Insulated Coop and Breeds in Nova Scotia?

[Jeff H]

Hi Everyone,

I'm wondering what breeds any members from NS (Halifax area specifically) have and if their coops are insulated. I've seen lots of pros and cons to insulating, but they all seem to be from people in places that get crazy hot or cold.

For non-Bluenosers who want to chime in, it is rare to get hotter than 30ºC (86ºF) in the summer and while we get the occassional cold snap in winter, only January and February are really cold and generally between -5ºC (23ºF) and -10ºC (14ºF). It's not uncommon for my lawn to still be green at Christmas, even if it's not growing.

Thanks for your help.

Jeff

 

[Hokum Coco]

I live in New Brunswick and I have Golden Comets and my coop is insulated because it is a metal coop (if it were wood I would not have bothered). My Golden Comets can stand -40 Celsius it is the heat that gives them more problems.




I have pigeons in this baby barn and it is just sheathed in with 1/4 inch plywood and I have no problems and no insulation.

 

[Jeff H]

-40?! Yikes!

Thanks. That definitely makes me lean toward not insulating.

 

[Jeff H]

Update: I didn't insulate. We've had an insanely warm winter so far with more rain and warm days than anything else. Still, we had one week where it dipped to -16C. I froze, but the chickens didn't mind at all. They're quite sheltered from the wind and just pecked away and didn't seem to even notice.

 

[Howard E]

Update: I didn't insulate. We've had an insanely warm winter so far with more rain and warm days than anything else. Still, we had one week where it dipped to -16C. I froze, but the chickens didn't mind at all. They're quite sheltered from the wind and just pecked away and didn't seem to even notice.

For those of us who are metrically challenged, my conversion program seems to think -16C is about equal to +3F. From what actual scientific research information I have found on the subject, combs on some birds will start to freeze at around +6F (-14C). What happens then takes a lot of twists and turns, and a lot of "it depends". My birds went through about a week of temps from 0F to -4F with no harm done. Others in those and warmer temps were reporting frostbite. There are a lot of factors that influence that, but the most common cause seems to be excessive moisture inside the coop.

But again, you are right at the cut line. My take is somewhere around USDA Plant Zone 6a is where a person might want to consider it. That puts a person in the 0F to -5F range. There would be a lot of birds at those temps (mine included) who come through it fine and others at those same temps who get frostbite. Insulation is only one solution, however. Making some modifications to the coop in the way of ventilation, windows, litter, etc are all avenues to explore as is selecting more cold hardy birds. My SLW look like they could handle a whole lot colder weather than my NH, with her bigger comb could.

In some buildings, insulation also causes as many problems as it solves and is expensive. So if you don't need it, don't do it. In others, like those with metal roof and siding, it is highly recommended.

 

[Jeff H]

My coop is wood and very well ventilated. It's blocked from above and in an enclosed area that keeps away wind so I don't have to worry about drafts. I have a bird that refuses to lay in the nest box with the others so I constantly have to open the coop and reach in. It's usually significantly warmer inside than outside.

I was constantly checking in those days of cold weather. The only thing that was different was increased egg production!

Thankfully -16 is INSANELY COLD compared to what we're used to. I'd be a bit more worried if we had sustained temperatures that low.