To insulate or not

[LeggyLeghorn]

I'm in Ohio. Like you in Illinois, we are experiencing the snow vortex today. In weather like this, I am soooo... grateful I built my coop like I did. While, I did NOT insulate, I built it against the side of my Garage, so I have easy access to electricity and water. I can get into the coop to feed or clean by going through the garage. Today it is 12*F and I fed them in my pajamas! I started with a prebuilt tool shed from from Lowes. Left most of the back wall off and attached it to the back wall of garage(over a man-door that already existed there). Then I built the chicken run around that. Mine is a bit over the top, size and height wise, only because I also have peacocks. One mistake I made was having the roof of the coop (asphalt shingle) too close to the side and top on the run, so I cant get to it easily for repairs. The birds come in at night, roost on their perches and I go out to the garage in any weather and close the sliding chicken door by a pull cord hooked to the door frame. I don't even have to step into the coop. Hot summer days I have a small fan tied to the ceiling. Winter days, I have the waterer sitting in an electric water bowl to keep it from freezing (pic#3). In the past, when we have had really hard winters, I opened the coop door and let them in the garage for a few hours of exercise during days. I'm glad I did not insulate also, as I can hose down the walls in the summer for a good spring cleaning. I do highly recommend raising the coop off the ground a good 8-12 inches. Airflow underneath really keeps smell at bay and prevents problems with mold and rot. And, while not mandatory- walls and perches painted in a hard washable paint and curtains made of vinyl table cloths add a homey touch. Good luck!
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NIce coop set up!