Insulation

[chickensforkids]

Is there any reason why we shouldn't insulate the walls of our coop? We were thinking that it would help keep it cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter. The insulation would be between the outer and inner walls.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Since you have it covered it will be OK. They will eat foam insulation and that is not good for them. It will make a noticeable difference in the coop.

My only concern is ventilation. That insulation will make the walls really airtight. You need plenty of ventilation for them even with the walls insulated.

 

[chickensforkids]

We have 3 windows that open, and an opening between the wall and the roof. I am hoping that that will be adequate ventilation. I am really hoping that the roof ventilation will be ok in the winter, without causing too much of a draft. Insights?

 

[Ridgerunner]

Your concern should not be to keep the place where the chickens are warm. It should be to keep the chickens themselves warm. You don’t have to do anything more than provide them a place with good ventilation yet protection from breezes hitting them directly. Their down coat will take care of the rest. You might need to close all of the windows in winter and rely on the openings at the top of the walls to provide good air exchange. I don’t know where you are but heat in the summer kills a lot more chickens than cold in the winter.

 

[yellowchicks]

Our chickens spent their first freezing winter in their 4'x4' insulated,unheated coop. There were minus degree temperature overnight, and near zero during the day Except for a few nights during the blizzards, our coop windows are always wide opened 24/7, and there are also several permanent vent holes, providing one sq. ft. of ventilation per chicken.

Our coop is also equipped with a temperature and humidity guage so we know exactly how cold and how humid it is.With the vent holes and windows open, the temperature inside and outside are equalized during the winter. The insulation really did not have much effect in warming up the coop if there is no internal heat source. We monitor the humidity level a lot more closely than the temperature since chickens can keep warm themselves, but need help in having good ventilation. In the summer however, the interior of the coop is much cooler due to the insulation and ventilation. I spent more time and effort in the winter to shelter their run from rain, wind and snow, so that our chickens always have the outdoor activity space no matter the weather conditions. They never stay inside the coop except for sleeping and laying.

 

[JackE]

Is there any reason why we shouldn't insulate the walls of our coop? We were thinking that it would help keep it cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter. The insulation would be between the outer and inner walls.

Other than maybe insulating the underside of the roof, to help absorb some of the summer heat, insulation is a waste of time and money. When you add interior walls to a coop, you are giving mice, rats, and a variety of insect pests, a nice secure hidden place to live, unseen by you, and free to come out and harass your birds whenever they want. If you have your coop properly ventilated, insulation will be totally useless in the winter. A coop is not like your house, which will be closed up in the winter, with a furnace of some kind generating heat, with insulation to help keep that generated heat in. Your coop will/should be open to the outside, for proper fresh air exchange/ventilation. And unless you have some kind of thinly feathered, exotic breed, chickens already come equipped with perfect insulation of their own. They don't need any help from us.

 

[chickensforkids]

Our chickens spent their first freezing winter in their 4'x4' insulated,unheated coop. There were minus degree temperature overnight, and near zero during the day Except for a few nights during the blizzards, our coop windows are always wide opened 24/7, and there are also several permanent vent holes, providing one sq. ft. of ventilation per chicken.

Our coop is also equipped with a temperature and humidity guage so we know exactly how cold and how humid it is.With the vent holes and windows open, the temperature inside and outside are equalized during the winter. The insulation really did not have much effect in warming up the coop if there is no internal heat source. We monitor the humidity level a lot more closely than the temperature since chickens can keep warm themselves, but need help in having good ventilation. In the summer however, the interior of the coop is much cooler due to the insulation and ventilation. I spent more time and effort in the winter to shelter their run from rain, wind and snow, so that our chickens always have the outdoor activity space no matter the weather conditions. They never stay inside the coop except for sleeping and laying.

What do you use to monitor the humidity?

I didn't realize that the windows could be open all winter. Our coop will have 3 windows. Do you think that the insulation is worth it as far as keeping the coop cold? My husband already put in the insulation, but not the interior walls, now I'm wondering if we should just save the money and not buy the wood for the walls... but then of course we'd loose the money that we spent on the insulation.