Coop Insulation

[nhorrin]

Well I'm still confused about insulation. I live in an open area in northern New Hampshire where it is not uncommon for winter tempertures to drop to -20F. and the wind to blow at 30MPH. I have had many flocks of chickens in the past with uninsulated coops, but that was in southern New Hampshire in a wooded area. I did have to deal with some frostbite problems on very cold nights. I have read many excellent posts on this subject but cannot seem to come up with a definative answer. I am planning to build a coop and get some chicks this spring after about 20 years without any chickens. Any help out there? Thanks!!

 

[Fred's Hens]

I'm afraid you'll just have to decide. If you've already read the many, many posts on this subject here. More posts will just be more of the same, I'm afraid.

For the record, I do not insulate, mostly to deter mice and other rodents. I do not heat either and we have a dozen nights a year at -30. If I were to do anything, it would be a radiant type, non-bulb heater located above the roosts. I'd only run that on the very worst of nights.

There is simply no meaningful way to heat a barn of our size and it is far better to allow the chickens to acclimate to the 5 months of winter we have up here. Finally, it is, in the end, about selecting breeds hardy enough to thrive in our climate. They layed well all winter too, btw.

 

[patandchickens]

What Fred's Hens said. (I am imagining chickens typing away at the keyboard there, lol...)

There IS no "definitive answer" other than "do what you're most comfortable with".

Personally I think that if your coop is built such that it will have a reasonable amount of latent heat at night -- from the earth and/or from daytime 'warmth' -- or if it is a small coop you're expecting to use heat in sometimes, it makes the most sense to insulate. But you don't HAVE to, especially if you choose very cold-hardy breeds and manage the coop well.

Note that frostbite is encouraged by humid air, so closing the coop up tight on cold nights often backfires and *produces* the very frostbite it is meant to prevent... you need some ventilation pretty much all of the time.

If you are going to insulate, do make the carpentry enclosing the insulation very *tightly* done, that is how to keep it from becoming a mouse condo.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[nhorrin]

Fred's hens and Pat & chickens:

Thanks for the advice. I know there is no difinitive answer but it it nice to hear it from others. I am retired (very old) and looking for more hobbies to keep me busy. As I said before, I do have experience with chickens but in a warmer environment. Growing up my parents always had a flock of about 150 birds and my sister and I always kept a few Bantams. I have always had an interest in chickens and hope I can make it work in this area. Thanks again!

 

[Noymira]

Good luck to you either way! We'd love to see pictures of what you are working on.

We are going to insulate our coop, but we don't have the option of electricity. Now we just need to decide what kind of insulation and how...