INDIANA BYC'ers HERE!

[Delawaremommy]

Quote: it s a majority vote...so the signatures from the homeowners is what I am needing....not really any politics to it....just schmoozing everyone to my way of thinking....

 

[EurekaChic]

Hey all! We're just starting here, no chicks yet and planning the coop/run. We live in the Bloomington area (outside the city) and are trying to figure out the perfect insulation/ventilation ratios but we're not sure how much we need to worry about winter temperatures around here. We're originally from Wisconsin, and my DH kept chickens there is a kid, but had ~100 at a time on a serious farm, so kind of a different situation. And because we come from Wisconsin, to us it just doesn't get cold here. Ever. But what do the local chickens think?

So I figured I'd post to this thread since many of you live in the same area we do. We're planning on using an 8'wx8'dx7't garden shed (wood framing/siding/floor, shingled gabled roof, ventilation through triangular hardware-cloth-screened holes below the gable roof on two sides plus several openable hardware-cloth-screened windows in the walls, maybe a roof vent too) for the coop, and we'll start out with 5-8 cold-tolerant standard size hens in that space (planning to allow for some chicken math as we move forward...). Their nest boxes will be inside the coop, rather than hanging off the side. We could put a heat light or two in it if necessary, but would prefer not to (we're hyper concerned about fire).

What advice would you all give regarding whether to insulate and how much to insulate? And what to use for insulation?

Anything else we should be thinking about regarding ventilation? I think it gets pretty warm around here in the summer (although not as warm as the California Central Valley, where I lived for a while!), while my husband thinks the summers here are relatively mild. But again we don't know what the chickens think.

Thanks!

 

[SallyinIndiana]

we don't insulate coops. We don't use heat lights for adult LF chickens. We used heated water bowls though.
Have you thought about having a hoop style coop instead of a shed? http://www.raincreekpottery.com/Pages/HoopCoopChickenTractor.aspx
Venting is easy when the entire front is open and facing south. Since you are getting cold hardy chickens and are yourself used to the cold, I'm sure you could make it work.

 

[PeacefulWalls]

Well, my husband finally found where all of our missing eggs were being laid -- up in the loft storage!

 

[pipdzipdnreadytogo]

I'm in northern Indiana, so generally it gets colder than it does down south. My coop has never been insulated in 9 years of having chickens and I don't use a heat lamp. I have Sebrights and a Silkie, two breeds that are supposedly cold sensitive, as well as many other breeds, none of which have ever had issues with the cold. I have only had frostbite in my flock this last winter, only because the coop flooded and there was excess moisture. Moisture is your real enemy in the winter--that's why you want plenty of ventilation!

You are absolutely right not to want heat lamps in your coop. To be quite honest, adult birds will have a harder time in the heat of summer than they will in the cold of winter. With as much dust as those birds kick up, and as much as they fly around, it's only a matter of time before something happens. On top of that, heating your coop allows moisture to stay in the air. Did I mention moisture is your wintertime enemy? The only reason you should heat your coop is if you will have young birds in it. Like I said, I have adult birds of breeds that are supposedly cold sensitive. Never had a problem with them, even in the nasty negative temps of last winter.

If you are concerned about the cold, insulation is your safest bet. It has the added benefit of potentially insulating against heat in the summertime as well. As for what to use as insulation, you'll have to discuss that with someone else. All I know is if you use foam insulation, you'll have to cover it or the chickens will eat it. Oh, and if you use shavings or straw as bedding (as opposed to sand), that does add to the insulation and allows your birds to huddle down for warmth as well.

As for ventilation, read this page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop Basically, you want as much ventilation as possible that is above your birds so that it doesn't blow directly at them. The more the better, though I believe that page gives a minimum of 1 square foot per bird inhabiting the structure. What I would suggest is that you have an excess of ventilation for the summer, making sure it's secure for predators, and then have a way of covering the ventilation in winter on the windward wall only, to avoid drafts.

I also get a kick out of this post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421122/think-its-too-cold-for-your-chickens-think-again This was my mentality as well when my girls were running around in the areas I shoveled for them in the deep snow last winter while others had their birds huddling inside under heat lamps. If you get them used to the heat, they're going to be miserable and cooped up all winter.

