Need help turning my garden shed into a coop

MadabtChickens said:

We have a garage 10' from the coop, so we will be storing bedding, food, and all that other stuff in there. If the Silkies can't get from the roost to the nest boxes then we will put a ramp up to the boxes. All that is there was built for the chickens, so we don't care if they stand there and the poop won't be hard to clean off. If we get annoyed with it then we'll fix it so they can't stand there. Thank you for the input. 

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Bullitt said:

You have all the wood you need in your shed. You need to make some nesting boxes and put up some roosting poles. You should put something on the floor, such as pine shavings. That is all you need. Bringing natural light into the coop would help make the hens more productive egg layers, or you can use an electric light if you want. Or will the chickens be outside during all daylight hours? You should not remove the gate on your fence. You can just latch the gate open when you let the chickens out. Most chicken breeds will be able to hop over that fence also. So the chickens will be free ranging all over your property? Will someone be around to keep an eye on the chickens? A predator could attack your chickens. Is that your dog in the picture? If so, you will have to train your dog not to chase or attack chickens. A dog can be good protection against predators, if trained not to bother the chickens. By the way, what breed of chickens are you getting? Hopefully they are a breed or breeds that can fly a little to get up into a tree and away from predators.

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MadabtChickens said:

Hi! I'm going to be getting my first chickens in a month or so and need help figuring out a few things to get my large garden shed turned into a coop. I was planning on putting the roosts on the back wall and the shelves for the nests on the right wall I already have a door. The shed was used as a dog house/yard when my mother was on vacation. The chickens are going to be 100% free range from morning until dusk. Here are my questions: What should I do for ventilation? I was planning on putting 2 shelves up for the nests. I know I need to put some wood borders on the outside of the shelves to keep the straw and eggs in, but should I section the shelves off also to make nest boxes? Should I finish covering the interior beams, or is it fine how it is now? Any other input is greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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