To Insulate or Not to Insulate...

Glad to hear I'm not the only one...we insulated due to the summers not the winters. We have zero trees near this new house- just moved here in July. In the height of summer the metal walls of the coop was hot enough to give me a second degree burn when I leaned up against it. Inside it got over 130F WITH ventilation. We installed fiberglass insulation and covered it with plastic panels (shower stall panels) which are super easy to clean. Between that, the ventilation fans and the air-conditioner, it stayed about 80F which was just fine for my ladies, on the hottest days of the year. We don't worry about winters at all here in northern Louisiana

I always wondered if somebody tried this. Good article.

I agree to some degree. I have 30 hens here in Scandinavia, our winters are cold, snowy and very windy. I supplement light so they have several hours to feed and move and bathe, as it gets pretty dark early here in the winter, about 3 in the afternoon and then light again at around 8.30 am. And in the summer it never gets dark. Around our coop, which is a classic henhouse (full human walk-in height) that my husband built, they have a large greenhouse with a metal roof. The bedding in their greenhouse is the deep litter method mixed with dry leaves and compost. This generates some heat throughout the season. By the end of winter, I use all their bedding to fertilize our gardens. The bedding in a coop and run are a really important part of keeping the coop warm in the winter.

The only part of this article that I find helpful is to make your decisions based upon your flock's circumstances. Here in So. Cal., our winters can be chilly, but no snow. The birds become acclimated to warmer weather so when we have rain and low temeratures, it is an uncomfortable novelty to them! I insulate the top of the hutch with foam panels and use hardboard or plywood to protect it against pecking. I also use a small heater to keep the temperature up at night. During the day, the girls free-range. While the coop is designed for 3 - 6 birds (from Tractor Supply), the hens huddle at night anyhow, so actually a dozen would likely be comfortable there. (I'm enlarging the coop in the event they do desire more space; its up to them.) I keep the hutch dark at night so as not to interfere with their normal light-based hormonal system. Our flock is for egg-producing, only. They do NOT join us at the dinner table so there may be a difference in philosophy between us and the writer of the article.

Great informative common sense article!

Thank you so so much for sharing your experience and research!
Extremely helpful to newbies in harsh climates, like myself.

Thank you for such a helpful and informative article. I especially appreciated how you broke down the pros and cons so clearly at the end.

Great information! Thank you

Great article! Didn't mention chicks or pullets, which do need more warmth than the adults. We live in Texas, but have known of friends that had some little ones not make it in the winter. Lot of factors in that I'm sure besides the cold weather, for sure! We've never lost a hen due to anything like weather or predators that is in our control to manage with good planning and clean, roomy structures for our hens (and rooster) to overnight in.

How to keep poultry in harsh climates requires a bit more work, good information keeping birds, warm, dry and healthy.

Well written article. Thank you!

I have no experience in keeping chickens in hardy climate but nevertheless I loved to read this article, you’re experiments and what you experienced.

I wonder what makes the chickens lay eggs in the 3th winter/ last setting ?

Insulation is a no go in my climate/europe because blood mite infestations are a high risk here and you never get mites out of youre coop if they get into the isolation.

In winter I make wind blockers in front of the north/west/east hwc-parts of the coop-ventilation (roosting area). And it works great to provide straw on the coldest days to give my 8 tiny bantams more comfort.

Very helpful for those raising chickens in cold places

Well written and great insight.

Overall good arrival.. Simple and to the point as a great guide or "rule of thumb" to get what you need based on elements. Great job!

Loved the different options you tried. Very helpful .. thank you!

Great advice! I took the insulated road as our coop and run are faced with intense wind storms, rain and snow. Works really well for us. I enjoyed the read very much. It's taken me from March till December to finish the entire residence and has kept me away from BYC. But now I'm back enjoying the write ups.

A definite must read for anyone with bitter winters, or even somewhat mild winters that are concerned for their flock.

Great information! I especially liked the general guidelines to determine to insulate or not.

We each have our own journey in learning to keep our flocks happy and protected. Do not be afraid to change something if need be that isn't working for you and your flock, because happy chickens = more eggs even in the cold. a little research and you have eggs without providing extra light or heat source.