New chicken owner-first coop- to insulate or not?

[karenerwin]

Hello! We just built our first coop, 8x9’ wood/plywood construction with shingled roof, have two vents and a nonfunctional window.
Question is…do we need insulation of some sort? Live in mid Missouri. Summers get extreme humid into 100s hot and winters can be very cold below freezing but typically not for long if at all. Most of the year is tolerable temps.
Also, we have the coop screwed onto 6x6s which are partially dug into the ground to level the structure out. Was debating on putting some sort of hardware cloth/wire mesh on the dirt floor with plenty of sand and/or shavings on top. Worried about critters digging under potentially. Any advice or thoughts are appreciated! Thanks

I also live in Missouri, about 45 minutes outside of St. Louis. When we built our first coops we insulated them. But if I were to rebuild them I wouldn’t bother to do so. We did end up adding a vent fan set on a temperature setting that helps pull hot air out in the summer when the temperatures reach a certain point. We also have 2 small windows that stay open but have wire mesh over them. They stay open 24/7 year round.
We figured out that ventilation is extremely important especially in the winter. Also make sure there are no drafts on the chickens. Ours will switch to a different roost at times( there are 4 roost options in the 1 coop. The 2nd coop has a small completely open ( wire mesh) “screened porch” attached and a large window that connects that to the coop. (This coop does not have a vent fan.) Plus there is a big window in the coop. Some of the chickens sleep in the screened area on all but the coldest nights ( or if it’s too windy they will go in the sheltered part also).

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

You'll need a lot more ventilation for a space that size to keep it from turning into a rotisserie.

This is how you want your airFLOW to move:

I never tire of seeing 3killersB's ventilation diagram. When i see them, i know all is right in BYC land!!!

 

[My Very First 6 Chickens]

I also live in Missouri, about 45 minutes outside of St. Louis. When we built our first coops we insulated them. But if I were to rebuild them I wouldn’t bother to do so. We did end up adding a vent fan set on a temperature setting that helps pull hot air out in the summer when the temperatures reach a certain point. We also have 2 small windows that stay open but have wire mesh over them. They stay open 24/7 year round.
We figured out that ventilation is extremely important especially in the winter. Also make sure there are no drafts on the chickens. Ours will switch to a different roost at times( there are 4 roost options in the 1 coop. The 2nd coop has a small completely open ( wire mesh) “screened porch” attached and a large window that connects that to the coop. (This coop does not have a vent fan.) Plus there is a big window in the coop. Some of the chickens sleep in the screened area on all but the coldest nights ( or if it’s too windy they will go in the sheltered part also).

Sounds nice! Would love to see a pic!

 

[BigBlueHen53]

Sounds nice! Would love to see a pic!

X2, Karen!