I would suggest a pellet gun. You may laugh but I think its perfect.
No kick back
Light
Very affordable
Good for beginner
Non lethal
Any predator hit will not come back.
IMO a single pump is prefered over purchasing air cylinders.
A quick google search listed many sites with information and...
When I clean my coop i put all the litter in my compost. I have been known in the winter to throw the litter out on the lawn. I did this because I was to lazy to take it to compost in the cold and snow. It seems that in the spring after the snow has melted my lawn benefits. I had the greenest...
I suspect it would make a fine coop. Modified a little for ventilation, nesting and roosting.
I would suggest that if wind is at all a concern you can get some screw anchors used for tying your dog in the middle of the yard. Screw 2 of them per side of your coop. Throw a couple ratchet straps...
A site I found as a good starting point for building my coop is http://backyardchickendirectory.com/chicken-coop-plans/
They have several sites listed that deal with chicken coop plans and some of them are free.
I hope this helps you
Re purposing something to make a coop sounds like an...
When we get about 4 eggs or more in a given nest box i sometimes get a cracked or crushed egg. it looks almost as though one egg has landed on another and broken it.
Is there anything I can do to correct this. Keep in mind I cant go out there all day and get eggs. They have to wait till I get home