Topic of the Week - Insulating the Coop

[Appalachickens]

0 - I haven’t built the coop yet. It will actually be 12 feet deep and 4 feet wide. Roosts in the back third, nesting boxes in the middle third, and the a third that will have open side and house the feeder. If I build a dividing wall, won’t that defeat the purpose of it being an open air coop?

 

[saysfaa]

Oh. I misunderstood. Uh, sorry, I don't know. I know proportions of depth/width/height matter but I don't know if being that tall will compensate for being so narrow for that depth.

You might build a model and put toothpicks with bits of kleenex as flags and put it in the wind at different angles.

Or there may be some experiments done in wind tunnels but I think they would be hard to find.

Let us know what you find out.

Diving a very wide opening for how deep it is would not defeat the purpose if the dividing wall is from the open side straight back. It would make two bays that were both open fronted.

 

[Appalachickens]

That makes sense. I’m really constrained by an odd piece of land and want the coop to open to the south for warmth in the winter.

 

[Debbie292d]

Our main coop is a remodeled Amish shed, insulated, and heated to 40F with an oil-filled radiator heater. We don't need to do anything.

We have to something about a late hatch though that's in a pen with a hutch that's got a cozy coop flat panel heater in it. I was going to run into the dollar store in town to get some clear shower curtains but hubby wants to build a shelter over top. I'll wait to see what he comes up with first.

Thus, I'll be back later when we've got this winterized!

View attachment 3995566

We chose to kick the ones in the aviary out...




And moved the ones from that pen to the aviary.


There is a Cozy Coop radiant heater inside the box. Hubby made that from an old dog box that was used to haul hunting dogs. He tore it apart and rebuilt it. It's extremely heavy as it's all 2x6"s except for the front door he made from plywood and 2x6" frame. It's 3' x 3'. These chicks are 12 weeks to the buff being 5 months old. She stays with these guys rather than her siblings, who go to the coop.

The one in front is a blind rescue pullet believed to be 4 months old. She's doing fine and we found she does partially see. The little waterer is only out there for the crossbeak, the black one upper left. He's now adapted to the nipple bucket, so I'll only continue that through the weekend. It freezes, and duh, the glass broke, so we're using one plastic one now and bringing it in at night.

 

[CoFarmer]

View attachment 3995542​

Keeping the coop warm without sacrificing ventilation is tricky. This week, let’s discuss coop insulation and temperature management. For example:

• What materials do you use for insulation in the coop?
• How do you prevent drafts while ensuring enough fresh air for your flock?
• Do you use any temporary winter barriers around the coop, like curtains or windbreaks?
• What’s your take on adding insulation inside versus outside the coop?

Anything else you'd like to add.

For a complete list of our Topic of the Week threads, see here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/a/topic-of-the-week-thread-archive

Great information! We are trying to provide some insulation or protection from the cold for our three hens and one rooster in a petmate Coop. Last year we just had 5 hens in there, and I could go out in the morning and open the door to the Coop, we kept the little window open, so there was ventilation, and they got through a cold winter just fine (I think they just huddled together). This year, we have 3 hens and had to move a rooster in there, because he couldn’t manage in the larger flock that we inherited this summer (they have an old Tuff shed and a 10x20 run). They just don’t huddle the way they used to.
I think we’ll add an automatic door, because he can’t stand being locked up until I can get out there at about seven am. I saw the thread about adding an automatic door, very helpful. But the coop itself walls are insubstantial so we were wondering if anybody had any suggestions for how to insulate it a little bit. Btw, the Coop is inside our run, and we’re pretty happy with the run. It’s a 10x10 Retriever dog kennel, with tarp roof and anchored on a perimeter foundation of 4x4s over 4’ buried chicken wire. We have heavy duty clear plastic that we put up in November on three weather sides, so there’s protection from the weather. So far so good. This is a picture of the Coop, but we just use the house itself, not that tiny run extension, as they are inside are larger run. Just wondering if anyone’s figured out how to make the little house a little warmer. Thanks for any thoughts.

 

[Sh1nyH4ppy]

So glad to see this!

Insulation is a haven for rodent habitat, and worthless in all but the most frigid of climates(sustained double digit negative F's).

I made the mistake of lining the roof (or top third) of our hoop coop with moving blankets. The mice have made nests there in addition to underground & in the straw bedding.

Actually, Our chickens have had no trouble cuddling against the cold in the past, just struggle to survive Texas zone 8a summer heat.

In spring cleaning, I'll redo the hoop coop cover (made of highway billboard signage off craigslist) with no more moving blankets.

 

[troyak]

I don't have insulation in my coop, it has been getting down into the mid -20s C each night lately . The young ladies are fine. If its going to get colder than -25 I have an oil filled heater that I will turn on low (600 Watts). This is probably more for me to feel better. If it is going to get below -30 I prop a bail of shavings up against their door, to stop any draft that may enter through there and I won't let them out during the day. I have a remote thermometer in the coop, the coldest I have seen in there has been -23*C.

If it's a sunny day, it doesn't matter how cold it gets, they like the sun and will be outside as long as I will let them out.