is there any benefit to siding?

[GinaNew York]

As so many here, this is our first endeavor with chickens and designing a coop - Thanks to two wonderful men, I have combined ideas and come up with a plan for mostly everything to share with my son-in-law who is housing the chickens and doing the construction. Is there any benefit to putting siding outside a coop - I'm assuming that this would invite bugs and/or snakes to live under it. We're in CT and the coop will be exposed to mostly cold weather as the summer is short but getting hotter -

 

[Howard E]

Can you provide a sketch or elaborate on your concerns about "siding"?

The external walls need to protect against weather and predators, so needs to be a hard, durable material of some type. But that could be anything from rough lumber to plywood to all manner of siding products up to and including metal. But generally, these are also going to be something on the exterior side of the framing. Often times, there is nothing at all on the inside of the framing.

 

[Hokum Coco]

Is there any benefit to putting siding outside a coop Vinyl or Aluminum siding protects the wood, cuts down on drafts, and eliminates the need to paint or stain the covered outside walls- I'm assuming that this would invite bugs and/or snakes to live under it. Snakes are never a problem under properly hung and secured siding. Flies do have a tendency to hibernate under siding. With no serious ill effects to your chickens. Bugs on the other hand do not fair well in the presents of chickens and provide extra protein and in the long run keep down feed cost.

 

[GinaNew York]

this was helpful - my concerns were that it would be more detrimental than helpful, but you've definitely cleared that up! I'm very glad to have the input of knowledge and experience!

 

[EquiSally]

We're building a decent sized (8'x8') coop now. The bottom 2' will be metal siding on the exterior. Then we're using reclaimed wood which will go up to about a foot from the roof line, then hardware cloth venting for the top foot that extends to a slanted roof. If that makes any sense. The exterior of our first family coop was all siding with just framing on the interior, and framed windows, and we never had any problems with snakes, chickens ate the bugs.

 

[GinaNew York]

this is very helpful !