Can I convert this into a chicken coop?

[Daisyhay]

Hi all,

New to this site, I wonder if anyone could tell me if this is a good idea or bad? We have this old tree house, it isn't being used, it is well insulated and can have power fed to it from the sheds below ( which we use for storage) . Would this work as a chicken coop/ hen house if I chicken wired the decking area at the top and below for the run ( large area below).

Is it too high for the chickens? Obviously i would modify the staircase . We are in the uk so I am very aware of wet weather and cold hence why I want enough covered and uncovered space. We have a large garden with shrubs, bushes, shade , sun so we would let them out to roam if the foxes keep away during the day.

 

[Shadrach]

Hello Daisyhay.
Welcome to BYC.
I think you could make a chicken coop from that from what I can see.
Could the shed below be removed?

 

[Daisyhay]

No, we can't remove any of the sheds. Ideally the bottom shed would work best but the top tree house is just being wasted really.

I am also thinking due to foxes and rats that maybe the treehouse would be better? I can chicken wire the decked area and around the stairs.

 

[Shadrach]

No, we can't remove any of the sheds. Ideally the bottom shed would work best but the top tree house is just being wasted really.

I am also thinking due to foxes and rats that maybe the treehouse would be better? I can chicken wire the decked area and around the stairs.

As with most projects a lot is going to depend on how much work and thought one puts into it.
Chicken wire wont keep many determined predators out.
If you want a secure coop and run you should use a double layer; this as the base layer,
https://www.weld-mesh.com/welded-mesh/galvanised-weld-mesh-2-x-2-16G-3ft-x-30m/10020

with this as the second layer.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unibos-Gal...8&sprefix=half+inch+welded+wire,aps,86&sr=8-3

 

[DLA]

No, we can't remove any of the sheds. Ideally the bottom shed would work best but the top tree house is just being wasted really.

I am also thinking due to foxes and rats that maybe the treehouse would be better? I can chicken wire the decked area and around the stairs.

C

Chicken wire only keeps chickens in, it would not keep rats or foxes out. Anywhere predators could possibly gain entry to the coop should be securely covered with hardware cloth. This is the kind I used on mine. Seboss makes it, you can get it on amazon. They would need ventilation in the coop so windows covered with hardware cloth and a way to close them and keep rain from blowing in something like this

this isn't my coop but you get the idea.
I would think chickens could navigate those staris as they are depending on the chickens, heavy breeds or bantam breeds might need a ramp.

 

[Acre4Me]

Good suggestions above. Heavier breeds will quite possibly struggle, but you’d have 8 months -a year before that became an issue (if at all).

Yes, this structure certainly could work. Foxes can climb, so make sure the top is covered -such as for the run area or anything first level or lower part of stairs. Not sure if you have raccoons, but they climb very well and are strong, so can pull many things out or up or down.

Rodents: keep it clean (with respect to feed useage and spillage) and not insulated and they will have little reason to stick around.

Keep it dry.

Roosts, etc. the only other thing to note is that a chicken will fly off a roost. They need length to fly and land, so keep this in mind when constructing roosts or nest boxes. Since this is a tree house, it may not be very big, therefore little distance to fly and land off the roosts. In this case, don’t make the roosts very high. They will need less distance to fly and land from a lower height and/or could jump down. I’ll guess that you might want to put the laying boxes on the ground area…ease of collection for the human. But, if you are putting them up in the tree house, then put them in the floor so they are lower than the roosts. The chickens will be less likely to sleep in them, and therefore are not likely to poop in them while they sleep.

 

[aart]

We have this old tree house, it isn't being used, it is well insulated and can have power fed to it from the sheds below

Insulation can be a home to rodents, and not necessary except in the very coldest climates.
Ventilation is key and I see none here, and no roof overhangs which is the best place to ventilate with open soffits and to protect windows from rain.
How would the chickens get from the coop to the run below?
Need to see more of the tree house inside and out.

We are in the uk

Welcome to BYC! @Daisyhay
Here's how to add your general geographical location to your profile.
It's easy to do, and then it's always there!

 

[3KillerBs]

You've gotten some good advice so far. I'm going to ask some questions for you to think about:

1. How big is this space? Does it have enough room for the number of chickens I want to have? The Usual Guidelines suggest 4 square feet in the coop and 10 square feet in the run.
2. How will I manage the conversion? How will I ventilate it? Where will I put the nests? How will the chickens get up and down?
3. How will I manage this coop in this location? What bedding will I use and how will I get fresh bedding up and used bedding down? Where will I put the food and water? Will I have complete access to this coop during a week of the worst weather I can expect during the harshest part of a year?
4. What kind of chickens do I want to have? Will they be able to/willing to get up and down? For examples, some breeds, such as Silkies, physically *can't* fly and some breeds, such as Brahmas, are so large and heavy that they generally *don't* fly. But other breeds, especially the light, Mediterranean breeds like Leghorns and the game breeds, fly well. (I have a California White who flies out of the pen in order to roost in the roof structure 14 feet up instead of inside the coop). I can't say that a large, heavy chicken absolutely wouldn't go up the steps to roost, but I strongly suspect that a light, agile chicken would be more likely to want to.
5. What are my own physical abilities and limitations and will they affect my ability to manage this coop over the foreseeable future?

I *personally* would not make a coop that I had to access by stairs this way. I would not want to haul water, feed, and bedding up there and I would not want to climb outside stairs in inclement weather to care for them and collect eggs. That doesn't mean that it's not a good option for someone else.