What is best insulation for a small coop?

[absinor]

We're in Portland OR so the climate is somewhat mild, but I want to insulate the walls and have good ventilation at the roof.

What is the best (and cheapest) insulation for chickens? Do they peck at exposed materials?

 

[keljonma]

Straw bales around the inside perimeter.... can also be used for bedding (provided they don't get wet/moldy)

Yes, chickens peck at everything!

 

[absinor]

Coop is too small for bales. Just 4 hens.

 

[Buff Hooligans]

Don't know if it was cheap, but we used rigid insulation on the inside walls of our coop which is small, then we nailed barnboard over it so the girls wouldn't peck at the shiny silver and to make the inside look nicer.

 

[absinor]

Hmmm...in our small coop, I wonder if a couple layers of cardboard under some plywood would work. Never sure about moisture though.

 

[patandchickens]

don't use cardboard, it doesn't insulate all that well and will become a mold farm anyhow.

if you want cheap, either scrounge scraps of rigid insulation board from construction sites (with permission of course) or hang around stores asking the manager if they have any styrofoam packing you could have. Since stores generally have to pay to have such things removed, the answer IME will often be Yes. If you are lucky you can find actual flat 1-4" thick slabs of styrofoam packing (not the ones with the weird-shaped voids molded into 'em, like tvs and such come packed with in the box). Stores get 'em coming in as packing for odd-shaped or fragile stock. Ask!

You will have to cover styrofoam or rigid foamboard with something peckproof, like thin scrounged plywood or panelling or whatever else comes your way.

Good luck,

Pat

 

[Chicabee19]

I'm pretty sure chickens don't need insulation in a coop in Portland.

I am in the Gorge and do not plan to formally insulate ... perhaps some straw bales covered by a tarp around the outside.

 

[absinor]

Quote:
That's the best possible answer Anything that makes it faster to finish this coop is fine by me!!!

 

[Chicabee19]

I hope it goes well for you! Post pics when you are done

 

[absinor]

If it's still standing, I sure will