Insulation in my coop???

[jaydweight]

So Im converting an old dog house into a coop. I live in Utah where it gets freezing for many months out of the year. My question is will I need to install installation or will the stay warm enough with a light? Let me know...

 

[splinter]

Light will be much needed. Order yourself a reptile themometer to plug it in with and keep it set at 90 degrees.

 

[teach1rusl]

If can cover at least the part of your run that connects to your pop door, do it. Because unless that's one huge dog house, or I'm misreading your signature (4 chickens in a doghouse?), that's going to be some super tight quarters and will make for a LONGGG winter. So anything you can do to extend the space they can use over the winter time would be good. Run coverings (along with seasonal windblocks) help keep the food dry and the water unfrozen (at least for longer periods). I'm thinking you'd have to keep both outside, since space will be at a premium inside????
I love insulation and can't imagine having a coop without it myself, but I think I'd forgo it in your case, since it would eat up so much precious space (because it'd also have to be covered, as chickens eat it). Don't know what temps. you guys get for winter lows, but many folks (in cold areas) don't heat, saying that chickens (at least the breeds bred for colder temps) can survive just fine down to zero degrees and even a bit lower as long as they have NO drafts on them.

 

[elmo]

Standard size chickens can manage very cold winters as long as they have dry, draft free but adequately ventilated housing. Ventilation is key because without it, moisture from the chickens' respiration can build up inside the coop, actually making frostbite more likely than if the air was less humid.

If you haven't read this excellent page, I recommend you read it now:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-VENTILATION

and another excellent page about the coop in winter:

https://www.backyardchickens.com/web/viewblog.php?id=1642-winter-coop-temperatures

 

[stonykill]

Quote:
what? Keep chickens at 90 degrees? My RIR's and Sumatra's don't have any insulation or heat. The RIR's have a draft free coop, and the Sumatra's...being Sumatra's refuse to be cooped and live in a spruce tree. In Upstate Ny it is normal to have zero degree nights, with 10 degree days, for months on end,and I've NEVER lost a chicken to the cold. We had one night this year that was 30 below zero F. Everyone was fine. I think of it this way. A wild bird does NOT have the option of a t stat. They grow feathers to protect themselves and huddle together for warmth. Now if you have a lightbulb set to keep the temp at 90, and that light blows on a very cold night, then your chickens won't be prepared for it, and may die.
This year I may add a light, but mainly to prompt egg production, not for warmth.

So to answer the op's question. Insulation is a good idea. Make sure there is good ventilation as well. Heat source is optional. Assuming we are talking about a cold tollerant breed, which imho is all you should consider in your climate.

 

[NottinghamChicks]

Quote:
I live in NH and do not insulate my entire coop but only the roof. It helps to keep it from getting too hot in the summer and does help to keep them a tad bit warmer in the winter at night. Believe me the most important thing is keeping drafts out and at the same time having ventillation. This will eliminate the possibility of frostbite. A dog house is not that large a space and their body heat is fine, even below zero degrees. I never use light my girls for heat or egg production. I think they have plenty of feathers to keep them warm, and the breeds you have are cold hardy.

I assume that you are putting some type of windows on the house and a covered run for them to get out and stetch?

Be sure that their roosting pole is wide enough fo them to get their feet flat on it so they can cover their toes up in winter. very imprtant...

 

[jaydweight]

So I was thinking if I covered their run with a waterproof (which will act more like a windbreaker because the coop and run will be under our deck) tarp I made for hammock camping. Its made of ripstop nylon and will give enough coverage for the chickens while they are in the run. Do you think that would work?

 

[Pretty Pony]

This winter in Colorado, I decided to insulate my chicken's coo[p. I recycled my grain and feed bags. I just folded them to fit in between the boards and stapled the bags to the walls. It looks great, like wallpaper!

 

[teach1rusl]

Quote:
Oh yeah...anything that's tarp-like. And it'll have some protection anyway if it's under your deck. Since it's under your deck, at least one side should be fairly well blocked from wind anyway. So I'd focus on the top (more for when snow starts melting than the snow itself, since your decking will block that) and and any other side that gets decent wind. That'll be nice that they'll have a snow free area to come out into for winter days.

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
The problem is that it will catch rainfall and snow and become veerrrry heavy and sag down the roof of your run til it collapses. If your run is hoop-style you may be able to get away with it (certainly for rain, possibly for snow especially if you add internal bracing), but if your run top is horizontal, it is going to come down sooner or later and quite possibly take part of your run structure with it.

Pat