Chicken Coops for Sale in West Grove, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in West Grove, Pennsylvania
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™
Share this:
Like this:
Chicken Coop Guides in West Grove, Pennsylvania
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in West Grove Pennsylvania" 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 West Grove Pennsylvania chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in West Grove, Pennsylvania With the significant increase in chicken maintaining there has actually been a just as big rise in the variety of poultry paraphernalia on sale. Poultry housing is an instance in point. It's likewise a timeless example of the good old bandwagon being jumped on as various potential chicken housing specialists market a range of lodging asserting to be the excellent option to your chicken real estate requirements. Typically the cost looks attractive, the house looks appealing, hell also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look desirable. Undoubtedly they know a quality chicken house when they see one? There are several economical and also horrible coops swamping the market. I recognize this as I've examined a variety of them in the area, and seen a ewe run straight via one when the feed bucket appeared. The outcome was nothing but a costly pile of fire wood and also a little flock of bemused and currently homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Basics in West Grove, Pennsylvania
Usually these standardized designs are created of quick grown hardwood - come the first decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a doorway that won't shut, or tearing the door furniture off in a vain effort to launch the squawking citizens. The initial cozy day implies the hardwood dries out as well as splits, the really felt roofing system bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the hens refuse to enter. This is not due to their disappointment at the decline of their as soon as attractive commercial property yet since the hovel is now a place for, as well as possibly abounding, the fowl keeper's bane, red mite. Add on the fact that it said on the blurb that it would suit 4 huge hens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, and what are you entrusted? A couple of hinges and some kindling. A suitable coop for thee to 4 birds must cost you around ₤ 300 though this can depend on whether you elect for a cost-free standing house or one with a run affixed. Thinking you are varying your birds in a large room as well as the pop opening doorway allows enough for the breed you keep, then the major demands of real estate come down to 3 points which will specify the variety of birds your home will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes as well as air flow. Many types of chicken will certainly perch when they visit roost at night, this perch must preferably be 5-8cm large with smoothed off edges so the foot rests comfortably on it. The perch ought to be higher than the nest box entry as chickens will certainly additionally normally look for the acme to perch. A perch below that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box over night (which is by the way when they create the most poo) resulting in stained eggs the list below day. They should not nevertheless be so high off the flooring of the house that leg injuries can occur when the bird comes down in the early morning. Chickens need concerning 20cm of perch each (in tiny types this is undoubtedly less), plus if more than one perch is set up in the house they ought to be more than 30cm apart. They will certainly hunker up with their neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Ideally your house needs to have a the very least one nest box for each three birds as well as these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest location of your house. Your house must have appropriate ventilation: without it then condensation will build up every night, also in the coldest of weather condition. Know, air flow deals with the principle of cozy air leaving via a high void drawing cooler air in from a lower gap - it's not a set of openings on opposite wall surfaces of your house as well as at the exact same degree, this is what's known as a draft. If you have a house with a run affixed then the factors above are still real, however you must likewise take into consideration the run dimension. The EU maximum legal stocking density for a totally free range bird is (and let's face it, one of the inspirations for keeping some hens at home is potentially boosted or far better well-being) 2,500 birds per hectare, that's optimal one bird each 4m squared. Take a close take a look at some of the deal residences - it could well be your home has the best perches, appropriate air flow and also ample nest boxes for a reasonable variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything more than an A4 sized piece of ground to spend the day on? And so as the claiming goes, "you obtain just what you spend for". You could assume you've grabbed a deal, but you as well as your flock could possibly rue the day you did. Acquisition the best house as well as it will last for a couple of decades, otherwise longer given the proper therapy. Ultimately your chicken as well as your poultry keeping experience will be much the far better for it.diy plan
More Posts
Chicken Coops for Sale in New Kingstown, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Donegal, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Herminie, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Gray, Pennsylvania
Chicken Coops for Sale in Montoursville, Pennsylvania