coop building advice- need too insulate or not

Mine is insulated and after last night I'm really glad it is. Our temps right now are about 30 degrees at night, I have 8,  3 week old chicks in the coop with a heat lamp, last night the cord got bumped or something and the lamp went out and was likely off for several hours before I discovered it. The chicks were all huddled in a little group but the temp was still 69 degrees inside. So for me it was well worth insulating the coop.

My lowest winter temperature is normally just a little below zero Fahrenheit. I have a lot of ventilation above their heads when they are on the roost sleeping. My coop is not insulated or heated.

Your danger is not that they will freeze to death in your climate. Frostbite is the risk. Several people have solved frostbite problens by providing more ventilation. Too little ventilation in the winter can cause the humidity to build up, which can lead to frostbite.

Heat can be extremely hard on the birds.  Cold not so much, given adequate ventilation.  There is at least one poster in Alaska who does not insulate.  Hard to imagine that it would be much colder than that.

 

I understand that the key is ventilation without drafts.

 

Chris

I am in Washington and the coldest temperature in my area is around 10.  I don't insulate the coop and the chicken doing just fine.  If you are going to hatch some chicks, do it in spring-summer.

I'm going to build a coop and have a ventilation question. with openings at the eaves or at the peak, does the coop need openings anyplace else to properly vent the coop? Anyplace else like down near the floor to create a draft. My coop will be 4x4 with a slanted steel roof going from 5.5ft to 5ft. Thanks

3forfree - in general, more ventillation is better.  If you have good sized, screened openings at the eaves and an opening along the peak, it may be enough but it is easier to install extra ventillation during the building phase than to have to go back and redo it later.  A window (or two) or a vent that can be opened in the summer and mostly or completely closed in the winter would be good.  Love your avatar and your signature lines on breed discrimination and bullys.  :)

The whole insulation thing is a matter of choice. I did it because New England weather well is New England weather which means fickle. The classic Nor'easter can bring nasty stuff. The coop is insulated with R13 but not to say is doesn't get cold it does. Got to keep the water heated so it doesn't freeze. But it is really cozy and draft free but ample ventilation.  I also insulated the roof joists which reduces the cold but more importantly the summer heat. The asphalt shingles really suck up the thermal radiation. Before I did that it was quite hot in there but after I did it reduced temps. by 15-20 degrees inside. Really significant. The third reason not thinking about it at the time but realized after the fact that insulation works as a sound barrier. Being that I had not planned on getting a rooster let alone 4 of them( but that's a different thread) Now my rooster can be heard but barely when he is inside. Which at 4 AM  could be troublesome. Note that he is close to 10 lb White Rock and can really belt it out.

Edited by duckinnut - 3/29/12 at 5:46am

My first coop was a smaller one with a metal shed roof and insulating that roof made a huge difference in temperature swings and in condensation. I wish I had done it sooner as it reduced the summer temps inside and stopped the condensation in winter which meant no more frostbite.