insulating the coop?

[sydney13]

should i insulate the coop m building if i live in massachusetts? I read its best to have two inches of styrofoam in the walls, is this true or should i use the pink roll stuff? Also is a heater necessary for hardy breeds? And is a heated waterer necessary because i read putting vegetable oil in their water will stop freezing? If this is true then does the coop need to have electricity?

 

[Montana-Hens]

I live in SW Montana, at about 6,000 feet and we can get a hard frost any time....now imagine how long winter lasts and how bitter it can be.

I have heavy ladies with small single or cushion combs.

I insulated with thick rigid styrofoam, and use reflectix on the ceiling....no heat and no lights. They do just fine.

 

[Monk]

I used 1" styrofoam in the walls and 2" in the ceiling. I don't use any form of heating, except a plastic waterer that has a heater in it to prevent the water from freezing. No problems... CNY

 

[Lesa]

Even if you have no plans to heat the coop- and I don't in upstate NY, I think you would really appreciate electricity. I like to take a head count at night, and it is really nice to be able to flick a switch for a little light. Remember it is dark way early in the winter... Also nice to have the option of adding light if you decide to, for egg laying purposes.. You will appreciate a heated waterer too. If you can't run wire- it is not the end of the world and you can certainly keep chickens without it- but I sure find it convenient...I insulated with regular pink fiberglass. The coop is not drafty and stays quite a bit warmer than the outside temp. Good luck and enjoy your chickens!

 

[teach1rusl]

I'm sure you get colder than we do here, but I still insulated...went with the pink fluffy stuff myself. Electricity is nice to have for your coop whether you use a heat lamp (or other heat source) or not. My chickens are pets, so I DID use a lamp to keep my coop above freezing. It put my mind at ease about my pet chickens.

 

[ADozenGirlz]

I live next door to you in Connecticut. We insulated our coop with the thin, silver sheet-looking insulation stuff, primarily on the roof (we have a small 4x6 ft coop and 11 birds). We ran electricity out to the coop with an extension cord b/c I knew I wanted to supply artificial lighting in the winter months (which worked, by the way. they began laying in December for the first time!). Since I had power out there already, I decided that there was not reason not to put a 250 watt red heat lamp out there (it's above the metal waterer). As you know, this winter was terribly cold in New England and even with the heat lamp there were a handful of mornings when I found that the water inside the coop was frozen.
I don't think heat is required for cold-hardy birds, but in my unqualified opinion, it has to be less stressful for the birds to be in 30-40 degree temperatures at night than lower than that. I'd rather have them direct their energy towards egg-production rather than keeping warm!

You can see the red light on in the coop behind us:

 

[CityChook]

Minnesota here. I used R13 pink fiberglass stuff. Remember, regardless of what type of insulation you choose, you'll need to finish the walls with plywood to keep the chickens from eating it.

Don't know how cold Massachusetts gets. I have electricity for both a heated water dish as well as heat. I use heat 24/7 from November through March/April, although we are having unseasonably warm weather right now and I've turned the heat off early. I have a ceramic bulb over the roost and it keeps the coop around 15F. Once we get above freezing, I turn everything off. Do I think electricity is necessary? No. Am I glad I have it - absolutely.

Don't know if I'd believe the vegetable oil in the water story. I know that when I make stock to freeze for use later, it has fat in it and that simply rises to the top and the stock freezes underneath it. I'm sure water would do the same.

 

[patandchickens]

You don't NEED to insulate, but at the same time, if you do it correctly it will be useful and you won't regret it. (By correctly, I mean using proper material, either rigid foamboard or batts are fine, and with TIGHT carpentry so mice are not so apt to take up residence in there). It can make your life and your chickens' lives rather easier in a cold winter.

Electric heat is unlikely to be necessary for well-chosen breeds in Mass. but it can't hurt to have it available just in case. Also remember there are lots of other things you can do to moderate coop temperature that do NOT involve electrical heating - see link in my .sig below for ideas.

A heated waterer, or heated waterer base, is not essential but is awfully nice to have if your coop temps spend a lot of time below freezing. It saves you quite a lot of toting fresh water out there multiple times a day

No, vegetable oil will NOT keep your water from freezing, nor will any other additive

Thus, it is POSSIBLE to run a coop in a cold-winter area without electricity, but it is a pain in the patootie and better avoided if possible.

BTW do not neglect to ensure sufficient wintertime-friendly ventilation in your coop -- yes, you do need to have vents open even in the winter, and generally more vent area than most people expect, because chickens put out vast amounts of humidity and humidity is a BIG cause of frostbite at really-pretty-mild temperatures.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[sianara]

Quote:
This is definitely a personal choice. When I first got chickens I put a small heater out there. VERY BIG MISTAKE. It almost started a fire, I learned real fast that time.

If you have below freezing temps insulation is fantastic. I have never had wattle or comb frostbite in the several years I've had chickens and I attribute it to the insulation. If you read some older poultry books (mid 20th century and earlier) the belief was the lack of supplemental heat was a plus in making heartier birds. It caused them to be sturdier and have a stronger constitution which in turn helped fight off disease.

If you decide to provide lights for year round egg production be aware that this practice will shorten the life of your bird. If you're like me and want the birds to stay around as long as possible then it is an issue. If you are going to replace your hens every few years then it might not be an issue for you. I like to give my hens the winter off so they can have a rest. If you want eggs all winter long then getting a few new hens every spring might be all you need to do.

This past winter was the very first winter I had to buy grocery store eggs in almost 9 years! I hated it and vowed to never go another spring without getting 2-3 new hens. If I keep the numbers low like that my coops won't be overburdened and we'll always have fresh eggs.

 

[sianara]

Quote:
DITTO DITTO!!! In my 8x8 coops I currently have 11 large hens. The south facing door is full sized and has a heart cut out about 14" diameter (yeah, I know corny but it's cute

) that is covered with hardware cloth. I never cover this up, it is open year round even in frigid weather. On the North facing wall I have an actual window that is always opened about 1" during winter. It's not the best direction for ventilation pass through (I believe E to W is preferred) but it works for me and the hens.