Comments on: Winter’s Comin’

By: Redshirt Knitting » It’s All About The Pitch

Redshirt Knitting » It’s All About The Pitch — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 23:29:53 +0000

[...] solved the problem with the leaky chicken coop several weeks ago, but I wanted to be sure before I blogged about it. We have had plenty of rain in [...]

By: Lisa E.

Lisa E. — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:17:14 +0000

CHICKEN PANTS!

Ugh, good luck with the mildew. Poor chickens!

By: kmkat

kmkat — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:42:01 +0000

For money, the person who commented about the moisture from chicken breath and chicken poop and chicken sweat (do they sweat?) hit the nail on the head. Human houses have a moisture barrier in the walls right under the sheetrock, to keep the insulation and studs dry. Maybe you need to do that, too.

Do they make coop-sized dehumidifiers?

By: Erika

Erika — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:48:10 +0000

It’s kind of hard to tell from the pictures, but the coop part doesn’t rest on the ground. It’s suspended halfway up, two feet off the ground. So the problem isn’t moisture seeping up from the soil, at least!

By: Judy

Judy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:32:03 +0000

Well, or two bicycle wheels mounted about halfway up the back with the axle going across the back. The axle should be mounted high enough so that the tractor would sit up off the ground an inch or so. Then it would be easier to move, too. I think you talked about that at one time. Wheels could be easy to scrounge. I’m thinking that the tarp is draining the water directly under the coop…maybe a pvc pipe frame to hold the tarp away a bit and still be light…?

By: Debi

Debi — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:30:09 +0000

You might try a sheet of linoleaum (spelled wrong) from a local flooring store. Tacked onto the bottom of the floor would be washable and moisture would be contained on the top, with the bricks underneath for air flow? The other thing I have heard of is a light bulb (low wattage) if it gets bitter cold.

By: Judy

Judy — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:23:34 +0000

Perhaps four or six of those cement rectangles that are about 6″ by 12″ to put in each corner and about the middle of the long sides. They are only about an inch high so the girls can’t squeeze under. (Love the word squeeze–it is so itself.) Love chicken pants…

By: kellys

kellys — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 03:03:38 +0000

Condensation.
Little heat boxes with feathers and poop, plus little chicken breaths.
Gathers everywhere, methinks.
What about the pink board insulation underneath the plywood (and you may need to change out the plywood since the mold-stuffs got into it. Would be nice if you could treat it with something not harmful, like sap. Man these are pricey cluckers.)

By: bewichd

bewichd — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:43:19 +0000

you need those corrugated poly panels like you can make a green house out of …

By: fillyjonk

fillyjonk — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 00:30:12 +0000

Scrubbing with vinegar to eliminate the mildew, at least for now? I doubt it would hurt the chickens.

I don’t know, making the damp go away is something I’m not very good at. I live in a climate that is not rainy, but is sufficiently humid that I’ve had bread mold in 2 days.