Insulation in. Chicken coop - necessary?

Golfing Chicken

Hatching
Apr 13, 2020
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So I’m finally seeing the light at the end of this Chicken Coop build and once complete will be more than happy to share pics.

Is it necessary to insulate walls and ceiling of coop for Summer/Winter (Northeast)

thank you for any info
 
Nope.
Dry and well ventilated are what keep birds warm in the winter.
How are you ventilating with a ceiling in your coop?
We have 3 large 48” by 6” windows, back doors open to vent with hardware cloth in summer and for winter where walls meet trusses we have 1” holes drilled along the sides. Then a ridge vent in ceiling
 
We have 3 large 48” by 6” windows, back doors open to vent with hardware cloth in summer and for winter where walls meet trusses we have 1” holes drilled along the sides. Then a ridge vent in ceiling
1" holes aren't very much for ventilation. Can you post some pictures? Can you open up the soffits and cut out the peaks of there gable ends if you have them?
There is also a ridge vent in this coop.
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I haven’t attached the 1” holes cut into the 2x4 used to fill the area between trusses - should I use hardware cloth instead or would that allow too much cold air in winter?
 
I guess it depends where you live, the layout of your coop/backyard etc... I built my coop almost like you would build a house, 2x6 floor, 2x4 walls and ceiling all with batt insulation, vapour barrier on the inside and wrapped with 1 1/2 inch polystyrene sheating on the outside. (I had leftover building materials)

I drilled 5x 2 1/2 inch holes just below the ceiling on the wall facing the wind and on the opposite wall, creating a funnel for adequate ventilation, I might even add flaps to close off the holes on cold and windy nights while monitoring the temp and humidity inside remotely.

We often get -20C temps in the winter with a nasty westerly wind and my aim is to keep the coop just above freezing, can’t do that if the coop isn’t insulated.
 
We are in SE Mass. We have not insulated. The coop gets to the same temp as the outside. So that includes occasionally below zero Fahrenheit. The hens fo just fine. No need to try to keep them warm . IMHO. As people have stated above, plenty of ventilation, and they will be fine . You mention a ridge vent. We have one. And we need to clear the snow to allow that to work.
 
I haven’t attached the 1” holes cut into the 2x4 used to fill the area between trusses - should I use hardware cloth instead or would that allow too much cold air in winter?

It's actually hard to allow too much cold air into a coop. Try to avoid excessive drafts but keep in mind your main enemy is moisture. Chickens are very well insulated but moisture in a coop leads to frostbite. My trusses are open to the air. They did fine when our temps dropped below 0 two years ago for 2 weeks. Unless you're in the arctic, don't bother heating, either.
 
I haven’t attached the 1” holes cut into the 2x4 used to fill the area between trusses - should I use hardware cloth instead or would that allow too much cold air in winter?
Good!! Leave them out!
Need pics of the soffit area, inside and out, to confirm this would work but.....
Good fascia on rafter ends helps block strong drafts and provides a fastening point to put HC on outside of coop. There are several ways to dampen winter winds if necessary.
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