recycled plastic chicken coop

[meganB1]

Hi

I have recently bought a large plastic chicken coop from green frog designs Ltd and the amount of condensation on the inside of the roof is causing me a few problems because the bedding is getting damp. I keep the vents open and every couple of days take off the roof to clean out the poop. It was not an inexpensive coop but I wonder now whether it was the best idea. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to keep the damp down please.

Cheers

 

[cknkids]

Boy I'd call the company and see what they suggest?

 

[Bear Foot Farm]

You will need to add more ventilation, and check for any possible leaks

 

[meganB1]

Hi, thanks for the response. Yeah I will call them but not very hopeful. When doing research beforehand the reviews suggested everything was hunky dory with the coops, and of course they are very good at limiting red mite in the warm weather.

Cheers

 

[wolftracks]

After you talk to the company, I'd agree that you need more ventilaztion. Maybe look in the coop section in the How tos and see what some of the people who have made coops from plastic play structures have done, that you may be able to get ideas from. They have a lot more open space to begin with, but they do enclose them somewhat. Just a suggestion.

 

[meganB1]

Hi Kim

Thanks, I will take a look. Company has suggested not using too absorbent material in coop as very wet weather and therefore wet hens, means the bedding will suffer also.

As my orpington hens choose not to perch, then trays underneath are no good and Ive just bought a bale of shavings so have to use them first!

Cheers

 

[wolftracks]

I have hoop coops. They're open in front, which helps with ventilation, but they can hold moisture. I use sand and although after our wet and windy weather here lately, I do need to add more, I didn't use much at all when I first built them this summer and fall. I needed so many and wanted the birds to be able to dust in dirt, so some had no sand added. They did really well this past week. I'll be adding some sand today if I just feel well enough to drive and then walk into HD. I love sand though. You sift it out to clean it, it absorbs and it's cheap. I'd put the shavings away and save them for nesting boxes. Sand is less than $3 a #60 bag and a little goes a long way.

Whatever you do I just hope it helps you and your birds to be more comfortable and not expensive.

 

[DallasCriftins]

Condensation will typically be greater when using a plastic rather than wooden coop
but cubic capacity also comes into it same birds bigger building better ventilation especially at roof height should equal less condensation

we are all plastic here

We (swmbo) started with an Eglu 2nd hand from Ebay
http://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/eglu/eglu_classic/

And then when Duck Norris came along we bought a Solway mini hen coop for him as temporary accommodation.
http://www.solwayrecycling.co.uk/recycled-shop/pig-poultry/hen-houses/solway-mini-hen-coop

The solway door is a bit too small and Duck Norris did not like it at first then along came 7 more Ducks and we were a bit stuffed.

By comparison to other products like the Solway and Green Frog I think the Eglus are over rated and horrendously expensive.
I think half the price seems to be down to the cult following they have achieved
Both work well with 3 birds not too much condensation.

The Solway wins simply because it has proper roosting bars and a separate nest imho
With four birds in it the Eglu is definitely overcrowded and the nest gets very soiled as it also get slept in
We also get a lot more damaged eggs in the Eglu.

So time for plan B we are going to be getting more Chicken and already have 8 ducks
I really can’t justify the even more absurd cost of the Eglu Cube for the Chickens and didn’t want to buy a large Dog Kennel type thing for the ducks.
http://www.omlet.co.uk/shop/eglu/eglu_cube/

I also didn’t want to build or buy a wooden coop as I feel with the amount of cleaning needed it would need to be very well made using Tongue and Groove Boards etc. that it too would be expensive. Plus in the winter water and wood don’t mix that well long term.

There are some very good, some very flimsy and some very silly looking wooden coops on the market most look like mite traps to me.

So I am trying something different.

My 8 Ducks are in one of these a 6x4 Plastic ‘Blooma’ sheds which I bought for £130 on Ebay
http://www.diy.com/nav/garden/garde..._sheds/Blooma-6-4-Brown-Plastic-Shed-11987600

It is all plastic so cleaning is simplicity in itself, later I will either be fitting a standard household sink style drain in the floor or may even remove the floor completely and use a permanent deep bed system. It is twin walled so semi insulated plastic but after the extreme frost we had this morning I did notice some condensation on the inside of the roof
.
Managing condensation is all about ventilation I will be putting some more in and this weekend I will probably replace the plastic window with some galvanised mesh.

Anyway as this is working well I am now considering the same for the Chickens especially as we will need something bigger I reckon to house up to 20.
So bought one of these 6x4 Ketter sheds brand new for £175 from ebay.

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wc...ay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=591183

This shed looks like it is a lot stronger than the Blooma and better suited to screwing in things like perches etc.
Plan is human access through the proper door with a pop hole at the other end in to the WIR and a 2nd pop hole on the side into my Paddock.

Perches down one side with a sliding plastic poop tray below and a communal style external nest box on the other side with one or two holes into it.
For the nest box something like this is being considered

http://www.homebase.co.uk/webapp/wc...ay?langId=110&storeId=10151&partNumber=131261

Although I also like the idea of a couple of internal covered kitty litter tray so may try those first.

The advantage with all this is I get proper human sized buildings with a door and it is all still plastic which can be pressure washed, will never rot and so far has cost me less than one commercial coop of a similar size etc.so win win as far as I am concerned.

The Solway will probably end up on stilts on my currently submerged Island in my pond as I reckon the wild ducks and Morhens would welcome it.

The Eglu may become a brooder run or can go back on ebay as I bet we will get back what we paid for it.

Ditto for the plastic sheds if the experiment has any flaws

 

[meganB1]

Hiya

Thanks for all the information you have provided. Unlike you, I only have a very small backyard flock. 3 Orpington hens. They now have a coop which is ample in height and size for their overnight needs. I have found that I have to wipe the inside of the roof every day or every other day. Ventilation vents are all open. I will try sand as someone has suggested, for the floor to see if that helps.
These hens only seem to lay for 6 weeks max a year. As soon as the first hen gets broody and I chuck her out each morning, they all stop laying and have stopped since June this year. They are fed on laying pellets plus a little mushed veg in the mornings or evenings but I am wondering if loaning them out to an already established small flock with a cockerel might wake them up in the spring to remind them of what they should be doing, if even for the odd egg throughout 8 months of the year.

Would a cockerel help do you think?