Chicken Coops for Sale in Tyler, Texas
Chicken Coops for Sale in Tyler, Texas
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 Boxes in Tyler, Texas
A good place to start any search is the internet. Simply plugging in the phrase "chicken coops for sale in Tyler Texas" 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 Tyler Texas chicken coops. What to look for when buying a chicken coop in Tyler, Texas With the massive increase in chicken maintaining there has actually been a just as huge increase in the array of chicken paraphernalia for sale. Poultry real estate is a proceedings in factor. It's additionally a traditional instance of the excellent old bandwagon being got on as various prospective fowl real estate experts peddle a variety of accommodation declaring to be the optimal remedy to your chicken real estate demands. Frequently the rate looks attractive, the house looks appealing, heck also the clean-cut family members standing there feeding the chickens look attractive. Surely they recognize a high quality chicken house when they see one? There are many economical and also nasty coops flooding the market. I know this as I've tested a variety of them in the area, as well as seen a ewe run directly via one when the feed container appeared. The result was nothing but an expensive stack of firewood and a tiny group of bemused and also now homeless bantams.
Chicken Coop Free Plans in Tyler, Texas
Usually these mass produced designs are created of rapid grown up wood - come the initial decline of rainfall they swell, leaving you either defending a doorway that won't shut, or tearing the doorway furnishings off in a vain effort to launch the squawking occupants. The first cozy day suggests the wood dries out and also splits, the felt roof bubbles and also boils, as well as come nightfall the chickens refuse to go in. This is not due to their dissatisfaction at the decrease of their when attractive commercial property yet because the hovel is now a sanctuary for, and also most likely abounding, the fowl caretaker's bane, red mite. Add the fact that it stated on the blurb that it would certainly match 4 big hens when that stocking thickness was based on the Circle Line at 5pm on a Friday, as well as just what are you left with? A few joints as well as some kindling. A decent coop for thee to four birds should cost you approximately ₤ 300 though this can rely on whether you choose for a complimentary standing house or one with a run connected. Thinking you are ranging your birds in a big room as well as the pop hole doorway is big sufficient for the type you keep, then the major requirements of real estate boil down to 3 points which will define the variety of birds your house will certainly hold; perches, nest boxes and ventilation. Many types of chicken will perch when they go to roost during the night, this perch must ideally be 5-8cm vast with smoothed off sides so the foot rests comfortably on it. The perch should be above the nest box access as chickens will certainly likewise normally seek the acme to perch. A perch lower than that will certainly have the birds roosting in the nest box overnight (which is by the way when they generate the most poo) causing soiled eggs the following day. They shouldn't however be so high off the flooring of your house that leg injuries might happen when the bird gets down in the morning. Chickens require concerning 20cm of perch each (in little breeds this is undoubtedly much less), plus if greater than one perch is mounted in your house they must be greater than 30cm apart. They will hunker up with their neighbors however are not that crazy about roosting with a beak in the bloomers of the bird ahead. Preferably your house should have a least one nest box for each three birds as well as these must be off the ground as well as in the darkest area of the house. Your home must have ample ventilation: without it then condensation will develop every night, also in the chilliest of weather. Know, ventilation works with the principle of warm air leaving through a high gap drawing cooler air in from a reduced space - it's not a set of openings on contrary wall surfaces of your home and at the very same level, this is what's known as a draft. If you have a house with a run connected after that the factors above are still true, yet you need to additionally take into consideration the run dimension. The EU maximum lawful stocking density for a free array bird is (as well as let's encounter it, one of the inspirations for maintaining some hens in your home is perhaps boosted or far better welfare) 2,500 birds each hectare, that's optimal one bird per 4m made even. Take a close take a look at a few of the bargain homes - it could well be your home has the best perches, correct ventilation as well as sufficient nest boxes for a practical variety of birds, but will each of the chickens have anything greater than an A4 sized item of ground to invest the day on? Therefore as the saying goes, "you obtain just what you spend for". You could believe you've got a bargain, but you as well as your flock can rue the day you did. Purchase the right house and it will last for a few years, otherwise longer given the right therapy. Eventually your poultry as well as your fowl keeping experience will certainly be a lot the better for it.plan chick
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