I'm dreaming up ways to build my "chicken palace" later this year and am wondering if anyone has ever thought of this, or if anyone has input on if it would even work. I live where we have pretty hot summer, and often very cold winters. I've lost chickens to heat before, and had chickens get frostbite. SO, I wondered if it would be effective to make an "insulated" coop. I was thinking maybe the styrofoam sheets squeezed between plywood sheets, used at minimum all four sides and the roof, possibly the bottom as well depending on the final coop design. The idea would be that in the summer, frozen water bottles in an insulated coop, may turn into a little "cooler" where they can go to escape the heat. The same may be possible in the winter with a heat source? Hot water bottles? Does this sound like it would work? Or silly idea?
I'll refer you to the first two links in my signature line, wirtten by a Canadian member. Instead of insulation, think ventilation. Frostbite occurs mostly because of a buildup of humidity in the coop, due to moisture put out by the chickens which has not been allowed to vent outside. Even in hard winters, frostbite is unlikely well below freezing if the himidity (and ammonia, also quite harmful) can vent to the outside. Old-fishioned coops even in the North used to have cracks left between the boards of the wall, intentionally. Better is a design that lets the air exchange all occur at the high point of the coop. I like a roof all slanted one way, so this is easy to build and protect with an overhang. There are hundreds or thousands of threads here that discuss handling witer temps, as well. Here is just one: https://www.backyardchickens.com/t/822765/winter-is-coming-checklists-tips-advice-for-a-newbie
