yes moisture getting out is crucial. they say they dont need the heat but they sure seem unhappy in the bitter cold. Sweetet heatet does not heat the hen house, is only felt by thosr undet or next to it. All last winter no problem with outages. Birds love the sweeter. If power went out it wouldnt be much diff. So theyd be ok for awhile til power back on. I think it takes the edge off the misersble long bitter winter.
The coop is under some trees but still gets a lot of rain. I'm thinking that I'd rather use something more suited to lasting.
Look out for tree rats. They can get in a hole the size of a quarter.
Our coop is made with plywood. We get hot summers, cold winters, dry and humid seasons. The coop is at least seven years old and the painted plywood has held up just fine with no warping or separating. We inherited the coop when we moved here, so I assume exterior plywood was used, because plywood would not have been my first choice either - or I would have put siding over it. But so far it looks good as new! :
:I also used a T1-11 for my coop, primed and painted it.
I also used the T1-11, with primer and paint. I also bought a pressure treated plywood for my floor. that being said I may cover even that with something to ease clean up going forward. Good luck
