Pennsylvania!! Unite!!

[nikkik0720]

Unless the coop is quite large, I would line the inside with plywood, but not add any insulation.

The shed we want to get is an 8 x 10 (9.6 x 7.4 inside dimensions)

 

[Sefirothe]

Has anyone in southwestern PA used a metal shed as a coop? If so how's it working for you? Did you insulate it at all or does it seem to be alright during the summer and winter?

Do you have shade where you are putting the shed?

I am in NEPA and have a 8x12 wood shed with a light colored metal roof over plywood in full sun. It gets SIGNIFICANTLY hotter in the shed than ambient temps in the summer. Like 80° ambient means 100° in the shed.

I have adequate ventilation for humidity, the humidity inside is always lower than outdoors but with full sun and the metal roof we struggled with temperature regulation in summer. We ended up putting a high R rating foam board insulation in just the roof, well above any possible chicken access. That helped quite a bit. We also have some arborvitae planted near by and I'm also putting in an apricot tree to one day help provide shade too.

 

[nikkik0720]

Do you have shade where you are putting the shed?

I am in NEPA and have a 8x12 wood shed with a light colored metal roof over plywood in full sun. It gets SIGNIFICANTLY hotter in the shed than ambient temps in the summer. Like 80° ambient means 100° in the shed.

I have adequate ventilation for humidity, the humidity inside is always lower than outdoors but with full sun and the metal roof we struggled with temperature regulation in summer. We ended up putting a high R rating foam board insulation in just the roof, well above any possible chicken access. That helped quite a bit. We also have some arborvitae planted near by and I'm also putting in an apricot tree to one day help provide shade too.

Yes, where we want to put the coop/run will have shade for the majority of the day. The area in the yard does get some sun during the morning. I believe there is also a maple tree on the other side of the fence (for some reason I cannot for the life of me picture the backyard at the moment to think of where the trees are at)
I do have a post talking about how we want to lay out the coop (and did do a design for it on a free CAD program)

 

[BullChick]

 

[TillyPeeps]

Unless the coop is quite large, I would line the inside with plywood, but not add any insulation.

Dennis, just want to let you know my 5y old olive egger from you is still laying 5 eggs per week this spring. Very strong and healthy!

 

[Cpg_nest]

Does anyone know of any places in Western PA that sells started pullets? Freehling won't have any until May. I was going to try Millers Mercer livestock auction, but I saw that the owner was charged with cruelty to animals a few days ago. Any other places/swaps around? Thanks!

The Ameraucanas are not sexable as chicks, but the PA Blue Eggers are half Ameraucana. I can figure out getting chicks for you whenever you want them.

I hatch many breeds all summer. I tend to stop hatching the hybrids whenever demand drops, but this year I expect demand to be high much longer, and the hybrids are the most exceptional layers, so hatching more of them, longer into the summer seems to make sense.

The PA Blue Eggers look so much like a purebred Black Ameraucana I stopped raising them in my pens to avoid confusion. Black feathers, dark legs, muffs and a beard.

What's your current waitlist/breeding list looking like? Was sent here by a friend that said you have the best egg color layers in my part of the world. And I need to restock my flock. is it better to pm? Im near lebanon but will drive for hatching eggs /chicks.

 

[dheltzel]

What's your current waitlist/breeding list looking like? Was sent here by a friend that said you have the best egg color layers in my part of the world. And I need to restock my flock. is it better to pm? Im near lebanon but will drive for hatching eggs /chicks.

I actually have quite a few unsold chicks this week. I tried to accelerate my hatches to meet demand and as a result, I have a lot of blue egg layers every week.