insulation

[Keene's coop]

i live in WIS and it gets pretty cold here. have not built coop yet and do not have chicks yet. so my question is:
i want to insulate my coop walls with 4'x8' insulating sheeting. it will be cut up into smaller pieces to fit what we are doing. if i do not cover this sheeting with wood, would the chickens peck at it to eat it? it would only be on the walls and ceiling. i want to be able to remove it in the warmer months since there is no reason to have insulation in the summer? any comment?

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Yes, they will peck at it. Just about any insulation that you put up will need to be covered. Why the sheeting? Batting would probably be cheaper. I don't understand why you'd want to remove it though. Although it may not be needed in the summer, it's not going to hurt to leave it there year round.

 

[Hangin Wit My Peeps]

Oh yes they sure will...and get sick from it as well. You should for sure cover it up with plywood (it doesn't matter how thick) just so it's covered. Where about are you in WI

I'm in Central WI BIG welcome to ya! Your going to love BYC. Lots of stuff to learn and it's all been right on for all the questions I've had. These ppl are very smart about their chickens here

VERY helpful

OH and BTW don't remove it in the warm months...it helps keep it VERY cool in there for them on really hot days

 

[Keene's coop]

i live 1/2 hour from greenbay. i'm in neenah. and the sheeting because it looks easier to use. or am i wrong? and i only need 2 sheets. so i'll only cost me about $20. or should i use something else?

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Keene's coop :

i live 1/2 hour from greenbay. i'm in neenah. and the sheeting because it looks easier to use. or am i wrong? and i only need 2 sheets. so i'll only cost me about $20. or should i use something else?

It's hard to say without looking at what you are doing. I was thinking large coop. The sheeting may seem be easier to handle, but takes time to cut and fit to size and should probably be sealed around the edges with house wrap to prevent air movement through the gaps where it doesn't fit too well. Batting is just kind of rough cut, placed into the cavity and actually fills the cavity pretty well.

The plus side to the sheeting is that it acts as it's own vapor barrier and is resistant to moisture should you want to hose things out.



Edited to add: Oops, I meant to say that you should seal around the edges with house wrap tape​

 

[B'villechicken]

No need to remove insulation in the summer. It will help with the heat. Ventilation is the key to controling how the hens do. Patandchickens has a good bit of information on her site about this. Put the insulation in the walls, panel the interior so they won't peck it and you're done. Make sure you have plebty of windows and vents that you can open/close. Good luck!

David

 

[Chris09]

Keene's coop :

i live in WIS and it gets pretty cold here. have not built coop yet and do not have chicks yet. so my question is:
i want to insulate my coop walls with 4'x8' insulating sheeting. it will be cut up into smaller pieces to fit what we are doing. if i do not cover this sheeting with wood, would the chickens peck at it to eat it? it would only be on the walls and ceiling. i want to be able to remove it in the warmer months since there is no reason to have insulation in the summer? any comment?

i want to be able to remove it in the warmer months since there is no reason to have insulation in the summer

What makes you think there is no reason to have insulation in the summer?
The insulation will help keep your coop cool in the hot sun.. Just like a well insulation house will stay cooler in the summer than a poorly insulation one...

Chris​

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
Yes, if it's not in the shade it will help a lot. Our coop in Texas was always out in the sun as we didn't have any shade trees. I had to insulate the roof because it was like an oven in there otherwise.

 

[catdaddy66]

I recentley read a thread that said an option to using oyster shell for layers is to use gypsum (calcium sulphate/ite) from sheet rock. I have several 4x8' sheets of same and wonder if I line the inside of the coop w/ it, would it be ok if the hens happen to peck at it some? That was my biggest worry w/ the sheet rock as I was thinking of it as a type of insulation but was worried as most birds peck at anything they are curious about. What is the concensus...yes/no?

 

[Chris09]

Quote:
The thing is there is very very little insulating value to drywall/ gypsum/ sheet rock.
Drywall has about the same insulating value of Asphalt Shingle or card board of about a R-3 per inch.

Chris