Chicken Coop's Ventilation and Insulation

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     The ventilation and insulation of your chicken coop is very important as it directly affects the health of your chickens, thus affecting the possible profits from your efforts. Like humans, chickens don't like stuffy houses. Without enough ventilation, the chicken coop will build up fumes to an unhealthily, and potentially toxic, level. With insulation, your chickens are comfortably warm and dry even during winter season.

The Chicken Coop's Ventilation

Proper ventilation is very important in the poultry operations as the rapidly changing weather conditions can dramatically affect your output with the chickens. In winter months, it can be a challenge to provide adequate ventilation while maintaining a warm temperature inside the chicken house. In the summer season, the hot weather can be a challenge in providing a way for heat to vent out of the chicken house. Ventilation brings in fresh air and in return exhaust the carbon dioxide.

To provide proper solutions to this problem with ventilation, place vents on the walls facing the south or east of the coop. This can help create the needed airflow while protecting your chickens from the cold as well. In addition, you can also try drilling large holes on the area where the roof meets the walls, preferably on the north and south sides of the coop. Create a cover to these holes using mesh screens to prevent other migratory and wild, which might be disease-carriers, birds.

Additionally, you can plant tall shrubs and trees around the exterior of the chicken coop to create a cooling effect. Just monitor that the plants do not block the ventilation holes and windows.

The Chicken Coop's Insulation

Coop ventilation must work together with your coop's insulation. With proper insulation, your chickens will remain dry and warm during the cold months of winter, while keeping them cool during the hot summer.

As a recommended insulation, use Styrofoam sheets, about 1.5 inches in thickness, between the coop's walls and ceiling to serve as structural insulation. Also use white paint and aluminum roofing to reflect heat during the summer months. As a cheap rudimentary insulation technique to provide added insulation during winter, you may also stack hay bales against the northern walls.

Your chicken coop must be well ventilated, and properly insulated, as it is directly affects the chickens' health. Your investment with proper coop ventilation and insulation will keep the flock comfortable regardless of the season. It surely is worth every cent.