I'm going to try horse feed bags...Do you think this will work? I think this will keep any drafts out.. Any feedback will help.. thanks mos

-- mos (onemaur@yahoo.com), October 16, 2001

Answers

are you talking the large paper bags, or the white plastic one? as long as the chickens dont peck and pull it out,, either will; be fine, if they do, try covering it with wire mesh. They used to insulate houses with crumpled newspaper,, should work in the coop

-- stan (sopal@net-port.com), October 16, 2001.

mos, True confessions from a "resouceful recycler", I still use feed sacks to draft proof some of my old sheds. The chickens do not bother the paper or plastic sacks. They do think the the sheets of styrofoam are some exotic treat and eat the whole thing. I have not seen in ill effects from this, but try to cover it well so they can not see it or it will be eaten. I get the styrofoam free at work as well as small pieces of cellotex.

-- Karen in Kansas (kansasgoats@iwon.com), October 16, 2001.

On Wednesday's my husband is the garbage man in town and sometimes picks up used carpeting. We've stapled it to the walls and ceiling of our bird buildings and it works slick to keep the drafts out. Just another idea.

-- Anna in Iowa (countryanna54@hotmail.com), October 16, 2001.

When we moved into this house, there was a roll of tar paper in one of the sheds. I stapled that up all around the inside of the coop and it has worked well.

Old rugs we pick up off the side of the road get used in the garden as mulch or to kill a patch of ground when extending the garden or flower beds.

If you use a light in the coop over the winter for heat and/or to extend daylight hours for egglaying, take care that the light will not catch anything on fire.

-- LBD (lavenderbluedilly@hotmail.com), October 17, 2001.

You mean to tell me you don't have "central" heat in your chicken coops ?? What would Martha Stewart say ?? My sister actually thought that we heated our barn all winter with gas. We don't even have heat in the house...only the wood. City slickers !!! We also use some of the old paper feed bags if need be...I figure it gives the chickens some nice looking pictures to look at all winter and some good reading materail too. Good Luck !!!

-- Helena (windyacs@npacc.net), October 17, 2001.