Thoughts on insulating this particular coop

[thomasboyle]

I don't think the chickens care all that much about what their coop looks like, as long as they have food, water and a place to sleep, they will be OK! Do they need an insulated coop? Absolutely not. Is one more comfortable for them, yes. A 35 degree coop in the winter is better than a 20 degree coop!

Gaps in a wall, if small should not be an issue. Coops need ventilation, so an air tight building is not good. A door is not needed for the chickens sake - even in winter, you can have a coop with an open side, as long as the open side is protected from the wind. But I would also caution that an open door is an invitation for predators. Eventually one will find the open door, and you will lose chickens.

Good luck!

 

[21hens-incharge]

Also from Colorado here.

I am thinking you may want to caulk the gaps since we get whipping wind out of the blue here. I would also elevate it about 2 feet to make cleaning it out easier.
I have seen playhouses like that one in person and personally they are a bit thin on the wood so maybe just add some cut to fit sheeting inside right up against the cute outer boards would solve the gaps and make it stronger. I am saying right against the outer boards since you would not want to cut down on the floor space at all.

The heat lamp IMO is a fire looking for a place to happen. I have had hens for about 4 years now and have had them in the past at the farm. Never needed the heat unless I had babies to deal with.

About 14 years ago ( wow that has been a while) I was out in the sticks on the farm and we had an ice storm that took out power. We were out for about 8 days. If the chickens are used to heat and you lose power it is harder on them then if they had no heat to begin with.

The number of chickens you are looking at and the space you have will be plenty warm without adding any heat.

 

[JoleeTH]

Ok so def no heat lamp. Never felt safe with those things anyways.

And you mean plastic sheeting right? Like cut out exactly the shape and then staple to the sides to make fit. There will be other ventilation too, if I go ahead with this.

I def won't seal it in completely, but think that a little extra closing in will help. Especially with the wicked wind we got yesterday.

On further review, I'm thinking of adding shingles to the roof. Just to make sure there is no leaking from up top. That should make a HUGE difference.

Def will elevate as there is no floor in it to start with so, I will raise and create floor then top with linoleum or something for easy clean. Just saw the posts on poop boards too so that will come into effect as well.

Will post more as I get further along. Thanks everyone!! So extremely helpful.

The first time I had chickens, I had a tiny a-frame dog house that I popped out with nest boxes and it was in an enclosed dog run so this is def different and more thought provoking. I am taking my time as this is our house no (no longer renting) and I want to make something that will last and work for years to come.

Thanks again!!

 

[iwiw60]

Ok so def no heat lamp. Never felt safe with those things anyways.

And you mean plastic sheeting right? Like cut out exactly the shape and then staple to the sides to make fit. There will be other ventilation too, if I go ahead with this.

If you mean using plastic sheeting to 'wrap' your coop/run you want to literally wrap it completely and then make any cutouts that you need to. And I wouldn't advise stapling it...winds and weather will rip that stuff away from the staples in an instant. I use those cheap furring strips and tack them in with small nails that I can easily remove in the spring.

 

[21hens-incharge]

Totally should have come back on earlier to respond. I do apologize. I am meaning plywood sheet goods cut to fit between the wall studs. Then I would caulk the edges to make sure no water got in and all the gaps then prime and paint. It would make it last a lot longer.

 

[CrazyTalk]

The vast majority of the time, the drastic increase in humidity caused by sealing and insulating a coop is going to be a bigger problem than the cold caused by a well ventilated one.

The birds are well insulated on their own - you need to keep them dry and out of the wind - nothing else.



As to the "A 35 degree coop is more comfortable than a 20 degree coop" - that's only true if the humidity is the same. A damp 35 degree coop is going to cause way more issues than a dry 20 degree coop.

 

[RonP]

My winter temps often get into the low single digits, rarely below 0.

I spent last weekend strategically cutting more ventilation holes in my coop, that already has over 1 square foot of ventilation per bird.

Do a little research on ventilation.

A draft free, well ventilated coop, is much healthier than a warm humid coop.