Need Ideas for inexpensive ways to insulate shed/coop

[Run-A-Muck Ranch]

Do you have access to sheeps wool?? You could stuff that in the walls behind plywood. I know it would cost more but what about the spray foam that expands. if you were able to put that up, then cover with plywood or partical board so the birds couldn't get to it. Sometimes if you talk to places like Menards they have the cut outs from exterior doors (where the window goes) you can get them and line the walls of the coop with them. I know a few people who collect them and put around the foundation of there own house to help in the winter.
Just a few ideas. Probably not much help, I will try and think of better ones...

 

[speckledhen]

Someone here also mentioned a while back that they used plastic grocery bags and filled in the space between the studs with them.

That was me. Those dang Wally World bags have to go somewhere and now they're not in a landfill.​

 

[redoak]

I used old synthetic carpet pad from our living room remodel. According to a website it has an R value of 4.5. I covered it up with OSB so the chickens wouldn't peck at it.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Thanks for all the ideas!

Personally I would not sweat the fact that styrofoam is pretty flammable and gives off toxic fumes if there's a fire. I mean, this is a chicken coop. If you have a fire, the chances are pretty good that you will lose all your chickens no matter WHAT insulation material you use, just because the structure is so small; and humans are not involved so there isn't the usual consideration that way like you'd have in houses.

Pat, this is just what my dh and I were discussing earlier this eve.
I can get peanuts pretty cheap online plus we have some saved up fm equip. coming in for our business. I still like the reflective insulation for both winter and summer. Maybe I'll do the ceiling/roof in relective insulation and cover it and line the walls with peanuts. Hmmm. dh mentioned using wood chips but that would take a ton and I think would cost a bit.
Speckledhen, we did use plastic bags for insulation in our main coop. ( I should stop calling it the main coop, it's the first or original coop. ) That coop is smaller, probably 10X10 and only about 5' 6" high and it took a ton of bags. Does work well though. Keeps toasty in the winter and cool in the summer.
Thanks again all. Good ideas and inovative also.​

 

[MamaDragon]

Have you thought about stacking square bales of straw around the outside walls of your coop? Eco-friendly, inexpensive, multitude of uses once you're done with them... makes good summer insulation as well as winter.

You could either cover the top row of straw with boards or cut strips of tarping, or just plan on using the top row of bales for the yard & birds each year, add a new top row, and away you go for next year.

Kathy

 

[morelcabin]

The bag idea gave me an idea...how bout using the feed bags? I think that is what I am going to start doing, just stuff them down between the wall...hmmm...thanks for the idea!

 

[BeardedChick]

Bubble wrap, glued or stapled in? It's got to be out of beak reach, tho.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

I thought about straw bales, Kathy, but they won't fit around our shed. We have a steep slope on one side, the back yard w/bushes and wisteria on the east side, north side are the large double doors and west side is flush against the inclosed run and original coop. I thought of lining the inside base with wood chip bales since I would be using them anyway but don't want to take up too much space fm the girls with storage items.
Most insulation is going to have the potential for vermin to bed down in it. It's pretty much a given. We can hear mice and chipmunks in the walls of our house which has the standard home yellow or pink insulation. A + for the reflective closed cell insulation is it is not attractive for vermin to nest in but I expect to find a mouse or two in the shed just due to the fact it will be warmer than the outside air and there will be chicken food in the shed. The trick will be to keep them to a minimum. I

 

[newchickmom]

I live not far from you, in Lafayette area. I just have air space between the walls with no insulation. My coop is fairly large at about 8 x 16 (also a converted shed) I just have a heater under the waterer to keep it from freezing and when it is really cold, I turn on the heat light over the roosts.
I do have a problem with the girls going out in the snow though, the run is on the south side of the coop and has no cover. That will be fixed when we get the new coop built though. It will be south of the run that the coops will share, and will have a roof over half of the run. This will help with the shade and the wind problems.

 

[keeperofthehearth]

Nice to meet you newchickmom

Our inclosed run is really small, about 10X10. We originally converted the three sided overhang into a coop in back w/inclosed run in front. That was when we were only going to have about a dozen chickens.

My older girls hate the snow and won't go out if there is snow on the ground. I don't know about these new girls. Guess we will see this winter.

There is plenty of roaming room outside if they will go out under the spruces. It's the last place the snow collects but also about the last to melt. Last year I was out shoveling snow to make a clear spot so they would go out at least a bit but then the wind would blow up the hill and they didn't want any part of that.

I am hoping with the addition of the shed as a wintering space they will be cozy and happy this winter. Of course I have somehow acquired 40+ chickens

. . . . but who do you let go?