insulation material question

[chickendude]

Here is my thought process about cold weather and chickens. please feel free to agree or disagree with me.

Above is a couple of pictures of my coop. I have 6 RIR hens and 1 Silver Laced Polish roo. The dimensions are 6 feet wide 5 feet deep and 5 feet high in the back and 4 feet high in the front. I have 4 3"x12" vents. I did not insulate. Considering I live in southern NY the temps do drop below zero occasionally but average lows are probably 15 to 25 deg F. My thought process is they are cold hardy birds and my coop is 100% water proof and is vented well. I feel the birds will generate enough of their own heat to keep through the cold. Any other opinions ? PS: I have at least 6" of pine shavings on the floor.

 

[jafo]

A "roll" of 6 inch fiberglas will double itself with 2x4 walls. Check out the coops on this site. look at the exterior nest boxes, dry and draft free, they'll do fine. West Rutland has some awesome Turkey hunting too!

 

[poultrygeist]

Home Depot carries handy insulation rolls in the dimensions of 48" l x 16" w x 2" thick. It took 12 rolls at a cost of 45 bucks. Coop dimension ( 6' x 5' x 6' at the peak ).

 

[sashurlow]

I did some research and I believe fiberglass may win. For 17 dollars I can get something 6.5 inches thick. I can pull that apart into 3 2inch layers and use that. Not necessary but hopefully slightly better. Spray foam for eliminating drafts.
Thanks for all the advise.

 

[HappyHatch'en]

The spray foam IMO is over kill and very messy, not to mention sticky. With everything being square you shouldn't have any big gaps,...there fore I would go with the roll insulation and remember chickens have survived the Vermont winters for many, many years...and because we don't want to be accused of doing something wrong tend to over build... I wish you the best with your project and I'm sure it will work fine.

 

[Monk]

Quote:
Pulling fiberglass insulation apart will not be an easy feat and a very itchy proposition to say the least. The paper backing you will be removing is also a vapor barrier. Once removed eventually the insulating qualities of the fiberglass will be greatly compromised. Also the paper backing holds the insulation in place, without it the insulation will settle to the bottom of the wall cavity. Just trying to help...

 

[poultrygeist]

Using a plastic vapor barrier over unpapered or unfoiled fiberglass bats is the best, it's also waterproof! You must be careful not to make the space to airtight or you'll loose some of your ventilation. I actually poke some holes in it in key spots. You all seemed to be obsessed on providing a completely air tight venue for your darlings. THEY NEED TO BREATH!

 

[LynneP]

And please sheathe the fibreglass.

Foam has toxic outgasses, so be very careful. You'd need your birds somewhere else for the curing period if you use it...

 

[newchickmom]

One can will not go that far. I used 2 cans just to fill in cracks and such (and old mouse holes) in a 8' x 16' coop, then put my OSB walls up on the inside. Even the airspace between the inner and outer walls will help with insulation. The ventilation is open sections near the roof that do not get covered except in EXtreme winter times, like a big snow storm or -minus temperatures.