insulation...

[DVTO2]

I live in Norther CT. My 4' by 8' x 4' coop will have a gabled roof with 6 inches of overhang. My question is what if any insulation to put in the coop, particularly since I will have 6 inches of ventilation across the top of the two sides (8 square feet with 2 4' flaps on each side that can be closed). I'll also have a 30" by 24" Plexiglas window that can be removed for additional ventilation (covered with predator wire) on the end opposite from the roosts. Does insulation help if I am ventilating? I was thinking of 1/2 inch rigid foam with reflective surface on the roof. Suggestions or comments?

 

[Doopy]

When I read the posts about insulation and the need for it here on the forums I always wonder if the folks realize that insulation does not generate any heat (or cooling) at all. Insulation in your coop will not make it any warmer inside without a heat source in there also. Insulation only slows down the transfer of heat from one side of the wall to the other side. Sometimes I get the feeling that folks think that insulating the coop will automatically make it warm inside. 'taint so.

Of course the chicken's warm bodies will help to raise the temperature slightly inside an insulated coop but only when they're inside. Insulation in the walls and the roof will retard the amount of heat gain inside the coop from the winter sunshine. So in my opinion insulation is very beneficial to a coop if you plan to have a heat source inside - but not very much if there is no heater in there. If you have electricity at your coop you may want to build a couple tin-can heaters with light bulbs inside as they work great.

Also we must remember that chickens have a wonderful insulation package provided by mother nature - it's called feathers.

 

[patandchickens]

Ah, but there IS heat being generated in the coop, by chickens and by sunlight. Also there is the natural warming of the air during daytime.

The better you can capture that heat and make it last through the night, the warmer (well, "less cold") your coop stays.

Insulation DOES NOT, in my experience, decrease heat gain during winter, because your walls were not transmitting any meaningful amount of heat anyhow, and your roof HAS to be at least a little insulated in cold-winter climates just to avoid it becoming a ventilation-defeating 'condensation farm'. Your wintertime heat gain from the environment, during the daytime, is almost totally from sunlight coming in through windows; and to a much smaller extent the warmer (i.e. not as cold as nighttime) air coming in your vents. Sun coming through your windows DOES generally warm a well-designed coop up quite noticeably during the day, especially with well-insulated walls. THis is not theory, this is what actually HAPPENS.

I do not heat my coop, or my barn either, but they benefit QUITE GREATLY from their fairly thick insulation. Again, not theory, OBSERVATION

Whether to insulate a coop in Connecticut is personal choice - well-chosen healthy chickens will not necessarily *need* an insulated coop in that climate, but it will make them more comfortable and it will make your coop management easier. So it is still a good idea to do, if you feel like doing it. And if you are even remotely contemplating running electric heat -- even just to keep water thawed -- it becomes even more of a good idea, because the warmer the coop stays b/c of insulation, the fewer watts you need to use.

GOod luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[mike67909]

Quote:
Agree... of course I didn't even insulate my coop the chicken's themselves have a great natural insulation (depending on breed). I am in Michigan and we get temps below 0 all the time in the winter. As long as they acclimate to the outside temps naturally and keep the drafts off them, mine have no problems.