Mostly it's because having good ventilation makes it pretty much moot.
My chickens definitely have good ventilation. Pasty butt, ventilation and predator proofing are like the holy grail of know how in chicken world. What about cold temps in the winter? I know chickens are hardy, but wouldn’t insulation be good to have in the winter?
That's my only contention. Around here (not casting aspersions, just how they do things) because it's just a "coop" there's bad things everywhere. Nails and screws, exposed insulating, etc. I don't. I could literally live in my coop. And it's insulated. But it's regularly below zero for days around here, killing nights, and i heat my coops, so the insulation helps my electric bill. Now, when i get to Louisiana, i won't insulate just because it's an extra expense and imho, unnecessary at those temps.
Right, my coop isn’t just coop either, it’s my chickens home. No nails sticking out, or exposure to anything dangerous. It’s safe for not just my chickens, but my sons as well. They go in there to feed and clean and that sorta thing. Hmm I wonder what temps need to be to require insulation? Not required but comfortable for my chickens. Insulation isn’t cheap I know, my neither is hardware mesh and I’ve covered every opening with that. I’m telling you, these eggs better be delicious!
Depends on how cold you are talking about. I would insulate if the temps in the winter get down to, say, -30F or lower regularly because at that temperature frost bite is hard to prevent. Adequate ventilation should prevent frost bite (and respiratory issues) in less extreme temps.
It's a lot more expensive than when i was a kid, lol. My gma always had a yard full in SLa, fed them scraps and scratch corn, they slept in the trees or a ramshackle shed, or wherever. Times have certainly changed! Temp wise, i have the 250 watt red bulbs. It gets seriously cold up here. I turn them on at freezing and below. That's it - but they stay on from December till March, usually. It's Maine. Frigid. THEY don't really need it at freezing, but idw their water to stiffen up, lol. So it's on. I have to brood February and March babies inside my house until mid May.
I should add, down south, i plan on no insulation, VERY high roof and exhaust fans for cooling. Because they do run a lot hotter than humans. And yes. Tons, miles of hardware cloth lol
My first year up here, i noticed that all my chickens had frostbite combs and toes. The temps were consistently in the low 20⁰s, dropped to high teens in the night time. The humidity and wind exposure plays a large role in frostbite, imho. But none were exposed to wind, they were in an excellent coop and got frostbite anyway. I know humans can get frostbite at any temp freezing or close and below, depending on wind, wet or dry, tiredness, exercise ... as well as succumbing to hypothermia. Chickens can get that, too. Core temp can plummet and they can even sicken and die. So i keep my temp at just above freezing or slightly warmer (depending on precip) and dry.
Ok maybe I should forgo the insulation. I’m in NC not hot like Louisiana but pretty mild winters compared to up north! Chickens do run hotter, why can’t I remember that! Given the choice I’d rather buy anything else over hardware cloth, talk about expensive! But I’m in the country and plenty of chicken eating predators so I have no choice. By the time it’s said and done the coop will safer than my house, during a tornado I’ll be like, hurry everyone to the coop! lol.
Sigh ok so maybe I’ll do insulation. I’ve went back forth to do or not this entire post! Ya know what, I’ll just make an extra room on the house and bring them inside, problem solved!
