To insulate or not to insulate...

[ChickenOwner2313]

We live in near Dallas, and we have never needed insulation for winter. Of all the chickens we have had they have never needed insulation. Our coop is made of old wood and the only thing they ever have trouble with when it comes to temperature is the heat. I think you need to make sure the run is shaded, we use a tarp, and it's all fine. I don't think you should insulate your coop.

 

[PirateGirl]

Hate to disagree with you Kiki, but insulation protects against cold AND heat.

That's what I was getting at. In the winter my house is warmer inside than out, but in the summer, it's cooler (no A/C) inside than out, due to the insulation. This is also one of the principles behind adobe houses in the desert. The thick walls insulate against the summer heat.

Hopefully others who live in a similar climate to @Julieschicks will chime in with their experience.

 

[Blooie]

I'm in northwestern Wyoming not too far from Yellowstone Park. Cold, LONG winters and hot, dry summers. I didn't use insulation. If you insulate, you usually need to put an inner wall over that insulation because chickens love to peck at insulation. That means you have 3 layers going on - the outside, the insulation and then the wall covering. Those can mean lots of hiding places for critters - everything from mites to mice. Granted, those can be visitors to many coops anyway, but who wants to provide them a hideaway and a freeway? Good ventilation is the key, especially in your climate. So if your birds are kept out of direct drafts (that means basically that the air going through doesn't ruffle their feathers and allow their trapped warm air to escape) and kept relatively dry, they should do perfectly well. Lots of folks DO put a layer of insulation on the inside of the roof, especially the reflective stuff, to cut down on winter condensation and on summer's sun heating the inside like an oven, so I would think that would be well worth the effort for you in your climate. Will there be any shade where the coop is located?

Good luck with your chickens! Cute build, and I do see lots of places for air exchange so that's a good design too! The venting you plan up at the top is a great idea. I would also suggest, although some will disagree with me, that you put a vent down low, near the ground. I had humidity problems, even with multiple windows, vents, and an exhaust fan, until a good friend on here suggested that I do that. The fact that cooler air could enter at the bottom without blowing directly on the chickens' roost, then circulate up and out, changed that air flow dynamic entirely. We simply cut a 6 inch hole, used a piece of that diamond mesh stuff to keep out critters. When we put it in we used framing on the inside and the outside to hold it in place. (Strong as all get-out but cuts hands like a wooly booger when you're working with it - gloves are essential) We also had a piece of plywood we could fit into the opening right over that stuff for those inevitable ground blizzards Wyoming is so fond of giving us and when the weather cleared we just took of the plywood piece until next time.

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

More windows or open up a wall altogether


Gary

 

[IdyllwildAcres]

It’s on a concrete floor, so we shouldn’t have any issues with mice. And we wouldn’t have a way to vent the soffit if we insulate the ceiling. Something the think about though.

Then open up the gable ends, completely...

More air is better

Gary

 

[Hokum Coco]

Been going back and forth on whether to insulate it.

It is not really necessary in your set up but it would be a bonus. On further reading your metal roof may give you condensation issues that will require you to insulate that area.

 

[Julieschicks]

Interesting that so many mention condensation with the metal roof. I never would have thought that could be an issue. I’ll bring it up with my husband!