To insulate, or not to insulate.... Coop in zone 4b, Twin Cities, Minnesota

[JohnnyAndJuneMN]

We're getting ready to build a coop for some backyard, suburban chickens. It will be a raised coop (2'6" off the ground), 4' wide x 8' long, to house 6 hens. It's going in the only semishaded part of our yard that's far enough from our property line (city ordances). It'll be right next to the garage, facing North, with the garage on it's South side. It should be fairly well protected from winds, but it won't get full sun in the winter. I've heard from many Minnesotans that they don't insulate, but my husband is concerned that without getting full sun and only having 6 birds in there, we need to insulate.
Thoughts, opinions?

 

[Hidrainja4]

Insulation works for heat as well as cold. There are land race Icelandic and Scandinavia chickens. However if He want to insulate the coop why not. Otherwise, somebody will be fretting all winter. The big thing will be making sure the water doesn't freeze.

 

[Folly's place]

Welcome! It's too bad that it can't face south, for winter sun, and it would be very nice if the attached roofed run, at least, could have southern exposure.
Will it be a walk-in structure? How about pictures or a drawing here?
Protection from winter winds is important, and ventilation plus predator protection are very very necessary.
How about modifying a garden shed instead? Walk-in, and larger?
Insulation is difficult, because rodents easily move into any hollow spaces, and do chew through wood to get there. An insulated roof can be good, for protection from the sun in hot weather and winter cold, IF it can be made rodent proof! For the walls, as long as they are solid and block the wind, it's good. Ventilation everywhere until cold weather, and then still lots of upper ventilation, all necessary.
Crawling under a coop, or crouching when inside, will get really old, really fast. And shoveling all that snow in an open run won't be fun either.
Mary

 

[Folly's place]

Choose breeds that do well in cold climates! Generally they will be fluffier, and have smaller combs and wattles. Henderson's Chicken chart is a good place to look, if you haven't seen it.
The only heat needed in there is for the waterers, and having lighting is nice too.
Mary

 

[Percheron chick]

Having it raised off the ground allows cold to come up from underneath. Use the ground as insulation. Build it ground level so you can walk in as well.

 

[vantain]

There is no sun at night to warm the coop, and that is usually when the hens are roosting and more immobile. During the day, they are usually more active. Then again, in winter here in Minnesota, the sunniest days are usually the coldest days.

I'm down in Rochester, and don't heat our coop, and have gone through two winters. The first winter was with 4 chickens, and this last winter was with 3. They really don't warm each other up, so don't count on that. They keep themselves warm by puffing up their feathers and tucking their heads under their wings. That said, they may get a little more insulation from nestling next to one another on the roost. The more important thing is to make sure no cold breezes can pass over the roost area (no drafts), and that they have plenty of coop ventilation. The ventilation part, for me, is what discouraged me from insulating. Seemed like a lost cause to have both. I have not lost any birds to the cold, and that included the late January of 2019, when the night time temperatures dropped down to -35 degrees for two nights. I was vigilant about checking the birds constantly, and worrying about them, but they survived just fine.

If you can insulate, and you really want to, I don't think it would hurt at all.

In the winter, without insulation, my inside coop temperatures are usually about the same as outside, till it gets down to about -12. At that point, the inside temperature seems to stay about 8-15 degrees warmer than the outside temperature as it continues to drop. Some weird scientific phenomenon. When that one winter got down to -35, my coop was a toasty -19. I also keep a window open year round, unless it is blowing snow. Insulation may increase that temperature differential during extremes, both hot and cold.

In summer, my coop is relatively the same as outside..maybe just a few degrees cooler if I have a fan running.

Not sure if that helps at all, but it's my experience. I have 10 chickens now, for going into this next winter. Should be interesting.

 

[vantain]

Having it raised off the ground allows cold to come up from underneath. Use the ground as insulation. Build it ground level so you can walk in as well.

Yeah..this..my coop is about a foot off the ground. I pile up the first snow around the gap to keep cold wind from blowing under the coop, then make sure it stays blocked up like that for the remainder of winter.

 

[Alaskan]

I have written acold weather coop article that you might find helpful.

https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/cold-weather-poultry-housing-and-care.72010/

You do need to make sure the hens have enough snow free space in the winter... and especially if the coop spot has less light ... some light might be needed.