Insulating the coop?

[jquattlebaum]

Me and my husband are new to having chickens and we just started building our coop. We live in southern Georgia so we were wondering if we should/need to insulate our coop. It's going to be a 5x5 space with a metal roof and wood sides, if that makes any difference.

 

[Howard E]

Insulate their coop? No. Ventilate their coop? YES, YES and YES!!!!!

They are birds with feathers and will do fine with no heat and no insulation. What they need is a dry space to roost. Well ventilated is dry. In your climate, heat will be a bigger burden on them than cold.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Me and my husband are new to having chickens and we just started building our coop. We live in southern Georgia so we were wondering if we should/need to insulate our coop. It's going to be a 5x5 space with a metal roof and wood sides, if that makes any difference.

Insulation is really not nessisary, and unless well covered, your birds will try to get in it and eat it. I live in Nebraska, much colder then you, my birds spend the winter in a unheated barn.
Ventilation is what is really nessisary, especially at your heat and humidity. Humidity is terrible on birds. It makes them more wet, and then they cannot get warm again.
It works best if you build your vents above where your hens roost. This way the birds do not get too strong of gusts but keep fresh air.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! I agree, ventilation AND SHADE, both necessary. An insulated roof would help with summer sun. Shade trees and shrubs are needed, anything to help with the summer heat. Mary

 

[jaj121159]

I would go totally open front with hardware cloth facing the summer prevailing winds in a shady place. In my experience, an insulated building once hot stays hot until the outside air cools for a few days, In the winter an insulated building stays cooler than the outdoors until the weather warms up for a few days, Heat is generally harder on birds than cold. I would paint your metal roof white to stay cooler in the summer.

 

[OrganicFarmWife]

Yes the coop I am currently building for my summer flock is almost entirely open on one half that I intend to point east and open 2 feet on the north, south, and west sides to allow lots of circulation, with closeable flaps for summer storms. With your temperatures that would make a lot of sense. The white tin roof is genius and I intend to use it, thanks!