Coop insulation.

[DonaldG]

Sometimes, like yesterday morning with the wind chill, the temperature was -45C. How should I insulate the coop? Would 1 1/2" styrofoam be good enough or should I build 2x4 walls with 'pink' insulation including the ceiling?????

 

[Ridgerunner]

As long as the wind is not hitting them, wind chill is not a factor. If the wind is hitting them when they are in the coop hen yes you have a problem.

I don’t know your specific conditions or set-up. In general if chickens are not in a breeze they can handle cold really well though they need some ventilation. Just like you and me they need fresh air to breathe. A hole over their heads to let bad air out and good air in can give them that air exchange without a breeze hitting them.

Your goal is not to keep the place the chickens stay warm your goal is to keep the chickens warm. There is a difference. Just like the songbirds at your bird feeder chickens trap air in their feathers to insulate themselves. They do a great job of keeping themselves warm as long as they are not in a breeze.

Chickens will eat insulation, so if you use something it needs to be enclosed so they can’t peck it. To me the big benefit of insulation is that in the summer it can keep the coop a lot cooler, especially in the ceiling. Heat kills a lot more chickens than cold, a lot more. Insulation can help keep your coop warmer in the winter but the effect isn’t quite so dramatic.

Do you absolutely need to insulate your coop? Probably not, especially if you are using a decent insulating material like wood. If you are using metal, it’s probably a good idea. In any case it won’t hurt and might help a little.

 

[DonaldG]

Thanks. But we do have many days where the temperature is -25 to -35 so I'm guessing it'd probably be a good idea to insulate.

 

[DonaldG]

To DUCKOBSESSED. Not sure what kind of chickens but I believe they are Red Cross.

 

[JackE]

Chickens, like a lot of birds, come with perfect insulation of their own, and don't need any help from us. What good is insulation going to do, in a chicken coop? A coop is not like your house, all closed up and insulated, to keep the heat generated from your furnace inside. A proper coop is open to the outside, to provide the proper fresh air exchange/ventilation needed for the chicken's health. And by being open and freely ventilated, insulation in the winter is useless. Insulating a coop's roof, to help absorb summertime heat, would be the only insulation worth having. And even that is not necessary. If you were to install insulation on your coop's walls. You then, would HAVE to install interior walls. Otherwise, the birds will happily shred and maybe eat, the insulation. You install interior walls in a coop. You will have provided a nice hidden place for mice, and insect pests, to set up housekeeping of their own.

 

[Owen England]

I have a chicken pen that's 1 1/2 metres in legnth, 3 1/2 feet in hight and 50cm wide how many chickens could I fit in this just for then to sleep in as they are free run chickens on my farm ?

 

[RonP]

Thanks. But we do have many days where the temperature is -25 to -35 so I'm guessing it'd probably be a good idea to insulate.

Where are you located?

That's cold!

 

[DonaldG]

We live in Dryden Ontario. About 7 hours north of Minneapolis minnesota

 

[RonP]

We live in Dryden Ontario. About 7 hours north of Minneapolis minnesota

I wish I could help but I have no experience dealing with such cold temps.

I'm hoping others that do will assist.

 

[RJSorensen]

We get cold like you, and see the temps you mention. I insulate my chicken coops. I see at least a ten degree delta, warmer in winter, cooler in summer. JackE has a nice coop and his position is I suppose well known around BYC. It seems to work fine for him at his location with his birds. I am good with that and do not want him to change. But here I do not believe I will try the open front 24/7/365 days a year. I have my vents high up and you do need them, and also plenty of them, and I suppose on some levels it does not make sense, but it works for us up high in the mountains. With our storm and wind patterns it is just prudent to do so, and especially if you are trying to keep some of the more delicate or less hardy birds for your area. Mice can get into the walls, but they do not have to do so. It is not a one to one requirement… a well built structure with interior walls, insulation, and outer sheathing can be constructed so as to not allow mice access to the internal wall(s).

If you feel you need it, there is a good chance you do. One size does not fit all birds, nor all bird keepers. Your flock and your management style will by its very nature, create a unique situation that will require a solution that your situation will require. The photo is from last night. I have vents in the soffits, the ends, and a twelve inch turbine on the roof. On good days I leave the front door(s) open, I free range every day I can. Perhaps in the definition of chicken coop we might differ, I like to build buildings, not so much sheds. I suppose one should insluate buildings and not sheds, it is in how we use them that is perhaps the only difference in the two. Both work, feel free to chose for yourself the type and management style you prefer for you and your birds.



Best to you and your flock,

RJ