Help with coop!

[GwenDellAnno]

We're just across Lake Huron on the Bruce Peninsula in Ontario, Canada. My chickens (12 hens and a roo) have spent two winters in an uninsulated shed with no ill effects. (They do have big windows to catch the max. sun and the back wall is black with a cement floor that absorbs heat during the day and radiates it back out at night). My biggest effort is in keeping unfrozen water for them. Other than that, no issues. I do have good ventilation up high (even in winter) that keeps the humidity down. So.... chickens don't really need much heat/warmth.... just draft free but well ventilated. That's my experience.

 

[teach1rusl]

Very nice coop you're planning on

I've only ever used the fiberglass stuff myself, R13. Not sure what insulation factors the different foam type insulations come in - you'll have to look at that, and decide how my protection you want. You'll have to cover whatever kind of insulation you get, foam or fiberglass, or the chickens will eat it. Cheap paneling would work fine. And as others have mentioned, as long as you have lots of ventilation, insulations works as well in summer as it does in winter. Make sure you have decent ventilation up high; don't just rely on all of those nice windows.
Although that adorable coop will look like a playhouse, your neighbors (unless your house sits on ample land) will eventually know that you have chickens. Hens make noise, especially around egg laying time. Some are fairly quite, while others are very vocal. So know that going in.

 

[kittycooks]

I live in Minnesota. The first thing is to choose chicken breeds that are cold hardy. Chickens can stand the cold but need to be dry and out of the wind. Think about the oldtimers - they never heated their coop! We have one 100 watt night light heat bulb in the coop but the birds rarely go to it, even when it's below zero. We wrap the run in 3 mil plastic to keep the snow and wind out during the winter. I have eight birds. Their own body heat raises the temp in the 8x8 run about 10 degrees and in the coop about 20 above the outside temp. Ventilation is important so the enclosure doesn't get humid from respiration and evaporation from the water dish. Keep the environment dry and they will be fine.