Contra Costa County - To Insulate or Not To Insulate

[Dawsonhall]

That is Contra Costa County - San Fran East Bay.

Though we have much milder winters here than in the midwest where I grew up, it can still get down below freezing some nights with rain. Summers can have a week or two around the hundreds.

I have read that Insulation in a Coop keeps is cool in the summer and warm in the winter. I would prefer not to insulate if it is not needed (lack of building skills and the budget are considerations here).

Will we need a heat lamp in the winter or will the insulation make that not needed?

We are thinking a mister system to help on those really hot days (coop will be in the shade).

Any advice/comments is/are appreciated as always.

Thanks,
Mary :

 

[homeschoolmama]

We get down to the single digits and have below freezing overnight temps for the majority of the year. I did not insulate or use heat-except for when they were young pullets and they 1st moved into the coop from the brooder for a couple of weeks. I also have a Cookie-tin water warmer to keep the water from freezing. i think you should be fine w/o insulation. Maybe shade to coop in the summer to keep it cooler or have lots of windows that you can open.

 

[Chew593]

I grew up in the East Bay... in Walnut Creek and am currently near Yuba City north of Sacramento. You really don't need insulation, or a misting system for that matter. Just make sure they have shade. If it's going to be really hot I'll wet down a corner of the coop for them to scratch and wallow in. Some folks talk about filling a 2 liter bottle with water and freezing then putting in the coop.... I've never done that, and my chickens do fine. My neighbors have chickens that roost in our trees (even during the winter) and they're fine too.

 

[mikecnorthwest]

I'm just north of Portland Oregon and we usually get a few stretches of below freezing weather and a few snow storms. My coop is not insulated and it wasn't a problem. The chickens come with plenty of their own. For the heat, just make sure they have shade and access to clean water.

 

[cherylcohen]

Hi neighbor, we are in Lafayette, and we don't have a heater at night, they don't need it, just make sure your windows can be closed on the frosty nights.

Misting, yes we plan to instal this year. we didin't last year and simply sprinkled the girls and the ground in their pen a couple of times a day. That also worked perfectly fine.

If you get straight on sun, you may consider put a shade canopy there or a large board to create more shade

 

[OrpingtonManor]

I'm in downtown Martinez, which is a few degrees cooler than you. I didn't insulate my coop, but I did use the foil-faced OSB when I put the roof on. (Check out my coop on my BYC page.) I also made sure I had windows that opened all the way around, and a roof that had enough overhang to provide shade from 10-2 in the summer months. I provide shade in the run, as well as a mister system for those 100 degree days. They are never too cold in the winter, though. Our climate is mild enough for comfortable chickens.

 

[elmo]

Unless you are getting a particular breed of chicken that is known not to be cold hardy (Seramas, for example), I really wouldn't worry about the winter. Just make sure your coop is predator secure, well ventilated, and gives shelter from rain and wind.

 

[Dawsonhall]

Quote:
Do you leave the misters on all day on those hot days or are they on a timer? With all of this rain we have had this winter, I haven't heard if we are out of water rationing, yet. Do you find the misters use much water?

The foil faced-OSB - I was studying your coop pictures. Does the foil reflect heat even when covered by roofing materials? (I am just guessing the foil is for heat reflection).

 

[elmo]

I'm in North Texas, and we get summer temps in the high nineties, sometimes higher. I have bantams that are quite heat tolerant, but even so I misted them last summer. I only put the misters on in the hottest part of the day, and only for an hour or so. I just used one of those cheap, portable personal misters I picked up at Home Depot. Of course I also had them in the shade.

Something else you can do is put out a shallow pan of water. Standing in the water cools the chickens off quite a bit, since their feet are practically the only surface areas of their bodies not insulated by feathers.

It's also a good idea to put ice in their water, or to replace their water supply with cool water during the day.