a just as huge surge in the range of chicken stuff on sale. Chicken real estate is a case in factor. It's also a classic example of the good old bandwagon being got on as different prospective fowl real estate experts pitch a selection of accommodation asserting to be the optimal remedy to your chicken housing needs. Often the price looks appealing, your diy-chicken-coop-planshome looks attractive, heck also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Definitely they know a professional chicken house when they see one? There are several cheap as well as horrible coops flooding the marketplace. I understand this as I've examined a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run directly through one when the feed bucket appeared. The outcome was only a costly pile of firewood as well as a tiny group of bemused and currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Run Ideas in Point Of Rocks, Maryland
Typically these mass produced designs are constructed of rapid grown up wood - come the initial decrease of rain they swell, leaving you either barricading a doorway that will not close, or tearing the door furniture off in a vain attempt to launch the squawking occupants. The very first warm day suggests the lumber dries out and also fractures, the felt roofing system bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens choose not to go in. This is not because of their frustration at the decline of their when appealing building yet because the hovel is currently a place for, as well as probably crawling with, the poultry caretaker's nemesis, red mite. Add on that it said on the blurb that it would certainly fit 4 big chickens when that stocking thickness was based upon the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and also just what are you entrusted? A number of joints as well as some kindling. A good coop for thee to four birds should cost you around ₤ 300 though this can rely on whether you choose for a free standing house or one with a run connected. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a large area and the pop opening doorway allows sufficient for the breed you maintain, after that the main requirements of housing boil down to three points which will specify the variety of birds the house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. The majority of breeds of chicken will perch when they visit roost in the evening, this perch needs to ideally be 5-8cm large with smoothed off sides so the foot rests easily on it. The perch must be above the nest box access as chickens will certainly also naturally seek the acme to perch. A perch less than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they create the most poo) bring about soiled eggs the list below day. They shouldn't nonetheless be so high off the floor of your house that leg injuries could possibly occur when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is undoubtedly less), plus if more than one perch is mounted in your house they should be more than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors however are not that keen on roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird in front. Preferably the house should have a the very least one nest box for each 3 birds as well as these should be off the ground and also in the darkest location of the house. Your home must have appropriate ventilation: without it then condensation will certainly build up every night, even in the chilliest of climate. Be aware, ventilation works with the principle of cozy air leaving with a high space drawing cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a set of holes on other walls of the house and at the very same level, this is just what's called a draft. If you have a house with a run connected then the points above are still real, however you need to additionally take into consideration the run dimension. The EU optimum lawful equipping density for a totally free variety bird is (and let's encounter it, among the inspirations for maintaining some chickens at home is potentially improved or far better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's maximum one bird each 4m settled. Take a close look at several of the deal residences - it could well be your house has the ideal perches, correct ventilation as well as adequate nest boxes for a reasonable number of birds, yet will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to spend the day on? Therefore as the claiming goes, "you get what you spend for". You may think you've got hold of a bargain, but you and also your group might rue the day you did. Acquisition the ideal house as well as it will certainly last for a few decades, otherwise longer provided the proper treatment. In the long run your poultry as well as your fowl keeping encounter will be a lot the far better for it.diy chicken
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