# Coop insulation



## eqstrnathlete (Dec 9, 2012)

I am a single mother and nursing student so had to build my coop on little money. I've used others for years but wanted to build a predator proof one. (Lost 7 hens and a duck last week.). Has anyone used straw for insulation? Does it mold when enclosed in the walls?


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

if you want to use straw, as I understand it, you must keep it as dry as possible or yes, it will mold and decay. I am curious where you are in the world. My coop has seen some bitter cold days and nights and my death due to cold count is 0 with no insulation at all


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## eqstrnathlete (Dec 9, 2012)

I am in MO. This past winter we had weeks in the negatives and I had birds lose toes.


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## powderhogg01 (Jun 4, 2013)

im in colorado, high up on the divide in the rockies. months of negatives... a little comb frostbite but no toe damage or anything like that. My coop was even perhaps a little small for the birds. It did have a lot of ventilation though.. that is the key there. I will be rebuilding the coop in the next week or 2 and will not insulate, I feel that with a good roost and proper air flow the flock can weather the worst. I also do not have ducks.. so i cant speak of their needs in the winter.
I think there are lots of great ideas for cheap if not free insulation. I know there is a lot of foam around my area from shipping, I have used that with other needs with success.. cardboard.. even just having the inside of the pallets open and sheeting the inside creates a layer of insulation


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## Fiere (Feb 26, 2014)

The straw wont mold unless it gets damp, as stated. It would have to be sealed up well to keep dry, though, with full vapour barrier and all. 
Frostbite is caused by moisture. If you have a coop that is sealed up tight so that the warm wet air can't escape, you'll get frostbite. Same if you have a lot of drafts to let moisture in. The trick is to keep the walls of the coop tight and have enough cross ventilation above the birds to keep that warmer moist air moving out of the coop. 
The birds themselves can tolerate pretty extreme cold. It does not need to be "warm" for them. All they really need is a wide flat roost, good feed and water, and a place out of the elements that is dry. Im not saying don't insulate, but its not the insulation that will keep your birds well.

I live in Canada right on the Atlantic ocean, its a constant battle here to ward of dampness. My coops aren't insulated at all, but they are specifically designed to keep drafts off the birds and warm moist air moving up and out. I've never lost a bird to cold and never had frostbitten toes. Ventilation is very important when keeping chickens in winter.


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## eqstrnathlete (Dec 9, 2012)

Last winter they were just in my barn, roosting in rafters. So I don't know why they lost toes.


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## robin416 (Sep 8, 2013)

If they were roosting on the narrow side of a 2X4 or 6 that would explain the frostbite. When you build your roost and if you use a 2X4 put it wide side up. That way when they roost and hunker down their bodies totally cover their feet.


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## eqstrnathlete (Dec 9, 2012)

robin416 said:


> If they were roosting on the narrow side of a 2X4 or 6 that would explain the frostbite. When you build your roost and if you use a 2X4 put it wide side up. That way when they roost and hunker down their bodies totally cover their feet.


That was my problem. Thanks!


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