How's insulation for plastic coops?

[citychicks99]

I'm considering repurposing a resin shed into a chicken coop after this summer's battle with mites, lice and SLM! Just wondering what the insulation is like for those with plastic coops? Would a metal shed be better? I'm open to any material that will make it easy to clean from mites. My bf also mentioned we could make a coop out of shou sugi ban (a Japanese technique that chars wood to preserve it and is naturally resistant against bugs and the weather) but it seems like a lot of work so just weighing my options.

The weather here tends to be pretty tame, around 60-70s degree F. It can rain quite a bit and hover around 50 degrees and gets down to as low as just below freezing and as high as 90+ degrees but the extreme days usually don't last long. I'm in the Pacific Northwest for those wondering.

 

[Sally PB]

You do not need to insulate a coop. Here in Michigan we can get close to/below zero F. Last winter, we had a couple to stretches of single digit temps. My coop is not insulated, and I had no issues with frostbite.

If the chickens can get to the insulation, they will peck at it/eat it. (For some reason, they think styrofoam is tasty.) If you enclose the insulation, you have made an excellent spot for mice or rats to make nests.

Any coop needs good ventilation, summer and winter.

 

[ChickenCanoe]

I agree with @Sally PB. Insulating a coop is counterproductive. Especially true in your climate. Your temperatures are in the sweet spot for most chickens. Money spent for insulation would be better spent to make the housing larger and windows bigger. Unless one plans on heating a coop, insulation will only negligibly modify internal temperature. Think about it. On the coldest night of the year, by 4 or 5 am, internal temperature will be very close to ambient temperature without heating the building. Since chickens go to sleep wearing their winter coat, they don't need the heat. In order for insulation or heat, from whatever source, to have an impact, you would have to close up the coop preventing the birds from getting the fresh air and oxygen they need for their optimal health.

 

[citychicks99]

You do not need to insulate a coop. Here in Michigan we can get close to/below zero F. Last winter, we had a couple to stretches of single digit temps. My coop is not insulated, and I had no issues with frostbite.

If the chickens can get to the insulation, they will peck at it/eat it. (For some reason, they think styrofoam is tasty.) If you enclose the insulation, you have made an excellent spot for mice or rats to make nests.

Any coop needs good ventilation, summer and winter.

I think I miswrote my thread title. I meant to ask if any coop material would be too cold or too hot, like plastic or metal.

 

[Sally PB]

Ah! That makes more sense.

Any material can get too hot in the summer. Can you put the coop in a shaded area?

For too cold, a danger here is condensation collecting on the roof and dripping down on the chickens. I would be more worried about condensation dripping off a metal or plastic roof than a wood one.

For both hot and cold, good ventilation is a must. It's obvious why in the summer. In the winter, it's to carry their moist breath and the ammonia fumes from their poop out. Both heat and ammonia rise, so you want the ventilation to be above their heads when they're on the roost at night.

 

[citychicks99]

Ah! That makes more sense.

Any material can get too hot in the summer. Can you put the coop in a shaded area?

For too cold, a danger here is condensation collecting on the roof and dripping down on the chickens. I would be more worried about condensation dripping off a metal or plastic roof than a wood one.

For both hot and cold, good ventilation is a must. It's obvious why in the summer. In the winter, it's to carry their moist breath and the ammonia fumes from their poop out. Both heat and ammonia rise, so you want the ventilation to be above their heads when they're on the roost at night.

We actually just cut down all our brush so there isn't any area big enough to put an entire coop in the shade. Ah, I didn't even think about condensation! Something to think about. Thanks!

 

[Ridgerunner]

I agree, your issue is ventilation, not insulation. I've had 6 week old chicks go through temperatures below freezing with no problems. I've seen chickens sleep in trees in temperatures below zero Fahrenheit with no issues. Ventilation was fabulous in those trees. Their feathers and down provided great insulation, but that is always with them. Another issue is a cold wind hitting them, ruffling their feathers and letting the natural insulation of their feathers fail. Those trees were pretty well sheltered from wind plus they can hide behind limbs and the trunk. They survived on their own for thousands of years before we domesticated them and started causing them trouble.

The problems come in when we keep them cooped up in coops. In winter the coops can hold moisture unless they are well ventilated. That moisture can cause problems with frostbite. Moisture can come from their breath, their poop, or open water in the coop. Warm air rises in cooler air and holds more moisture than cool air. Openings up high allow moisture to escape without a cold wind blowing on them and ruffling their feathers.

In summer the problem is generally excess heat. A wind hitting them in the roost is not an issue, it will not hurt them. Lots of ventilation high and low can remove excess heat.

Another potential problem, turning your nests into ovens. When you build your coop, put the nests on the north or east side so the afternoon sun does not turn them into dangerous heat traps.

Condensation can be an issue with metal or plastic coops. Warm moist air hits a cooler surface and water condenses out of it. Where you are you can probably see those conditions several months of the year, especially in the mornings as the air starts to heat up. I get that in my coop with metal roofing. Moisture condenses on the underside of the roof and drips down. To me the danger is that the moisture keeps the coop floor wet enough that anaerobic bacteria can grow. That means it stays wet for days on end, does not dry out. The anaerobic bacteria can stink badly and a wet coop harbors disease. I have great ventilation in my coop so the floor does not stay wet, it dries out. It has not caused any problems for me other than me getting hit with a few drops when I go down there later in the morning. I'm not sweet enough to melt.

Some people do have issues with condensate. It might drip in feed or nests. It might not dry out during the day when the dripping stops. Insulation properly applied will stop condensation. Put it on the underside of your roof or on problem walls. The chickens will often eat it so you need to cover it, probably with some kind of paneling. Mommy Mouse might set up housekeeping in that area. It doesn't mean that she will, just that it is possible.

Your concern is mites. I agree, they are a pain. I think it will be extremely hard to build a coop and not have somewhere mites can live. I don't know your feelings on pesticides. I think it would be much more cost effective to treat them with a pesticide than rebuild a coop and find you still have the problem. But if you want to try that, good luck.