Question for the cold weather people

[LynneP]

We insulated, but we don't heat. Lots of details in the link below. Also, pat started a thread on very cold regions over in 'Managing Your Flock'- you might want to huddle there with some of us who are dealing with the same things you are!

The confusing part is providing ventilation without drafts. Hence all the confusion about insulation. It's also important to be rodent free if you decide to insulate (we are, thanks to our colony of ferals)...

 

[Montana-Hens]

I agree ventilation is so important, balancing that with no draft is a trick.

My ladies are in coop with rigid foam insulation covered by sheet flooring to keep them from pecking at it. They have no heat, and only when I think that they might want to stay in do I put the heated dog dish in the coop. I am not sure why I do that b/c they came flying out this am when it was 5 and haven't gone back in yet, except to lay an egg and leave!

 

[patandchickens]

Quote:
Of course it does, I'm not sure anyone's said otherwise -- it's just not enough to make any material difference, especially not when comparing 3/4" plywood with, say, 3/8". (To be clear, yes, there is *technically* a difference in R value, but it is like the difference between wearing a bikini or a one-piece swimsuit when standing otherwise-naked in the snow in the winter... the difference doesn't really matter in practical terms

)

Pat

 

[miss_thenorth]

My chickens are in a barn where the big door is open all the time--as a run-in shelter for my horses. My barn is not insulated. I turn on a heat lamp when the temps get to be around -10C (don't know the Fahrenheit temp thing, but I do know 0C is 32F. I deep litter their coop, and I already have their water in an electric dog bowl to prevent freezing. The coldest we have had so far has been -3C, but it is usually hovering around 0C lately.

 

[snowydiamonds]

I would insulate, I didn't get two coops insulated before winter hit early and the walls will become lined w/frost-chickens don't do well with that type of humity but will spend a lot of time pecking at the frost instead of each other...tap tap, tap tap, tap tap...

I recently the BO's to the largest insulated and divided coop as they were getting frostbite on their combs in their uninsulated coop which is about 10'x 10' and I had 12 birds in it. They are much happier in the insulated coop w/a heat lamp for the water.

 

[jubylives]

Quote:
Of course it does, I'm not sure anyone's said otherwise -- it's just not enough to make any material difference, especially not when comparing 3/4" plywood with, say, 3/8". (To be clear, yes, there is *technically* a difference in R value, but it is like the difference between wearing a bikini or a one-piece swimsuit when standing otherwise-naked in the snow in the winter... the difference doesn't really matter in practical terms

)

Pat

Yea I know I know but I figured I throw it in anyway. The swimsuit comment sparks some debate but maybe another time.

jeremy

 

[dftkarin]

I'm in New England with 4 chicken in a 3'x5' coop non-insulated made out of 1/2" plywood. I have caulked the spaces where the walls meet but there are cracks between the walls and roof, and it never feels warm in the coop in the mornings and the water is often frozen solid - but the chickens seem okay. They spend all day long out in the yard in the cold. I am thinking of trying to put some rigid insulation on the ceiling right above their roost - maybe to try to keep some of their warmth from going out the cracks between the walls and roof? So far though, no electricity, no heated waterer, no heat lamp, no insulation - and they seem fine.

 

[pwand]

Our temperatures are about the same here, with lots of rain and some snow. I don't have insulation. I did put tar paper around the outside, that helps with drafts and have ventilation. What I did is put plywood in the center of my coop, like an extra floor about 4 ft space from the floor and put my straw on top of that and store their extra food. My coop is 4 x 6 . It traps the heat were the girls are and its warm in there.

 

[PrairieChicken]

What a bunch of great responses -- thank you all! I think I'm coming to the conclusion that I should suck it up and invest in some insulation (while insuring good ventilation). You just never know when that three week period of -10F is going to come around here. Better safe than sorry. May delay my chicken raising start date, but it'll give me time to dumpster dive some construction sites this next summer for building material

 

[annmarie]

Hey, don't spend your money too fast, I'm on my way out the door and can't read all these posts, but if your coop isn't going to be too gigantic, if you build double walls you can stuff those double walls with plastic shopping bags. They make great free insulation and people are all too happy to get rid of them, especially stores with bag "recycling" bins and barrels. Just make sure they don't have any food or liquids spilled in them that could attract rodents. Good luck!