Insulated Coop

[laurawaylon]

I have just recently got some chicks. They are currently still in their brooder box but will be ready to go outside soon. I am wanting to build an insulated chicken coop as I live in Manitoba, Canada and winters here are cold! Being that chickens are new for my family I am looking for some tried and tested plans. I am wanting a fairly large run area and an inside coop to fit up to 10 chickens. Any suggestions and/or plans would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Simplespinster]

I am new to chickens myself but I live in the Yukon so I thought I would reply. https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/my6chickss-chicken-coop.48542/ Is the coop plans we used. I used batt insulation in between the walls and used 4 inch styrofoam under the floor. My 14 year old son and a couple of classmates put the outside walls together in wood shop class and we assembled ( well actually me with some help from my contractor who is doing my house siding) at my place and my son and I did the inside walls. I am getting Exterra styrofoam insulation put under my siding and if I have enough scrap left over I might put that on my coop and put the good pieces of the old siding I kept over top. I just got my first chicks in April so I have not tested it through a winter yet. I do know the temperature in there is pretty stable right now. I hope that helps.

 

[TalkALittle]

I only live in New England, so can't speak on the types of winters you guys get, but I do know that batting insulation makes a great nesting site for rodents.

 

[Simplespinster]

I only live in New England, so can't speak on the types of winters you guys get, but I do know that batting insulation makes a great nesting site for rodents.

I did mesh over it. Where I live is often the coldest community in the world in November and normally stays in the top ten for a few weeks depending on the winter. The rest of the winter other places in the arctic take over for being colder. I have to insulate the coop. I am not sure what else I would use. I do live out in the sticks so there is wildlife but most rodents are buried and use snow tunnels to get around. My dogs do a pretty good job keeping the yard rodent free but I am sure time will tell. Thanks for the input. I have been trying to make sure the coop is safe from bears, foxes, wolves, and lynx. I can keep more rodent proofing in mind as I go along.

 

[aart]

Where I live is often the coldest community in the world in November and normally stays in the top ten for a few weeks depending on the winter. The rest of the winter other places in the arctic take over for being colder. I have to insulate the coop.

How do you balance insulating against the bitter cold with ventilation for healthy coop air?

 

[Birdinhand]

I add holes at the apex that can be easily blocked over during the winter to dampen down the ventilation a bit when it's cold, which is also when the smell dies down with somewhat less need for venilation. I would frame the coop, envelope with hardware cloth, add siding. I'd focus the insulation effort on the inner coop where they will be roosting. I'd make it off the ground with the entry down low, in the floor so they come in from underneath, this will conserve heat via thermocline. I'd make the studs of the inner coop close enough to place foam bats in and use spray foam to seal up the gaps around the edges, then come back and trim before adding covering. this is best done in the summer when it's easy to provide ventilation while it's all off gassing. anywhere there is foam it must be covered with something they can not peck through or they will get into the foam and eat it. I would think that the outer walls of the coop would not need to be insulated as chickens can handle very cold day time temps as long as they are not exposed to draft. my chickens seem to lay more during the winter since I have taken efforts to keep them warmer. there will always be a trade off between warmth and ventilation, you will need to keep an eye on it, it's not worth toxing your birds with amonia to keep them "comfortable".

 

[Simplespinster]

How do you balance insulating against the bitter cold with ventilation for healthy coop air?

That is something I have been wondering. No one I have talked to up here seems to have an issue with ventilation. I have 4 ventilation holes right now. I am wondering if it is because the air is so dry in the winter. I own a number of rodents as pets in the house and I notice that their bedding is less smelly in the winter.

 

[aart]

That is something I have been wondering. No one I have talked to up here seems to have an issue with ventilation. I have 4 ventilation holes right now. I am wondering if it is because the air is so dry in the winter. I own a number of rodents as pets in the house and I notice that their bedding is less smelly in the winter.

Well, heat and humidity certainly makes odors more apparent,
doesn't mean the ammonia is not there just because your nose doesn't tell you tho.

@Alaskan probably definitely can answer better than I.

 

[Alaskan]

I think @Birdinhand had a great answer.

I have found that hardware cloth works well at keeping the rodents out.

I really like my insulated coop that is connected to my uninsulated much more ventilated chicken shed.

Venting into the shed means that the vents can be way bigger, but no snow blows in and the air exchange is good but slower/ no drafts. I do (if you look at my coop page) get some swirling snow in the shed area, but it has not been a problem.

I would suggest giant vents that can be slid closed as needed. Some of you interior folks actually get heat in the summer.

I also found in colder than my norm winters, to open everything wide open in the morning to get the coop completely aired out..then shut it mostly closed at about 1 or 2 so it warms up a bit before night.

But with cold temps the most important helpful things I have found are:
1. WIDE perches, keep the feet flat
2. Constant feed,
3. 10 hours of light when temps are -20f or colder for long time periods so they have enough time to eat enough
4. You need excellent ventilation even when cold (especially for me since I am on the coast with high humidity )

Here in AK, lots of people who get to -40 F heat with flat panel heaters. ..or put the coop against the garage, or use a duct to get warm garage air into the chicken coop.

But under -20f and it is hard on the chickens. ....

 

[Alaskan]

Oh....some of the super cold folks just heat by using the deep litter method. They work hard to get that active compost pile heat going before winter sets in. (That is the point of the deep litter method...to generate heat)