Orange Door Acres Poultry Farm

Orange Door Acres is a poultry farm located in Mount Elgin, Ontario. Run by husband and wife duo Tim and Donna Norris, they raise and sell premium pasture-raised artisanal chicken out of an on-site store location, through farmers markets in the Oxford County region, and directly to local restaurants and businesses.

Ontario’s hot, humid climate during the summer months can pose many challenges for farmers, one of which is heat stress caused by extremely hot temperatures and high humidity levels. For poultry farmers, especially, heat stress can be a major issue for a flock, potentially leading to the bird’s death. With high temperatures and high relative humidity being the two primary contributors to heat stress, proper insulation and ventilation are extremely important when it comes to keeping barns, buildings, and coops cool and comfortable. Insulation and ventilation work in tandem to improve livestock living conditions, and spray foam insulation is one of the best insulation options on the market.

When summer Ontario temperatures started causing heat stress in his flocks, Tim knew it was time to better insulate his coop. Although the existing polystyrene insulation made a bit of a difference, the pole barn with steel siding and roofing at Orange Door Acres needed a better insulation solution to keep the chickens comfortable. After a free on-farm assessment, a consultant from Great Northern Insulation recommended spray foam insulation for the ceiling and exterior walls of the coop as a solution to keep the birds cool.

Although a plan had been created to improve the insulation at Orange Door Acres, there were more hurdles to clear before action could be taken. Biosecurity procedures are incredibly important on any farm, and standard biosecurity protocols have been developed by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Without proper biosecurity measures, illness and disease can spread easily from external biological agents brought on to the farm, especially when it comes to poultry farming. Great Northern Insulation is proud to work alongside our agricultural industry customers to not only uphold the National Biosecurity Standards and Principles, but also any individualized biosecurity protocols for each farm. After consulting with Tim, a plan was developed to have the crew from Great Northern Insulation perform the recommended insulation upgrades in a time period gap between flocks at Orange Door Acres. The gap between chickens being removed from the coop and a new flock being introduced wasn’t large, but provided the opportunity needed for spray foam insulation to be installed and properly cure.

Thanks to the improved insulation, a temperature reduction of 12-15° Fahrenheit has been recorded within the finishing room at Orange Door Acres. For instance, on a particularly hot day in September 2019 when the external temperature with humidex was rated at 102°F (39°C), the internal temperature of the finishing room at Orange Door Acres did not exceed 80°F (27°C). This improved insulation means Tim’s chickens will be more comfortable and less susceptible to heat stress, leading to larger, healthier birds.

If you would like to learn more about Orange Door Acres and their artisanal poultry business, please do visit their website at orangedooracres.ca. They can additionally be found on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.