Insulating a chicken run

[Dragron_ heart]

I have to insulate a portion of my chicken run. I have checked all over the internet and apparently I am the only person on earth who has ever had to do this. My problem is that I basically know what to do, but I don't know what kind of insulation would be safe for the chickens if they got to it. Help!

 

[drdoolittle]

Mine won't really be insulated, but I bought several heavy duty tarps at a discount store (Ollies) for a great price and attach to my run with zip ties. In summer (or less nasty/frigid weather) you can just roll them upfromtge bottom and bungee.

 

[oldhenlikesdogs]

Polish are very winter hardy as they have smaller combs and wattles. I haven't had any problems keeping them here in Wisconsin where we can get -20's plus for temperatures.

 

[wamtazlady]

I’m prepping my run right now. Billings, MT is a nice and hot this week, but I know winter weather is only a few weeks away. I’m nervous for my first winter with chickens, but I’m sure it’ll all work out.

I was scared my first year too. I had to force myself to believe what the experienced people in here were saying. First and most important, a dry chicken is a warm chicken. That means providing enough ventilation to remove the moisture from pooping and breathing from inside the coop without allowing a draft blowing through the coop. A chicken can get frost bite at temperatures just below freezing if the coop is humid. Yet a chicken in a dry coop with good ventilation will not get frostbite at 10 below. I have 10 square feet of ventilation for a dozen chickens. My chickens are out in the run all day even when it's -22 F. Have a covered run with 3 sides covered with plastic such as a clear tarp, or more recently, clear plastic shower curtains. Open side is away from the wind.

Water is kept outside in the run to avoid adding moisture to the inside of the coop. I use an 11 gallon tote with lid, horizontal nipples (not vertical nipples), and a stock tank deicer that is rated for use in plastic. Have been using that system for 4 winters and so far my water has not froze. Have wood shavings, straw, and leaves in the run. It always feels warmer in the run that the outside temperature. Food is also in the run. The girls hate to be inside the coop no matter how cold it is outside.

Chickens can deal with cold weather more easily than hot weather. It has to do with that down coat they wear year round. They don't even notice when the temperature goes down to freezing.

I did not mean to write a book. Just saying your birds will be fine in Montana's winter.

 

[azygous]

You aren't alone in wanting to insulate your run. I've discovered that if you've thought of something to do with chickens, other people with chickens have thought of it, too.

A good place to start is to update your profile with your location so we get an idea of what kind of climate you are dealing with- whether you're insulating against arctic cold or equator heat.

I have an enclosed run that has open air sides in summer and double sided plastic panels that I put up in winter to block out the worst of the blizzards and freezing wind. They are called Coroplast panels. I got them free, but you can get them on line or from Home Depot unless you live in the Sahara.

 

[azygous]

Have you inspected the coop for parasites? Chickens are not fools. They will often refuse to sleep in a coop where there are mites coming out at night to suck their blood.

Some chickens need to be taught to use their coop. You can acclimate them to their coop by closing them up in it (after you determine mites are not lying in wait to jump them) for a few days with food and water. You may still need to train them to go in at night because the coop appears different from the outside, and they may still remain suspicious of it.

If your coop lacks windows and adequate light, chickens may be reluctant to enter a dark enclosure at dusk since they are not able to see well enough to be sure of their safety. It's also impossible to mount the roosting perches when visibility is inadequate.

Coroplast panels are double sided trapping air in between the layers, therefore being a better barrier against cold penetration than a single layer of sheeting. They are also nearly indestructible. I mount mine by screwing them to wood supports with wood screws. The other good thing about them is, unlike tarps, light can pass through them so the run isn't dark in winter.

I used plastic sheeting and tarps in the beginning, and wind would always tear the sheeting loose, creating extreme stress for chickens and human. Try dealing with a wildly flapping tarp in a wind and rain storm, and you will see the advantage of seeking an alternative that can be more adequately secured.

 

[azygous]

I run firring strips (2"x 1") as a backing against the hog panels and chicken wire and use 1" wood screws to directly secure the Coroplast panels to the sides of the run. They are feather light but so durable that there is little wear after putting them up each winter and taking them down each spring.

Admittedly, Coroplast involved an initial financial investment, but unlike plastic sheeting and tarps, solar radiation and wind have no effect on them so no replacement expense needs to be factored in.
The photos show one section of my run that has the Cloroplast panels fastened to the side beside permanent recycled glass doors that act as wind breaks during the intense spring winds here in the Rockies.

 

[wamtazlady]

I used to live in your area, in Oak Harbor. Now I live in NW Montana. The temperatures over there are very mild for chickens. Polish are more cold hardy than you believe. It has gotten down to -22 F here and my polish and my neighbor's polish are just fine. I will add that neither of us have an insulated coop or use heat in the winter. To keep the chickens comfy during winter I put clear plastic tarps on 3 sides of the covered run. They spend all day outside in the protected run doing chicken things.

 

[aart]

A good place to start is to update your profile with your location so we get an idea of what kind of climate you are dealing with- whether you're insulating against arctic cold or equator heat.

Yes, please, see below.....and pics of your run too.
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, (laptop version shown), then it's always there!

 

[Dragron_ heart]

You aren't alone in wanting to insulate your run. I've discovered that if you've thought of something to do with chickens, other people with chickens have thought of it, too.

A good place to start is to update your profile with your location so we get an idea of what kind of climate you are dealing with- whether you're insulating against arctic cold or equator heat.

I have an enclosed run that has open air sides in summer and double sided plastic panels that I put up in winter to block out the worst of the blizzards and freezing wind. They are called Coroplast panels. I got them free, but you can get them on line or from Home Depot unless you live in the Sahara.

I have gone into my profile and added quite s bit of information, including the fact the I live in western WA and am 1 hour north of Seattle. A really cold day here is when it gets down into the 20's or high teens.. My flock are different than any bird I have raised. Unlike most flocks they will not go into the coop to sleep. Instead they lay down like a dog pile and sleep in the run. After many failed attempts to change their habit it is clear they aren't going to budge. Polish are not real cold hearty birds so the insulation along with a chicken heater is critical. I have never seen chickens that insisted on sleeping outside. This is my first try at raising exotic chickens. There is a lot to be learned about the behavioral patterns between standards and exotics.