 

[EurekaChic]

we don't insulate coops. We don't use heat lights for adult LF chickens. We used heated water bowls though.
Have you thought about having a hoop style coop instead of a shed? http://www.raincreekpottery.com/Pages/HoopCoopChickenTractor.aspx
Venting is easy when the entire front is open and facing south. Since you are getting cold hardy chickens and are yourself used to the cold, I'm sure you could make it work.

Thanks for the quick reply. No insulation would be easier, for sure! And a relief to know we don't need the lights. We had planned on heated water bowls (we've got some for our dogs as well -- we've got a Great Pyrenees who LOVES the cold and sleeps in the snow when he gets a chance, which is not often enough in his opinion. Obviously we'd get the chicken kind for our hens).

The hoop option would definitely be cheaper but we'll be able to see the coop from our dining room, kitchen, guest bedroom and porch, and to be honest I just like the look of the shed better. But if it comes down to it and we can't make the shed work financially we'll keep the hoop option in mind. Thanks for the link (and nice pottery at the link too).

 

[EurekaChic]

I'm in northern Indiana, so generally it gets colder than it does down south. My coop has never been insulated in 9 years of having chickens and I don't use a heat lamp. I have Sebrights and a Silkie, two breeds that are supposedly cold sensitive, as well as many other breeds, none of which have ever had issues with the cold. I have only had frostbite in my flock this last winter, only because the coop flooded and there was excess moisture. Moisture is your real enemy in the winter--that's why you want plenty of ventilation!

You are absolutely right not to want heat lamps in your coop. To be quite honest, adult birds will have a harder time in the heat of summer than they will in the cold of winter. With as much dust as those birds kick up, and as much as they fly around, it's only a matter of time before something happens. On top of that, heating your coop allows moisture to stay in the air. Did I mention moisture is your wintertime enemy? The only reason you should heat your coop is if you will have young birds in it. Like I said, I have adult birds of breeds that are supposedly cold sensitive. Never had a problem with them, even in the nasty negative temps of last winter.

If you are concerned about the cold, insulation is your safest bet. It has the added benefit of potentially insulating against heat in the summertime as well. As for what to use as insulation, you'll have to discuss that with someone else. All I know is if you use foam insulation, you'll have to cover it or the chickens will eat it.

Oh, and if you use shavings or straw as bedding (as opposed to sand), that does add to the insulation and allows your birds to huddle down for warmth as well.

As for ventilation, read this page: https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/...-go-out-there-and-cut-more-holes-in-your-coop Basically, you want as much ventilation as possible that is above your birds so that it doesn't blow directly at them. The more the better, though I believe that page gives a minimum of 1 square foot per bird inhabiting the structure. What I would suggest is that you have an excess of ventilation for the summer, making sure it's secure for predators, and then have a way of covering the ventilation on the windward wall only, to avoid drafts.

I also get a kick out of this post: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/421122/think-its-too-cold-for-your-chickens-think-again This was my mentality as well when my girls were running around in the areas I shoveled for them in the deep snow last winter while others had their birds huddling inside under heat lamps.

If you get them used to the heat, they're going to be miserable and cooped up all winter.

OK, so I'm getting the idea that we need to add MORE ventilation and stop worrying about the cold. Nice to know our birds will share our attitude about the cold. Thanks!

 

[Minminme]

I soooo love Silkies!!!! Only downfall with them is their eggs are sooooo small! LOL I plan on buying a couple "pairs" from peeps at the fest!

 

[Minminme]

Well, my husband finally found where all of our missing eggs were being laid -- up in the loft storage!

Whoa now that's a heck of a mother load!!! I'm surprised mice haven't invaded to feast on the bounty!

 

[Leahs Mom]

@EurekaChic

We did a shed too. My husband built some dividing walls inside and I'm able to gather eggs from the "people side". We did insulate with styrofoam and covered the walls with a metal sheeting he has for signs (he makes signs, banners, etc. as a side business and he had the sheet metal for substrates...he gets them cheap.)

I do like the look of a shed on the outside too. Our interior walls are hardware cloth to help prevent against predators. I leave the front doors open all summer and some of the winter depending on temperature and wind direction.